Dear Folks,

 

I can’t figure out how to tell the FILL-DATE of beer.

 

Is this something that requires GENIUS?

 

When I was in Canada, many years ago, I was able to look at the bottom of a can of Molson…and then just read off the date, backwards.

 

But here where I am now, even though I read the info backwards and forwards, I still can’t easily understand the FILL-DATE….

 

Is this because I am actually NOT a Genius?

 

Also, sometimes the beer tastes like molasses.

And, in such cases, I might like to look at the bottle, just to see if this new flavor might be due to aging.

 

In addition:  Is aging in the bottle good for beer, just like CoGnac aged in Casks is good?

This, I do not know, either.

 

So, how does one tell, just by looking at the label of a bottle of beer….

What the FILL-DATE might have been?

 

 

 

So many questions…

And, so little time.

 

I would imagine that others, who are also not Geniuses, might like to know the answer to this question….

As Well……

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Best regards,

GammaRays….

 

Note:  Someday, maybe, Life will be Simpler….

 

Note2:  Do you think it might be best to use the GREGORIAN Calendar, too….? Or, what about the Lunar Calendar?

 

Why make things simple when it is always possible to make things more complex?

 

Everyone loves a puzzle.

 

 

You have it upside down.

Just turn it up.

3 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

You have it upside down.

Just turn it up.

 

You know.....

 

When I was in Quebec City, drinking beer...

 

 

We never needed to worry about FILL DATE....because....

 

Before the days of Global Warming....

 

All beer in Canada was fresh.

 

 

This seems not to be the case, over here, where we are now.

 

After a few weeks in this heat, the beer gets downright skunky.

 

Some might prefer the smell of skunk, on occasion....

 

But, not in one's beer.

 

When I was in my teens, sometimes my finger would have that weird smell....

And when I went home in the morning....

The smell was still there.

 

Sometimes I would not wash my hand for days......

And the smell would remain....

Those were the days....!!!!

 

 

 

 

I haven't looked here in Thailand, but in the US it was sometimes printed under the label on bottles, I don't remember ever looking on cans.

Gamma - your beer has expired

 

Fill - 270424L2 - 27th April 2024 on bottling line 2

Expired - 27th April 2025

 

Same format on the bottom of my Chang cans.

 

Related Anecdote

Long, long ago I assisted behind the bar in a British Legion (no location to protect the guilty).

 

During a stock check we discovered a case of beer (it was a brown ale IIRC) which was several years out of date.

In the interests of science we cracked a bottle, it tasted fine, so it was placed on the shelf and sold.

Several customers did comment that this batch of the beer tasted better than previous batches and could we get more!

 

Do note that it had lived its life in the chilled cellar and not under a tropical sun.

Canadian and blue are rubbish beer.

5 minutes ago, blaze master said:

Canadian and blue are rubbish beer.

If you drink beer fast enough there's no need to check the used by date.

UV Lightstrike is the biggest factor that quickly deteriorates bottled beer. That's why the bottles are traditionally amber or green, to protect from UV.

 

As to beer ageing, my boss at a gas station back in the 80's had a classic saying - "they haven't yet invented an engine that I can't squeeze another quart of oil into, or a beer that is too old to drink". 

1 hour ago, bunnydrops said:

I haven't looked here in Thailand, but in the US it was sometimes printed under the label on bottles, I don't remember ever looking on cans.

 

OK....

 

Then...

 

Please look, again....

 

And, report.

 

5 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

You know.....

 

When I was in Quebec City, drinking beer...

 

 

We never needed to worry about FILL DATE....because....

 

Before the days of Global Warming....

 

All beer in Canada was fresh.

 

 

This seems not to be the case, over here, where we are now.

 

After a few weeks in this heat, the beer gets downright skunky.

 

Some might prefer the smell of skunk, on occasion....

 

But, not in one's beer.

 

When I was in my teens, sometimes my finger would have that weird smell....

And when I went home in the morning....

The smell was still there.

 

Sometimes I would not wash my hand for days......

And the smell would remain....

Those were the days....!!!!

 

 

 

 

Did your parents not warn you about the danger of fingering Skunks

Beer doesen't get better when it ages. Actually they found out, that beer in cans is better protected and has a longer shelf life than bottled beer (zero UV, no plastic seal under the cap.

 

As already mentioned above, if the storage is off limit, beer can get quick bad.

