La Roja 2012

I think aging a sour in a cooler is perfectly fine. I'd prefer that to one that's been sitting on a shelf with possibly fluctuating temperatures. At least you know it's been stored properly (although maybe aged cooler than normal cellar temps), so I'd say buy it and age it more in your own cellar or drink it. It will be great either way.

 

Cooler = good! I think you can safely purchase that La Roja, and enjoy it. I have lots of JP brews in my cellar, they age very well. I would look at your situation as "someone just aged this beer for free for me."

Now I'm not a scientist and I don't have any factual evidence or lab reports to show or anything fancy, but, in my mind, If a sour is being stored at very cold temps, I would think that the funky bacteria in the beer will not be as active, and not change the flavor of the brew as much as if being stored at "cellar temp."

 

I agree. It'll be fine, and you can age it or not if you want to.

 

Cold temperatures slow down molecular processes. Which means that in beer, both positive (maturation from yeast/bacteria) and negative (degradation over time) change will be slowed down.

So the only way a beer being stored in a cooler could be construed as a problem is if you are specifically looking for a 2012 beer that has gotten the benefit from two years worth of cellaring/maturing. And even then, you can still age it on your own after you buy it. And as @BottleCaps80 notes, the temperature in a cooler is more consistent than shelf temperature, even if it's too cold to really do much maturing.

 

I buy an cellar a lot of Jolly Pumpkin stuff. I think they age well, and La Roja is one of the best when it's got a year on it or more.

 

2 years isn't that much for it so you'll be fine.