Lost some hoppiness

[bk0]

I brewed my first somewhat hoppy pale ale a few months ago (about 45 IBU). The first bottle I opened had a wonderful pungent grapefruit aroma to it. Now a few weeks later I feel like it doesn't have the same pungency as it did. It still tastes great, I just don't know if maybe I've gotten used to it so I don't notice the aroma anymore or what.

The brew has been sitting in sealed bottles, so I don't see how it could lose aromatics, but maybe I'm wrong? I didn't dry hop it so any aroma was from the finishing hops in the boil.

 

[Yooper]

I brewed my first somewhat hoppy pale ale a few months ago (about 45 IBU). The first bottle I opened had a wonderful pungent grapefruit aroma to it. Now a few weeks later I feel like it doesn't have the same pungency as it did. It still tastes great, I just don't know if maybe I've gotten used to it so I don't notice the aroma anymore or what.

The brew has been sitting in sealed bottles, so I don't see how it could lose aromatics, but maybe I'm wrong? I didn't dry hop it so any aroma was from the finishing hops in the boil.

That's one of the issues with APAs/IPAs- the hops aroma and flavor fades relatively quickly. They are usually best drunk when pretty young, as even though the beer will be drinkable for many months, once the hops aroma fades it's not the same beer.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I don't recall what exactly the chemical processes are (I would assume oxidation), but hop-forward beers should be drunk young unless you are using a stabilized hop extract (which 99.9% of homebrewers don't use). If you kegged, you could breathe some new life into a beer by dry-hopping it as it ages, but it will never be the same as a nice, fresh brew. Minimize splashing when transferring/bottling, cap on foam, use oxycaps, and stick the beer in the fridge as soon as it is carbed - those things should buy you an extra couple of weeks of enjoyment for your next batch.