He was born before the troubles, but precisely when...maybe if you get a few ales in him.
From an interview with an unnamed source: "I remember Albus from his younger days, don't know if I could exactly call him young even back then, but he definitely had more pepper than salt in his hair in those days. That one eye, that one watery blue eye. I remember how he stared at me, like he was weighing my soul...still gives me chills to this day.
From various interviews after his death about his days in more recent times about the Fort and the Plantation:
"I saw him and I knew there was something different about him. Sure he had grayed from the weight of his age, but he still carried himself as he must have lived his early life, proper and straight with a gaze that looked to the horizon instead of at his feet. He would wear that dark coat with the red sash at times. They had obviously seen their share of use. Good looking chap, could have been quite the catch back in his prime. Very quiet about his youth though.
"Wasn't he with Naum at one point? Yeah, I knew him, or knew of him. Cold fella...and guarded. Can't say I blame him. He watched a number of his compatriots get put to the sword. Seems like he was cursed. Can't say he was wrong when he took off to the fringes..."