Stouts & freshness dates

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by otispdriftwood, Mar 15, 2013.

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  1. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    Do breweries bottle stouts and hold them before releasing? I am just getting into stouts and picked up a 4pk. of Founders Breakfast Stout at a local store that advertised that they had just gotten it in. They also were advertising that they had also gotten GI Bourbon County Stout and GI Bourbon County Coffee Stout so I tend to believe that they just got the Founders as well. I had to open a case to get the 4pk. out and the bottled on date was 9/27/12. I know the beer could have been held at a distributor for a while but it's such a good and popular beer that I can't imagine that was the case. The only other explanation is that the brewery bottles it and holds it for a while. I believe that stouts hold up better than IPAs, for example, but any info would be appreciated for future purchases.
     
    #1 otispdriftwood, Mar 15, 2013
  2. MNPikey

    MNPikey Pooh-Bah (1,693) Feb 27, 2011 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Stouts get better with age. I've had many aged several years even.
     
    #2 MNPikey, Mar 15, 2013
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  3. Smithrob9999

    Smithrob9999 Initiate (0) Aug 3, 2011 Texas

    Even the lower ABV stouts are fine, i had a pretty old Obsidian Stout (6.4%) and even it held up well
     
    #3 Smithrob9999, Mar 15, 2013
  4. cubbyswans

    cubbyswans Zealot (623) Jun 10, 2008 Missouri

    No. Some do, and even then it is subjective. But to make a blanket statement like this is just not true.
     
    #4 cubbyswans, Mar 15, 2013
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  5. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I doubt that the brewery held up something from September. The distributor might have held it, or reclaimed it from a retailer that was not moving the beer fast enough.

    Stouts that have coffee, cherry, etc. will tend to lose the flavor of that particular feature if the stout is cellared, but if you're okay with that then you can age any stout. Some will improve better than others, but it's really a personal taste thing.
     
    #5 PapaGoose03, Mar 15, 2013
  6. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    The breakfast stout from September will still be great. IF you didn't buy it, go back and get some.
     
    #6 SammyJaxxxx, Mar 15, 2013
  7. mecummins

    mecummins Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2012 Illinois

    Second. I have some FBS from late October and it's still wonderful. You should be fine with a September date on it.

    My best guess is that the distributor found a case that hadn't moved or if it was a chain store, they're moving inventory from one location to another.
     
    #7 mecummins, Mar 15, 2013
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