What can I say? I’m a procrastinator.
Maybe it’s the years of practice cranking out overnight term papers in college (fueled by Sno-Caps and Dr. Pepper, this was WAAAAAY before 5-Hour Energy). Maybe it’s laziness.
Or maybe it’s because I just picked it up last week.
No matter. Like the bottle says, I’m currently enjoying a Enjoy By 12.13.13 by Stone Brewing, out of Escondido, CA.
Stone is probably most famous for its Arrogant Bastard Strong Ale. Arrogant Bastard has taken on a life of its own, with oak-aged and double versions, as well as “Lukcy” (a blend of all three, with descriptors as clever as the name), and for you extreme beer fans (as if those weren’t enough), “Crime” and “Punishment” versions, brewed with peppers.
I saw those at my local establishment as well, but deemed myself not arrogant enough to try them. Maybe someday.
12.13.13 is the latest in the series of “Enjoy By” Double IPA bottlings by Stone. The concept is very simple. Bottle very fresh beer, ship it immediately, instruct wholesalers and retailers to get it on the shelves pronto, and tell consumers right on the label how soon it should be Enjoyed By.
Genius.
Even better, each batch (the first was Enjoy By 9.21.12) is only shipped to select markets. How is this determined? By the markets themselves, by “voting” via Stone’s website and other social media.
Somehow, my market was lucky enough to be one of the 13 to get 12.13.13. The others? Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Oregon.
The rest of you? Well, as they say, vote early, vote often.
The freshness is apparent. The hops leap from the glass, smelling of wet hay and tasting of peaches and white pepper (trust me, these are good things). But what amazes me most about this 9.4% ABV brew is how light on its feet it is. Yes, the alcohol is a bit noticeable, but it is feather-light on the palate. No stickiness, no heaviness. And the hops, while explosive, dissipate quickly, leaving you ready for another sip. Probably sooner than you should.
BTW, this post is about as fresh as the beer. Wrote it in about 30 minutes, here for you to enjoy immediately!