High % Beer, Best Before Date ?¿ (Hoegaarden Grand Cru)

pa990

I know that the likes of Duvel has a Best Before Date (BB) of usually 2 to 3yrs in advance, but will actually keep and improve beyond this date.

However what about the likes of Hoegaarden Grand Cru ?
Its 8.5% but the BB date is only 12 months ahead.

How will the Grand Cru hold up, beyond its BB date.


(i know that out of date beers have been discussed before , but i cant find info on this beer or other similar high % beers)

oblivious

It will be grand, i don't think the aging will it will add a whole lot to this beer as its a wheat base are are generally best consumed fresh or as fresh as possible.

I suspect they already have a bit if age by the time we get the in this country, with shipping and the time spent on the shelf


enjoy

pa990

I have a substancial amount of Hoegaarden Grand Cru, and i'll probably be using it well past its BB date


hopefully all will be ok

oblivious

Some Belgian brewers don't even put a best before date on the bottle, they are added for a lot for export especially into the US.

beer is a hostile environment for pathogenic microbes to grow, but flavor dose change such as, hop bitterness dropping out, oxidation and yeast autolysis

BeerNut

It won't harm you, but it will lose its freshness and flavour over time. As Oblivious says, wheat beers are best drunk young.

the beer revolu

Also, Hoegaarden Grand Cru is no longer made so do enjoy it.

It's a pretty strong and complex beer so while I don't dispute that it is made to be drunk young, it could develop into something equally nice - just different to the fresher stuff (which you're not gonna find anyway).

BeerNut

the beer revolu wrote: »

Hoegaarden Grand Cru is no longer made

Really? Where'd you find this out?

the beer revolu

BeerNut wrote: »

Really? Where'd you find this out?

Eurobeers were informed by Inbev last year that its production was finished.

Unless the move back to the old Hoegaarden brewery has revived its production and no one told me:o

oblivious

I think the never fully moved over protest from locals and started back in the old brewery in September 2007 along with a 60 million investment

pa990

I heard somewhere that it was being discontinued, I think i heard it on boards.

I heard the same from a publican and from The Abbot Ale House (off-licence)

Thats why i stocked up on Grand Cru. I just have to cheaply source the propper glass and i'll begin enjoying

the beer revolu

pa990 wrote: »

I heard somewhere that it was being discontinued, I think i heard it on boards.

I heard the same from a publican and from The Abbot Ale House (off-licence)

Thats why i stocked up on Grand Cru. I just have to cheaply source the propper glass and i'll begin enjoying

A large wine glass €1.50 from M&S.

Suits almost any beer from a 33cl bottle. Not bad for wine either!