I admit I never check dates. Cans can be good for several years though, depending on the beer. Obviously the newer the better they are.
Always check the dates. Cans will still oxidize the same way. If it's an IPA my rule is still 3 months tops.
If stored properly though, they might make it to six, but I don't trust the distributors or stores they're sold at to store them properly. Hell, not even all breweries do it.
The first brewery I worked at was terrible about it, but they just flat out sucked. Beer was probably oxidized by the time it made it to the distributors. The last brewery I worked for on rare occasions would run out of room in the walk in and would have to briefly store it outside of the walk-in, normally for no more than a day. In a hot ass brewery in the summer though that's no bueno.
I once had to dump a particular beer for legal reasons and it had been canned probably less than a month earlier, but was left out in the brewery in the summer heat for about a week and that beer stunk to oxidized ass high heaven. Shit was gross.
I mean, go get a sixer of fresh beer. Take one and place it in your car in the summer heat and put the rest in the fridge. Then after that try them side by side.
I dunno. I'm spoiled. I got to drink fresh beer every day of my life for seven years. I hate dropping nearly 15 bucks for beer and it tasting like oxidized ass.
If you have a big stout, quad, barleywine, or something similar, yeah, you can store those much longer.
