I've used West for 30 years - not continuously.
just recently I had the clear hardner (more expensive - no blush) turn color after 2 years. Whats the point if it is supposed to be clear?

It's still clear aka transparent- just 'clear and brown' not 'clear and colorless'.... ;-)

Still, it is irritating to have this happen. I've had hardener (205 or 206?) turn dark red-brown in the can. The 'older' 207 hardener - marketed as 'super clear' actually had a yellow tint. The newer stuff is colorless but can darken over time.

I think this is a feature of most epoxies - the hardener reacts with the air (oxygen? water vapor?) and changes color. System Three and WEST both mention darkening on their websites; other mfgs just specify 'shelf life', IIRC.

One thought - looking through 'inches' of liquid hardener in the jug tends to emphasize the color intensity. (Anybody who has mixed clear stains into lacquer will have learned this lesson..it takes a really DARK mix in the pot to give a lot of tint to that sunburst guitar! )

Mixed with clear and colorless resin, and applied in a film that's a few tenths of an inch thick, it will not be so noticeable.
Still, it is vexing. Mixing white pigment into yellow epoxy does NOT produce a white result- I know this!