Aw man... I'm so jealous. I can only imagine what Ruination tastes like fresh!
you'd be surprised, depending on the care and quality of their bottling, probably not a whole lot different.
a lot of times, beer gets better with age. I have an IIPA I made a year ago still bottle conditioning in a closet. At first, the hops were overpowering (it IS an IIPA), but with some time, everything has evened out. Still great, classic IIPA hop profile, but the overall flavor is more balanced.
contrary to popular belief, beer will not "go bad," as long as it is stored correctly.
watched a podcast where they found and drank 2 bottles of 50 year old beer, was somewhat oxidized and flavor was off a bit, but was still good, according to the reviewers.
back on topic, anything heavy in menthol. I cannot taste much after a few drinks, but the menthol provides the kick I need