Today I am reviewing a beer from Stone Brewing out of San Diego. Stone is one of the original craft beer pioneers and have continued to innovate in the industry. They have a large number of beers in the market – the “Enjoy By” series has been around for a while and it aims to get consumers the freshest beer possible. It is obviously not meant for aging – but to enjoy as soon as possible. I think that this is a great concept and one that more breweries should embrace – sure beers can be aged – but lower alcohol, lighter beers tend to deconstruct and lose flavor and complexity as they age – they really should (in my opinion) be enjoyed as close to the bottling line as possible.
The beer that I am trying is an Enjoy By 07/04/13 – it is an IPA style beer. I actually tried this beer during the last week of June – but with my travel schedule and such I am just now getting to finishing up the review and getting it posted.
The beer pours a light golden amber with a mass of thick, fluffy head. The head dissipates fairly quickly – leaving a little lacing before the first sip. There is a fairly heavy carbonation to the beer – with a steady stream of bubbles coming up from the center of the glass.
The aroma of the beer is amazing – light and citrusy with some astringent, piney hops in there. I really like the smell of this beer – for some reason it reminds me of being in a forest. It’s fresh and light – very appealing to me.
During the first sip the hops hit you like a freight train – they are their and they aren’t going away! It’s a very bitter, hoppy beer – but it somehow manages to finish off cleanly. There is some more of that lemon and pine that hit in the aroma and the malt comes back and brings everything full circle. I find it very well-balanced and almost easy drinking – even with the onslaught of hops at the beginning. As the beer warms – it gets a little harder to drink – I would suggest that this beer be enjoyed at a slightly cooler temperature than most – just to keep the hops in check.
All things considered – this is a great beer and great example of the style. It’s a little trendy, being that it’s playing into the hop bomb IPA trend – but it’s still a solid beer that I think everyone who like an IPA should try the version when it hits shelves!
Final Rating – 3.5/5
Up and Adam 