I think you're on to something there, Haus. Sometimes my favorite hoppy beers taste really good and fresh and you swear you just had the best beer ever. Other times not nearly as good or just mediocre. I think freshness and the way its been handled is a big thing, but also just variability from batch to batch. Microbrewers don't have their consistency down to a science, or may not even be able to control it to the extent that the major swill brewers can. I'm pretty damn sure NONE of them are refrigerating their stuff from their warehouse, through their distributor channels all the way to your supermarket shelves (except Coors long time ago). Its just the major brewers move inventory faster and probably with greater predictability, and you're not likely to detect because of the style anyway.