Our all-important, hop- driven quest to deliver the most devastatingly fresh IPA on the planet facilitated a paradigm shift in 2012 with the launch of Stone Enjoy By IPA. Not only did we brew this beer with more than 10 different hops, we brewed it specifically NOT to last. For this version of Stone Enjoy By IPA, we thought: “We don’t always have a filter, so why should our beer?” By skipping a step and letting this devastatingly fresh, golden-hued double IPA go unfiltered, the beer takes on a hazy appearance and its peach and tropical fruit hop aromas are intensified. So though it may sound like it, this missed step was no misstep.
Intense peach, tropical fruit and citrus. The hop dankness is a little muted in this version.
Taste
Hoppy, lots of stone fruit flavors and yeast-derived fruity esters, dissipating quickly into a finish loaded with hop flavors and bitterness.
Palate
Dry, hints of alcohol warmth, and a nice bitterness on the back end. A little more heft and mouthfeel because of the unfiltered aspect of this beer.
Overall
Although it’s very similar to our regular version of Stone Enjoy By IPA (it is the same recipe after all), leaving the beer unfiltered results in a perceptible change with the hop aroma. It is more fruit-forward than our filtered version, which has more of a balance between dank and fruit. It’s a little challenging to brew, since we’re used to filtering our beers, but a fun one, with much of the same hop intensity as our original version.
Pairing Notes
Appetizers
Guacamole, kimchi, salt and pepper shrimp (or tofu), sausage-stuffed jalapeños
