Outdated beer

If I am wondering about the date, I usually just rip the box or case open and have a look.

 

Local shop offering Knee Deep McCarthy's Bane Imperial Red for $2.99 for a bomber, but
it is dated 1/12/13: no thanks!

 

On the homebrew side, I was moving some cases of empty bottles, and found 5 old bottles of an American Style Barleywine (12B) that I brewed back in 2002. It won a silver medal back then, but I was blown away that it's still drinkable, especially since it wasn't in a temp controlled environment. Not as good as when it was a year old, but it had a ton of malt in it, and a ridiculous amount of hops. There are some old sherry notes, but still not bad.

So the main point is, the "fresh by" date is less meaningful for beers that are built for aging. An Imperial Red might be in that category, if it's truly an Imperial.

 

At the liquor store I work at we didn't start getting in Orange shandy until after the summer shandy was all gone, which was almost new years.

So I can see that orange shandy being just fine

 

Next time, take it back to the store.

A reputable seller will take it back (assuming you haven't opened any of the beers), apologize for selling you beer past the best-by date, and allow you to exchange it with a fresher pack or refund your money.

Only an a-hole will tell you, "sorry, you should have checked the date before you bought it."

 

I just found a distributor with a lot of SN Celebration still in stock- one of my favorite beers. I didn't check the dates, but, assuming it has been refrigerated for the whole time- do you think it would still be ok to drink?

 

I still have a Celebration from October in my fridge!

From what I recall, it holds up surprisingly well. It won't taste the same as fresh, of course, but it will probably be tasty. And since it's March, you may be able to get it at a discount...even better.

 

Awesome. I pay about $17.99 for a 12-er! Love that stuff!

I am going to stock up!

 

Where did you buy it? I know one particular store where I've seen egregiously old Great Divide beers

 

only a couple months past. id drink it and just be sure to check more often.

i too have had really old Titan IPA in the past. binnys took it back and issued me a refund even tho i had opened a bottle.

 

While I'm sorry to hear that you came across some out of code Boulevard beer, all of our 6/12/20 pack boxes have best by dates printed on the outside of the box.

 

Did you try taking it back to the retail store? We will accept returns on cases as long as there is only or two beers missing.

 

Bullshit. You can rotate a bottle neck and read the bottle code through the open handle. I do it all the time.

Pain in the ass? Yes. Impossible? No.

 

Yeah, I noticed that, and I know that that poster works in Three Tier (at retail, I believe.) Well, I worked at retail for five years and handled hundreds of those enclosed Boulevard six-pack cartons, and do not recall a code on the package apart from the one that is used internally by the cardboard manufacturer. Likewise, the cartons back then (early 2000s or "Oughts", if you prefer) were fold-ins, so the flaps could be untucked and re-tucked and a consumer at retail could indeed check bottles without compromising the hotmelt adhesive in order to check the codes on the bottles.

I'll be picking up some beer today so will check those Boulevard cartons.

 

i'm not the brightest, I bought some wookey without reading the label and it was bottled april last year, almost a year old. should I even bother? or try to return it?

 

I would drink it and chalk it up as a learning experience. It will still be a good beer, just not as bright as it once was.

 

A reputable bottle shop would swap it out for you, if they don't I'd find a new beer store.

 

Cook with it.

 

The best by date is printed on the upper corner of the 6/12/20 pack box. The printed code also lists a Julian date for bottling and a letter (A-F) that denotes the bright beer tank from which the beer was bottled.

 

YIKES! Immediately put on a hazmat suit and carefully DP those monsters!