I'm going to copy the description on the back of the bottle provided by Stone, because it's the easiest way to summarize what they're going for:
"You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers - especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs - we've taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We've not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you're getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn't randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we've sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA."Anyway, I'm not a huge IPA guy in general (I tend to prefer darker beers) and I thought this beer was pretty good. I certainly do not prefer it to, say, Stone's Ruination IPA. However, it is a pretty interesting concept and I've read several positive reviews from other beer sites (from Das Ale Haus and Tasty Mug, for example) For big IPA fans like Aaron it might be worth trying just for the fresh IPA experience.
Earlier batches such as the 09.21.12 release and the 04.20.13 release have also received rave reviews. So there's that.
The beer is 9.4% abv and cost me $6.99 for a 22oz bottle.
Oops I just stepped on your US Open preview. Naturally I would do that despite neither of us posting for weeks.
ReplyDeleteThis post angers me, and it has nothing to do with stepping on my US Open preview. It's because I'm learning about this on 6-11-13. So even if I could find it in San Mateo in the next week, I am already past the "Enjoy by" date. How much does it drop off? Will it still be good in July when I am in southern california?
ReplyDeleteGood news! According the Beer advocate link above, the most recent batch is Enjoy by 07.04.13. Maybe you can find some of that batch when you are in SD?
ReplyDeleteGood question about how much it drops off, I'm not sure. It would be very interesting to have this within the week it's released, and then again two weeks after the enjoy by date.