(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Brewmaster, Mitch Steele, talks hops in this video about Enjoy By 09.21.12 IPA.

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Tasting Notes, provided by Brewmaster Mitch Steele

Appearance: Golden with a creamy white head

Aroma: Intense dank hoppiness, resin, peaches, and hints of tropical fruit are all evident in the aroma.

Taste: Smooth malt upfront, quickly dissipating into a massive onslaught of hops. The dankness and peach come through strongly.

Palate: Smooth, hints of alcohol, and a perfect balance of bitterness and dryness on the back end.
Overall: We took the opportunity with this beer to use several interesting techniques we’ve learned during our many years of brewing great Double IPAs. The result is an intense dry beer with very little malt sweetness, but with plenty of malt flavor to provide a background to the enormous…or shall I say “ginormous” hop character.

Hopping, as might be expected, was over the top. First, the brew was mash-hopped with Calypso, a beautiful fruity hop that we also used in our Stone 16th Anniversary IPA, after which we kettle-hopped with a very small dose of Super Galena hop extract for bittering. Then, using a technique known in homebrew circles as “hop bursting,” we loaded up very heavily on the flavor hops at the end of the boil and in the whirlpool. Simcoe, Delta, Target and Amarillo were used in the late kettle hop. Motueka, Citra, and Cascade were used for the whirlpool hop. As you can clearly tell, this beer was super hoppy even before we dry-hopped it, but then we went for it…dry-hopping with one pound per barrel EACH of New Zealand Nelson Sauvin and Australian Galaxy.

Drink extra-super-dank-and-tasty Stone Enjoy By 09.21.12 IPA well before its 35-day shelf life to maximize the pungent glory that this beautiful, intense hop profile provides.