SIP, I have tried a number brands of the instant yeasts, through the years, and the SAF red is my favorite. I got some Bob Mills yeast early this year, only because I was getting some deals on some whole grains from wherever it was I got that, and they had a deal on that, too. I was down to about 1/4 c of the last pound of SAF I got, which was about a year and a half old, which I keep in a jar in the fridge. So I checked it, next to the new yeast - I proofed a small amount of each, with an equal amount of sugar in water, and the old yeast foamed up faster, though both eventually about the same. So it doesn't seem to loose much of its strength, when refrigerated.
I only use 2/3 of the instant yeast, when making recipes from old books, that call for active dry. In my early days, some of the books or articles would say to use fresh yeast, instead of active dry - that it would taste better, so use it, if you could find it! I actually tried it (it was actually in supermarkets back then!), and didn't really get any better flavor from it. When instant yeast became the norm, we were hearing similar things about that, as far as having better flavor, but that was probably because the instant yeast was being substituted 1:1, so there is more live yeast, and the faster the bread is made, the less the flavor develops.
BTW, wasn't Webstaurant where you said you were placing an order? It's cheaper than $6 there.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/le...&utm_term=99915909&utm_campaign=food_beverage