December 23rd - Stone Brewing Company Enjoy By 01.01.19 Brut IPA

This beer may be the one exception to the rule when it comes to this beer blog.  I always vow that I'll never review a beer more than one time, however, since Stone Brewing Company always decides to tempt me with their Enjoy By series, I feel obligated to share the knowledge I gather with the masses.

It was the very first beer I reviewed (11.12.13) in the infantile stages of this beer blog.

It's come a long way in just a few years, hasn't it?  If you don't believe me, check the link above...

I also allowed a second review of it a few years later, just shy of the Christmas 2016 expiration date on Christmas Eve Eve yet again!

Released on 11/27/18, this beer is made to be enjoyed within a 37 day window, which according to the ticker on their website, I have just over 8 more days to drink it before it becomes less fresh.  From what I've seen and read about this beer, some of the hop aroma drops off (especially the citrusy notes) as you get further from the production date.  I'd argue that it still would be fine after the first of the year.  So if someone tells you it'll explode if you don't drink it in time...

I've said it before, find this after 1.1.19 and get it at a discount...it'll still taste fine regardless of recommendations

As I mentioned a few posts ago, the Brut IPA is now a thing.  A quick read tells me that in order to achieve the dry mouthfeel of this new style, a brewer needs to add specific enzymes to the brewing process to achieve a close to 1.000 final gravity reading, similar to what water would be if you used a hydrometer to measure it.  Hydrometers measure the sugar amount found in the wort (alcohol free beer at the beginning of the fermentation process).  As the yeast eats the sugar and farts out CO2 gas, alcohol is a by-product.  The bigger the difference between initial and final readings (pre- and post-fermentation) the more % ABV your beer contains.

This one, as always with the Enjoy By series, is a whopping 9.4% for the Double IPA they brew.  

Pouring the 12 ounce can into my DFH IPA glass, so I could get a pretty good idea of what I was getting from the 11 hops used to brew this DIPA, was a nearly transparent golden amber color with some effervescent head at the top.  I'm sure the glass had something to do with that, since it's etched at the bottom to enhance the carbonation of a beer in it.

I didn't get much of the citrus that I was expecting.  Like the quick YouTube clip I watched said, maybe it did drop some of the flavors just shy of 30 days sitting in the can?  In any event, there is definitely a fruity and floral aroma present here, leaning towards a nectarine undertone.  There are some hints of pine and spruce here as well.

As for the flavor, it was bubbly at first and quickly turned to a dry mouthfeel for sure.  Not as dry as drinking some champagne, but pretty close if it weren't for the slight malty sweetness I gathered on the palate.  The only two hop flavors I get are a slight citrus coupled with some earthy notes.  On another note, there isn't a thing here that screams 9.4% ABV.  It's definitely masked super well!  

This isn't my favorite of the Enjoy By series (not that it matters because you can't find them after the fact), but I was curious to try the new Brut IPA style.  I've seen more and more lately in stores that are attempting to throw their hat into the Brut ring.  If they're offering some singles, I'll definitely play the game, but I don't think 4 or 6 of any one company's offering will be something I'll drop some cash on.

This beer was bitter enough to satisfy my IPA craving, but had interesting levels that, again, were worth a try.  I was longing for more of a hop flavor and profile compared to what I got.  Now that I'm proofreading what I've written before posting, I'm actually thirsty for another one of these.  Maybe next time I won't wait 10 days to enjoy it I guess!  If the citrus profile drops out that quickly, there's something to be said for the Enjoy By date!