The latest iteration of the Stone Enjoy By IPA series struck me odd. And not because of its promise of successfully marrying chocolate and coffee with an IPA as you might imagine. I actually find that pretty intriguing. Stone Brewing more than earned a respite from my skepticism in that regard with the remarkable Aleman / Two Brothers / Stone Dayman Coffee IPA. What actually vexed me was something far more sinister.
I understand the tie in with Valentine’s Day. That’s Marketing 101. I even appreciate the whimsy of adding a symbolic “box of chocolates” to the beer itself. That’s why I can’t fathom that Stone Brewing is very clearly telling us all that love is a lie.
Think about it. Stone could have chosen a million ways to highlight Valentine’s Day: A collaboration brew with Hustler Hollywood, a robust porter dry-hopped with Spanish Fly, etc. But of all the innumerable possibilities they chose to commemorate it with a brew whose defining feature is an expiration date. Stone Brewing wants it made perfectly clear that, like love itself, the Enjoy By IPA can captivate for a brief spell, but is doomed to disappoint you in the long run.
I always suspected that beer would end my marriage, just not because it would unearth a philosophical crisis. It’s as good a time to be driven to drink as any.
The Stone Enjoy By 02.14.17 Chocolate & Coffee IPA presents a beady, parchment-colored head that pours tall, but subsides quickly. This brew is a sensory curiosity through and through. There is an unmistakable IPA presence lurking in the aroma’s background, which is ultimately overtaken by a lush chocolate tone. That note of contradiction is echoed in the flavor, somehow marrying the citric and earthy, the decadent and the bitter. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly harmonious, but it’s not dissonant either.
The real question is whether the compounding of these unusual flavors works. That’s an oddly elusive answer to give. It’s difficult to not be continually struck by the oddity of it, despite the fact I’m happily returning to it sip over sip.
Think of this beer as the spiritual equivalent to the Valentine’s conversation hearts, the small pastel candies with saccharine slogans stamped into their faces. When the season presents these confections, odds are you eagerly pop one into your mouth with a warm sense of nostalgia. They taste familiar and pleasant. You may even reach for a couple more, but as that chalky sediment accumulates on your palate the novelty rapidly wears off. Similarly, this is a unique craft brew touchstone for the season. It offers an amalgamation of flavors you might not want to revisit year-round, but you’ll be happy for the experience regardless.
Love may be dead, but I appreciate that Stone Brewing’s desire to innovate is anything but.