The freshness craze

The freshness "craze" has been around for a long time. Most beers are better fresh and ingredients do play a major roll. Hop forward brews are at the top of that list because hop aromas then flavors break down first. That's why there are a lot of complaints about IPA's tasting off when they have aged. Look up fresh Pliny the Elder for the "craze".

Now take a higher abv % brew like a BCBS or a RIS and age it for a couple of years most brews are better because of it is not a hop forward brew.

 

With very few exceptions (barleywines ect.) all beers are better fresh. Take a tour of a BMC plant. Even a beer like Bud Light tastes better brewery fresh.

 

Fresh is my rule for all beers irrespective of style. An exception of course are ones specifically intended for aging but I don't buy those because at my age I'm not willing to wait on anything.

 

Freshness has gotten so bad for me that I cant even drink IPA's anymore. I crave something so fresh that I actually just end up chewing on hops straight off the vine.

 

Two-part question, so
1. yes
2. all beers are apparently IPAs

 

“So here's my question; is this all entirely to do with the frailty and magic of hops…” A big YES to that question. More explicitly it is due to the fact that hop aroma can fade very quickly in beers like IPAs.

“Shouldn't the whole "fresher is better" mentality hold up for at least some of the other styles, perhaps not just those than rely on primarily on hops?” Most beer styles are best consumed quickly. For example ABI recommends that Budweiser be consumed within 110 days of bottling/canning. It is just that non-hoppy beers do not tend to ‘fall of the cliff’ from an aroma/flavor perspective like the IPA style does.

“So my question is whether freshness can make a difference in a brew that relies more heavily on malt ingredients instead of the greener counterpart, and why there isn't much discussion about fresh beer unless it's an IPA.” Darker beer styles like Stouts/Porters tend to hold up better over time since dark malts (e.g., Black Malt, Chocolate Malt,…) have anti-oxidant qualities (beer staling is principally an oxidative chemical reaction). I personally prefer to drink my Stouts and Porters with a bit of bottle age vs. factory fresh.

Cheers!

 

Dude, I can't even wait that long anymore. I've recently taken to putting some hop plant rhizomes between my cheek and gums. There's a bit of terroir-like grittiness to it if you don't rinse them (I don't: that might wash away some flavor), but you really can't get any more local or fresh.

 

There are few beers that aren't better fresh. The collectors (hoarders) with all the beer in their cellars (Rot box cabinets and closets) may tell you different but they are wrong.

 

Generally everything is better fresh (unless specifically intended to be aged).

It's one of the reasons I started home brewing 10+ years ago.

 

Rob, the next time I see you there will be a hop plant growing out of your mouth?

Will they be wet hops?

Cheers!

 

I would agree almost all beer is better fresh. I do however recall Deschutes Abyss having a "best after date" printed on it. So I suppose some beers are meant to be aged.

 

It is incorrect to say "all beer is better fresh".

It IS correct to say "all beer tastes different with time."

Just because the beer tastes different fresh out of the tank v. 2 weeks later v. 2 months later v. 2 years later does not mean that fresh is always better for all beers.

Even some IPAs will be "better" with a week or so v. fresh out of the tank.

 

I agree with MNAle. Beer oxidation is something we have all battled over time and changes are inevitable. All changes are not necessarily degradations to the beer, including some oxidations. The level of oxidation is always key. Always remember "better" is in the eyes (and tastebuds!) of the observer.

 

It's not just fresh hops. I seem to be able to taste fresh grains as well (and its better that way).

Most cellerable beers I still prefer fresh vs. aged (when I've had opportunities to do side by sides/verticals). Some exceptions.

When in doubt, drink fresh.

 

There is nary a beer that is not at its peak on day 1. Each day thereafter is a slide down with the steepest slope on the front end. That's not to say that beer becomes bad or undrinkable days, weeks or even months later. But certainly not at its peak.

 

well stone had that best after series of beer but for me I like ipas and I'm not going to spend hard earned money on something that is sub par.

 

I personally disagree with that statement; some beer styles improve with time. Some examples are Barleywines, Quads, Imperial Stouts. The aging process creates additional flavors which result in a more complex overall flavor profile.

I suspect that somebody will post about the subjective nature of beer appreciation but I will personally disagree that a simpler tasting Barleywine is 'better' than a mature Barleywine with a complex flavor profile.

Cheers!

 

Me, too.

 

I only drink IPAs if they let me climb in the tank. Running it through a hose and bottling it adds too much age for me.