How Old is Too Old (For a Hoppy Beer)

[omokoro]

I just finished off a bottle of 90 Minute IPA that had very little hop flavor and aroma. Maybe my palate has changed over the years, but I found it cloyingly sweet without a significant hop balance. The bottle was dated 6/7/2012, making the bottle around 3 months old. If you are paying a premium for a beer that doesn't age well, how old is too old for you to consider purchasing that particular beer?

 

[Mongrel]

The fresher the better with IPA. I've only tried the 90 minute once. Way too sweet. Even if the aroma and flavors have faded there should still be some bitter there...there wasn't. Won't buy it again.

 

[duboman]

I have usually found that around the 7 week mark is when the flavor and aroma really begin to degrade either with store bought or home brew. The hops just won't hang around that long

 

[Wayne1]

If you are paying a premium for a beer that doesn't age well, how old is too old for you to consider purchasing that particular beer?

Personally, I won't buy any IPAish beer that is over a month old. Two weeks after bottling is about perfect. I always check the packaging date before I spend money on beer. It does limit the options.

I usually can find fresh Odells, Boulder and New Belgium. Ska and Oskar Blues can be hard to find fresh in my neighborhood.

 

[omokoro]

Seems to be a rather short window.

 

[MisterTipsy]

If it's fully carbonated, it's already past it's prime.

 

[Wayne1]

Seems to be a rather short window.

I'm not the only one

Stone Enjoy By 09/21/12

 

[ktblunden]

I've had the same experience with 90 minute and wonder if the trip across the country adversely affects the beer. I've never tasted any kind of hop presence in it.

 

[harrymanback92]

I recently started a thread about this. I won't even think to buy a 90 minute until im on the east coast.

I'd stick to locally sourced IPA's. I live in San Francisco so my analogy for IPA's is that they're like seafood; you don't want it to travel too far.

 

[MisterTipsy]

So you're saying 80-100ibu IPAs loose all their hoppiness in the three days it takes to cross the country?

 

[omokoro]

So you're saying 80-100ibu IPAs loose all their hoppiness in the three days it takes to cross the country?

I'm starting to take all this IBU braggadocio with a grain of salt. I just made a beer with a Beersmith estimated 90 IBUs that was less perceivable bitter than some 60 IBU beer I've made and tried.