Chances are if the beer is quality, you have nothing to worry about as long as it was in the right conditions.

As a brewer myself, I try to keep my beers as long as possible (though temptation is great) to get the best flavour out of my beer.

I have seen some labels from overseas breweries put the joke expiration date of 2025 on bottles to indicate that you should keep them as long as possible.

I say beer, like wine, gets better with age. As long as its not too light.

Thanks Blake.

Depends on the strength, too. The weaker the alcohol the less likely it is well preserved. Real ale yeasts in stronger beers hit a wall at a certain strength that stops them from eating everything possible. Lower strength ones can be left very thin over time due to almost total attenuation.

I worked at Picaroons brewery the Summer of 98 so there is a good chance that it was me who bottled that bottle. I spent most of my time that Summer in rubber boots and hip-waders operating the bottler that bottled 3 bottles at a time.

The best part of that job was being an official taster (free beer). Picaroons is some of the best beer I have tasted (I am no longer biased - I do not work there any longer).
Cheers,
Mark

G = July
25 = the day
0 = the year

so 25 of july 2000 ;)