Stone "Go To" IPA

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Hammy71

Hammy71

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Have to say I was really looking forward to this one. Reading the bottle sounds like a dream. But, all I get is an onion aroma and onion taste. Most that try it, say it's "different". It taste like an IPA I brewed a few years ago with some Summit hops that I picked up at the LHBS on a whim because of the insane 15+ AA%. So, don't use Summit anymore, nothing but green onion. Maybe it's something to do with living on the east coast. I've had several bottles of the Enjoy By from several different batches. All were awesome til the last release a few months ago. Onion again.... All the bottles were way in date. Oh well, my friends say they like it. It ain't' for me. To each his own. :tank: Having said that, anybody else try it?
 
I've never gotten an oniony or summit hop flavor from Enjoy By...i may have to try it. Perhaps they used some summit hops in this release. I made a summit hop pale I really liked.
 
The Enjoy By 2.14? I'm on the east coast and didn't get any onion from that. (Likewise with the Enjoy By 4.20, but that came out a week ago, not a couple of months ago.)

Haven't tried the Go To. I'll be disappointed if I get onion out of it, as I dislike that flavor from Summit.
 
I had Go To on tap last weekend and got no onion out of it. Actually, it smelled very strongly of Juicy Fruit gum. What hop causes that?
 
No onion here either. Just had one last night. It was good. Very heavily dry hopped, not a lot of other flavors going on though.
 
I just had one of these and thought it was awesome. Hop bursted goodness with a simple but substantial grain bill. The taste was a ton of fresh melon, passionfruit with some citrus and floral notes. I'm actually thinking of trying to clone this one for my next brew, thinking it will be a good Spring and Summer brew. For hops I did a little research and am thinking hop burst mosaic, citra, el dorado, crystal, a little cascade, sterling and FWH magnum. Heavy dry hop as well. Anybody have an idea for grain? Maybe just 2 row and a touch of crystal 40 and carapils.

As a reference, I had Ballast Point Sculpin the other night and thought it was good, but Go To inspired me to want my own rendition (or at least cost effective "go to" brew").

Cheers
 
I had the Founders "session" IPA last weekend and enjoyed it. Likewise, had the Stone, and it's one of the few beers they make that I'm disappointed with. The hop flavor was there, but nothing else. A bit unbalanced, IMO.
 
That oniony hop flavor seems to be very palate specific. I find it and can't stand it in some IPA's, I mention it to other people I'm drinking with and they look at me like I'm crazy. Some beers I've found that flavor in suddenly, and then the next batch, it disappears. It's my opinion that the flavor may not be linked so much to varieties as it is to harvest. In that there are multiple varieties that exhibit that flavor to certain palettes, but not always depending on growing conditions and harvest time. Really just a personal theory as I have no expertise in anything besides enjoying beer. The latest beer that gave me that green onion sting was Hop Ranch from Victory. I tried other beers with the same hops and even brewed a Mosaic SMaSH and didn't pick up onion flavors in the slightest. I find it pleasing in small quantities but mostly offensive.

Things like this have led me to never really hate on a beer, and to completely disregard aggregate beer reviews.
 
I definitely taste the onion on beers like Rampant, but I found Go To more grassy than oniony. I still didn't particularly care for it.

Really they should just call it "Stone Pale Ale with more hops" instead of "session IPA." I think making a real "session IPA" takes a lot of care that nobody has really put into it yet commercially. The hard part is getting the malt profile of an IPA, which means shooting a little high on OG (between an APA and an IPA on OG) but controlling attenuation and without ending up too sweet or cloying.

In other words, it would be really, really hard. Closest I've had is Green Flash Citra Session. But they still didn't totally nail the malt profile.
 
The point is lower alcohol - higher OG or higher mash temps either leave too much sugar or too high of an ABV. Care isn't an issue (more "care" is not the right word) as an under 5% IPA that is not sweet and is more texturally pleasing is near impossible with under 5% ABV.

I personally think it's an impossible task - one that both Lagunitas and Stone have done very well to try to accomplish.

