Beer Wednesday - "Enjoy by 05.17.13" IPA by Stone

This beer is a little unusual.  Stone's "Enjoy by" series is meant to be a fresh IPA that you drink before a certain optimal date.  Beer advocate has a list of the different releases so far.  I had the release named Stone Enjoy by 05.17.13 IPA.

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.

Beer Wednesday: An Ode to the Duchesse

I can't believe that in all our beer reviews on FIWK I have never done one dedicated to one my all-time favorites, Duchesse de Bourgogne by Brouwerij Verhaeghe in Belgium. The closest I've come is mentioning it in my review of Ichtegem's Grand Cru, which is also of the "Flemish red ale" style. I absolutely love this beer.

Beer Wednesday: Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

Aaron and I sat down to do a tasting of the Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA by Stone, and here is the chat we had about this very interesting beer:

Beer Wednesday: Cherry Chocolate Stout by Stone, Jason Fields and Kevin Sheppard, and Troegs

A new beer is available from the Stone collaborations series, and I was really excited to give it a try. You don't see an ambitious flavor mix like 'Cherry Chocolate Stout' every day, so I was pretty excited about this one. The short version: it tastes a lot like a beer version of a Cherry Coke. Make of that what you will.

Beer Wednesday: Solace by Firestone Walker

There is a new seasonal beer out from Firestone Walker called Solace. Firestone Walker is the maker of my favorite pale ale, their Pale 31. I was excited to see that the Solace is another light style, which they describe as a hefeweizen-saison fusion of styles.

Beer Wednesday: 50 Best Beers in America

Rather than a beer review this week, I am passing along a link from MP (who was not bold enough to post this himself) about the 50 Best Beers in America as named by the American Homebrewers Association. Or maybe as named by readers of Zymurgy, the AHA's magazine. Not quite sure. (Fun etymology fact - Zymurgy is named after zymology, which means the process of fermentation and frequently is used as a fancy term for the study/process of beer-making. Class dismissed.)

Keep in mind that people who brew their own beer about as hardcore as beer aficionados get, so it is not too surprising that the list is dominated by IPAs and Imperial Stouts, the extreme manifestations of their respective styles. Pliny the Elder by Russian River, which we tasted in the FIWK IPA Tasting, came out on top. There are lots of beers on here that I haven't had before, so I'm very excited to try to work through this list.


(pictured: #2 finisher Two Hearted Ale by Bell's)

Anything on here that you would personally rate higher? Any beers listed that you want to go find now?

Beer Wednesday: Mother's Milk Stout by Keegan Ales

While in New York recently, I tried a local beer from Hudson Valley-based brewer Keegan Ales. I usually prefer to try local brewers when I'm somewhere new, and I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed Keegan's Mother's Milk Stout.

Beer Wednesday: Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale by Cigar City

I have long been intrigued by Cigar City Brewing, based in Tampa, but their beers don't make it to me in Los Angeles. On a recent trip to New York I was finally able to try their Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale and I was very impressed.

Beer Wednesday: Vrienden by New Belgium and Allagash

New Belgium Brewing has a line of beers called "Lips of Faith" which involves a variety of creative beer styles that have a funky or sour element. They are often brewed with brettanomyces, a type of yeast that results in "wild ales" - beers like Flanders red ales that have a sour flavor, for example, or fruit-beer lambics. Lips of Faith usually tames the wild side of the funk and will balance it with other interesting flavors. That is what they've done with their new beer Vrienden, which is a collaboration with Allagash.

Beer Wednesday: Koko Brown by Kona Brewing

My take on Kona Brewing's Koko Brown is very short: Kona took the smooth, rich character of their Pipeline Porter and added in some well-balanced coconut flavor. Delicious. Boom.



I'll also point out that the beer has 5.5% ABV and apparently costs $7.50 for a 6-pack at Bev Mo. I had it on tap so I'm not sure if it's quite as smooth out of the bottle. I am a giant fan of this beer, it is perfect for my particular palate. If you like a slightly sweet ale in the nut brown style, and you like the flavor of coconut, I strongly recommend this beer.

For longer, better-articulated opinions of this beer, you can also read some good reviews about Koko Brown at The Full Pint, Slash Food, Beer and Whiskey Bros, and The Daily Pull.