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

Did your parents not warn you about the danger of fingering Skunks

 

Yes, they badgered me about that very thing, most of my early life, while in my teens.

 

 

I have a bottle of Bernadus Abt. 12 which I purchased 18 months ago which still has a best before date of August 2026. 

 

Time isn't necessarily the enemy of a good bottled beer. It's more likely to be heat and especially light. 

When jus get the runners you'll know.

9 hours ago, Schoggibueb said:

Beer doesen't get better when it ages. Actually they found out, that beer in cans is better protected and has a longer shelf life than bottled beer (zero UV, no plastic seal under the cap.

 

As already mentioned above, if the storage is off limit, beer can get quick bad.

Luckily, I am a wine drinker

On 10/16/2025 at 6:57 AM, Crossy said:

Gamma - your beer has expired

 

Fill - 270424L2 - 27th April 2024 on bottling line 2

Expired - 27th April 2025

 

Same format on the bottom of my Chang cans.

 

Related Anecdote

Long, long ago I assisted behind the bar in a British Legion (no location to protect the guilty).

 

During a stock check we discovered a case of beer (it was a brown ale IIRC) which was several years out of date.

In the interests of science we cracked a bottle, it tasted fine, so it was placed on the shelf and sold.

Several customers did comment that this batch of the beer tasted better than previous batches and could we get more!

 

Do note that it had lived its life in the chilled cellar and not under a tropical sun.

 

Concerning the "Dating-Information" on local bottles of beer which you kindly provided:

 

Thank you, much, Sir, for providing this information which I put to good use, just today.

 

I returned to one of the local sellers of beer, and showed them your comment.

 

Apparently, most customers are completely unaware of the Date-Stamps on beer bottles.

 

Also, as has been true of me, they, too, are unable to decipher the strange markings.

 

The local store owner told me that she had never before looked at the dates printed on beer bottles. Therefore, she is obviously not the culprit, in this case.

 

However, I am still stuck with two bottles of beer, tasting like molasses, which were filled almost two years ago, and which were left in the sun, most likely.

 

This reminds me:

 

AA.  When I was younger, I never knew, for sure, what kind of a life some new girl I was dating, from the bars, might have led.  I mean, I had an inkling, but could not say “for sure”....

 

Some of the girls tasted OK.

But, some did not.

Often, it was the older girls that tasted best.

This is why, with beer bottles, one cannot always go by the Fill-Date.

Even more important is the “wear and tear” factor.

 

BB.  So, concerning the Molasses-Tasting Expired Beer shown in my uploaded image:

 

What is to be done with it?

 

For sure, it’s just two gummy and sweet to drink….unless…..

 

Unless, I can compensate for the deteriorated Hops, and concomitant lack of bitterness.

 

I love girls with a bit of a bitter taste….

 

 

CC.  Best Solution to finish off these two outdated bottles of Leo….?

 

They are not bitter enough, obviously.

 

So, what about….

 

Enjoying a Bitter-Melon snack, to be washed down with outdated Leo Beer?

 

Yes.

This is the  perfect solution.

Not too many non-Chinese love Bitter-Melon as do I.

I also like Black-Beans with my semi-cooked Bitter-Mellon.

 

What does such an amazing snack even look like?

 

https://omnivorescookbook.com/stir-fried-bitter-melon/

IMHO...This cook is COOKING WITH GAS....Big Time....!!!!

 

This is what we used to have when I was still visiting the red-light districts, after an evening on the town, at places like Hua-Xi-Jie, Taipei, and also LinShen North Road, early in the morning…

 

Fermented Salty SoyBeans…are great…with Bitter Melon and stale beer; please believe me.

 

Most young people don’t like vegetables.

I don’t know why.

 

Taiwan Beer is not too much different, in taste, from Leo Beer, especially when both are outdated. But, Taiwan beer seems to age better.

 

From here on in: I will check the date before purchase.

 

Thank you.

 

Note:  Those Taiwan Bars, in the late 70s and early 80s, during Martial Law, were the Goat. Sadly, they will never return, anywhere in Asia, before the next Ice Age.

 

Note2:  I love this music…. The girls are just so fine…..Why can’t they make music like this, these days???

 

 

 

Because....it tastes GREAT....!!!!

 

 

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Because....it tastes GREAT....!!!!

 

James Brown.

James BROWN.

JAMES BROWN.

JAMES BROWWWNNNNNN...!!

 

 

Fantastic.