Sierra Nevada, Hoptimum

Typically mild Sierra Nevada nose (although on my second bottle there were slight notes of bacon??) but a great, full body that you'd expect from this imperial. Decent balance (just!) and the abv hidden sufficiently (just!). Thick and heavy pine gloop taste + thick, thick hop unctuousity. I bought this on a couple of occasions from Mr Lawrence (they still have some in stock) - the first time ('freshly' imported) I was full of praise and admiration for it (took my time, drank it slowly etc). The second (a while after), I bought 2 bottles, one for myself and one for Vicky. Vicky had one taste and didn't like it so gave it to me. That was when all the bad things about impy IPAs came out (perhaps all types of beers at 10% +) for me: the thickness, the heaviness and in this case, the absence of freshness. Due to beers like Weird Beard's Holy Hoppin' Hell, and too a lesser extent, Odell's Myrcenary, I'm rapidly learning that IPAs with heavy hop content really do suffer if not drunk fresh, and are, perhaps, not worth it after a while. Someone prove me wrong?