I had a Pliny the other night and I started getting a little buzz, and like… it was nice.
Better than nice, actually. I really felt like it was different. The buzz was different. Slightly elevated.
It hit differently than a standard DIPA. The quality of buzz was just a little bit better.
Maybe that is my brain thinking it is better because it is a Russian River beer.
When you think about it though, does that make it any less real? If my brain feels the buzz is better because it is a higher quality beer, doesn’t that make it real?
It sure as hell doesn’t feel like Summer on this rainy chilly night in Fresno, but the first Summer beer has arrived: Sierra Nevada Brewing’s “Summer Break IPA”.
Canning date: 3/11/22
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Hazy Session IPA
Value: A nice beer to have in the fridge all season. Good grocery store beer.
Stone has many different kinds of Enjoy By beers, but the “4/20” is the flagship of the line.
ABV: 9% | Hops: They are not saying | 12oz cans
Bought At: Madera Ranchos Market. $12 for the six-pack.
Was it any good this year? Well, yes.
Session: Drank two during game two of Phoenix Suns playoff game against New Orleans. Drank a third after the Suns lost.
Did I catch a buzz? Not really. I may have paced them out too far apart.
I didn’t mean to but it turns out I had it during its final hours of freshness:
Stone Brewing’s “Enjoy By” clock
Still , even in its final moments, it tasted fresh enough – but I guess that’s the purpose of the whole Enjoy By line of beers, ain’t it?
Oh and, I like the can art this year – I am built in to like it as it’s an old Oakland A’s color scheme, but still cool.
It says it’s a hazy IPA but in this modern era of hazy beer, I get no hazy thoughts about this beer. It’s more like an old-school WCIPA.
Albeit a little bit on the sweet and malty side, I am giving this year’s Enjoy By 4/20 a thumbs up. I’ll try to remember it for a more accurate comparison when next year’s comes around.