Beer Wednesday: My Bloody Valentine by AleSmith

Since we like to be topical here at FIWK, Wet Wednesday this week is dedicated to a Valentine's day themed beer: My Bloody Valentine, a red ale by San Diego-based brewery AleSmith. I had this beer on tap at a bar in San Diego, and it was delicious.

Beer Wednesday: Rigor Mortis by Dieu de Ciel

I recently had the Rigor Mortis by Brasserie Dieu de Ciel, a French Canadian brewery, and immediately loved it. Any reader who recalls my affinity for smooth and delicious darker beers will not be surprised - Rigor Mortis is one of the smoothest and most delicious strong amber ales I've ever had. It's instantly one of my favorite beers.

Beer Wednesday: Palo Santo Marron by Dogfish Head

I like Dogfish Head because they are not afraid to take chances and brew interesting, unique beers. Their Palo Santo Marron is a great example. This beer is very strong (12% ABV) and is described as a "malt beverage" on the bottle. It was apparently brewed in tanks made out of South American Palo santo wood, which I had never heard of before. Regardless of the wood type, using wood barrels to add flavor to fermented drinks is a time-tested tradition in wine making (oak is popular) and has caught on in brewing also.

Beer Wednesday: Affligem Noel and St Bernardus Christmas Ale

That's right, Belgian Christmas beers! Because I'm pretentious like that. I had the Affligem Noel and St. Bernardus Christmas Ale over the weekend, and I really liked them both. Very good holiday beers, I'd recommend them to anyone who digs strong, cold-weather beers.

Beer Wednesday: Chicory Stout by Dogfish Head

I had another review queued up for today, but then I drank the Chicory Stout by Dogfish Head two nights ago and decided I had to review it immediately. I am a big fan - apparently more so than most people.

Beer Wednesday: Ichtegem's Grand Cru by Brouwerij Strubbe

I had a really fantastic beer this week. It was called Ichtegem's Grand Cru by Belgian brewer Brouwerij Strubbe (they only have detail on their website for its sister beer), and its style is "Flanders Red Ale". You need to know two things to understand this review: 1) Flanders Red Ales are a sour ale style which can get VERY sour (like, make-your-stomach-hurt-sour); and 2) I can handle a little sourness in beers, but not too much.

Wet Wednesday: Variety is the spice of life

I saw something glorious on Sunday...but before I get to it, you need a little history. As I mentioned in my own personal history of beer, the first step to liking beer came in the form of Pyramid Hefeweizen. That bottle was my "monkey using tools" moment. It was my small step. The natural progression was to Widmer Hefeweizen and other wheat beers. I slowly began trying new beers and styles. A few friends and I went to Hooters and on the server's suggestion a buddy and I ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager and a Sam Adams Summer Ale. She set the Summer Ale down in front of me and the Boston Lager down in front of my buddy. We each took a sip, then passed the beers across the table so that we could each try both beers. He never gave the Summer Ale back.

Beer Wednesday: Bourbon County by Goose Island

I had the Bourbon County Stout by Goose Island a while back, and it was intense. But it was a good intense. At the time I could barely drink more than half my glass. Then I found myself thinking back and pondering it for the next week or so. Which I take as a good sign.



Here are my quick notes from when I drank it:

Insanely dark (pitch black), smells like car oil; super alcoholic (bourbon) at first, transitions nicely, has a vanilla extract and coffee bean finish

If that sounds heavy and complex, it really is. The car oil smell reallyyy put me off at first, and the super alcoholic first impression backed that up. But it moves into such interesting flavors on the palate, and it is so viscous, that I couldn't help but be intrigued.

This beer is extremely well-rated at both ratebeer and Beer Advocate, which makes sense because it's their kind of heavy beer. It is 13% ABV and I don't know the cost because I didn't buy it, my buddy did. I do recommend it to heavy beer fans, but only to them.

Beer Wednesday: Bitter American by 21st Amendment

While in Napa last week we visited a fantastic bar-restaurant in downtown Napa called Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ. (Quick aside: this place was awesome. The bbq was amazingly delicious, they had wine tastings, and they had a solid beer list. And it had a cool ambiance. Wish there were a bar like that near me.) One beer we tried was the Bitter American by 21st Amendment Brewery, based out of San Francisco. It caught me off guard because it was very good, which I was not expecting.

Beer Wednesday: Stone Brewery Anniversary

This last weekend I attended Stone Brewery's 14th Anniversary Celebration held at Cal State San Marcos. It was not as brutally hot as expected and the beers were fantastic.