Natural aging or oxidation ?

[p_p]

Hi,
As many of you I've developed quite a taste for beers full of hops.
The last few brews I've made are IPAs, loaded with late and dry hop additions, but not too bitter altogether (~40-60 perceived IBUs usually).

Beers are very drinkable right after bottle carbonation and after a few weeks the aroma tends to fade away.

I am on the tail end of a batch that was bottled 12 weeks ago and although still enjoyable, the bitterness has changed from a really nice balance hitting you at the very back of the palate to a more harsh, perhaps less enjoyable bitterness sensation.

The beer in these old bottles has not change color compared to 12 weeks ago which makes me think oxidation has not been a massive factor. The beer looks crystal clear, not even getting the chill haze I usually do get.

So, this change of bitterness perception, is that normal? What's happening?

Thanks

 

[RM-MN]

This loss of hop aroma is normal in that amount of time. I've seen people claim that attempting to reduce the beer's exposure to oxygen will prolong the flavor but I haven't tried to minimize that, just make smaller batches so they are drunk up before they lose the aroma. Here's an ongoing discussion of low dissolved oxygen beer.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=599902