shelf life

Just wondering what the average shelf life on bottled beer is. I made an american style lager on feb.19 and bottled it 3 weeks after. From day one the beer was good, very good, but I often buy store bought beer to make my homebrews last. I cracked open one of my lagers last night and holy cow! It was simply fantastic! It definataly improved with age. I'd like to hang on to a few of these but don't know how long is too long. Do different style beers have different time limits on shelf life? thanks

Higher gravity beers can generally last longer. Some for years.

Highly hopped beers tend to be best if consumed earlier, as the bitterness can fade over time.

It definitely varies greatly by style. A Russian Imperial Stout is going to age much nicer than an American Wheat, for example. General rule of thumb is the darker and stronger, the better for aging. It's worth setting a few beers aside and experimenting. People can spout stuff all day about aging, but you don't really know until you start tasting.

"Age your cheese not your Pliny" as the best IPA in the world elucidates (look it up) hops fade with time. Higher alcohol content brews will last longer than lighter ones. There is a great podcast from the guys at the Brewing Network who discuss aging beers with Dr. Charles Bamforth of UC Davis (a leading beer scholar whose knowledge of craft beer and brewing science is virtually unparalleled). When you cold store your beer it lasts significantly longer than when it is stored warm. http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/582

cool, thanks for the replies fellas