Out of Code Beer and Etiquette

Even beer that is given a "Best by" date based on a 9-12 month (or more in some cases) shelf-life period? That is quite common in the US for European imported beer. The brewery, importer, distributor and retailer all consider that stamped date the "code".

In the US, the NBWA says that the "middle tier" wholesale distributor is responsible for fresh beer.

 

Very true. But by the same token there are some on here that advocate that the buyer should be going through the stock themselves to find the freshest beer and consequently they are interfering with the first in, first out inventory rotation method.

 

Is there another choice for the consumer/customer when some wholesale distributors and/or retailers choose not to pull old, out of code, stock from the shelves? I've even shopped in at least one large but fairly responsible retail store where a particular distributor brought in a supply of a particular beer as "fresh stock" and put a supply of that beer on the shelves that was already out of code. Similarly I've found beer in more than one well fairly well regarded small bottle shop that was brewed 2 years before I looked at it. I don't need to be "burnt" very often before I get cautious and look for the freshest beer on the shelf.