If the mouthfeel and malt isn't enough for you, stick with standard IPA's! I do.
 
adamelb said:
That oniony hop flavor seems to be very palate specific. I find it and can't stand it in some IPA's, I mention it to other people I'm drinking with and they look at me like I'm crazy. Some beers I've found that flavor in suddenly, and then the next batch, it disappears. It's my opinion that the flavor may not be linked so much to varieties as it is to harvest. In that there are multiple varieties that exhibit that flavor to certain palettes, but not always depending on growing conditions and harvest time. Really just a personal theory as I have no expertise in anything besides enjoying beer. The latest beer that gave me that green onion sting was Hop Ranch from Victory. I tried other beers with the same hops and even brewed a Mosaic SMaSH and didn't pick up onion flavors in the slightest. I find it pleasing in small quantities but mostly offensive.

Things like this have led me to never really hate on a beer, and to completely disregard aggregate beer reviews.
Click to expand...

Yes. I didn't mean this to imply I hated Stone or all their brews. But like you, I've had a beer I like one batch then hate the next. Enjoy By, being a perfect example. Maybe the Go To will turn out the same way. As soon as I opened the bottle I was hit in the face with the percieved smell of Summit hops (onions). Maybe they aren't in there, but that's what my nose got. Drink on.
 
Hammy71 said:
Yes. I didn't mean this to imply I hated Stone or all their brews. But like you, I've had a beer I like one batch then hate the next. Enjoy By, being a perfect example. Maybe the Go To will turn out the same way. As soon as I opened the bottle I was hit in the face with the percieved smell of Summit hops (onions). Maybe they aren't in there, but that's what my nose got. Drink on.
Click to expand...

Enjoy by is a different animal. They are actually all different. I've had several of them and they are not the same beer. I think the grain bill stays the same and they change the hop bill each time. I've had a couple that I've liked and others that I haven't.

I tried another go-to last night. This time I got the fruit. I think the first one I had was too cold because I didn't get much of anything other than dank. Lots of mango and other tropical fruit this time. Definitely not my "go-to" ipa due to the fruit juice flavor, but still good every once in a while.
 
"Go To" is one of the few beers from Stone that I didn't like. Way too cat pissy for me, and I like me some cat piss. The 4/20 enjoy by was probably my least fav enjoy by's as well....I will not drink the go to ipa again it was just too much body odor / cat piss
 
brettg20 said:
"Go To" is one of the few beers from Stone that I didn't like. Way too cat pissy for me, and I like me some cat piss. The 4/20 enjoy by was probably my least fav enjoy by's as well....I will not drink the go to ipa again it was just too much body odor / cat piss
Click to expand...

That's whats cool with different palettes. We all perceive flavors and smells differently. I love cat piss.... :tank: But that's not what I got....
 
I have never detected onion-like flavors in any Stone beers. I bought two of the Enjoy by 420 IPAs yesterday. I had one last night, it was "Devastatingly Dank"...

photo.jpg
 
Drinking the latest Enjoy By right now...seems a little more onion-y than the last one I had, but not to the point of being a turn off.


Sent from my iThingy using a series of tubes.
 
drainbamage said:
Drinking the latest Enjoy By right now...seems a little more onion-y than the last one I had, but not to the point of being a turn off.


Sent from my iThingy using a series of tubes.
Click to expand...

The human mind is a fickle and easily manipulated thing....I hope I didn't plant the seed of the onion flavor. Trust me, so many things are just "in my head"......:drunk:
 
I didn't get onion. I was really pumped when I finally found some. I can't say that I recognize session IPA as a "style", it feels more like a gimmick. That said I love Founder's All Day so I was excited to try Stone's rendition. Very disappointed. It had some nice bitterness and flavor but it was fairly one dimensional. Far too thin, I know it's supposed to be sessionable but come one, this is downright watery. It really needs a bit more balls in the malt or body department.
 
Hammy71 said:
The human mind is a fickle and easily manipulated thing....I hope I didn't plant the seed of the onion flavor. Trust me, so many things are just "in my head"......:drunk:
Click to expand...

Haha, not at all. I'm usually not a fan of the onion much either. I remembered a lot more mango and other tropical fruit last time, but it was probably just that my head is stuffy with allergies at the moment.
 
Ok, just had one bottle of the Enjoy By 4.20.14 and starting the second (your not supposed to let this stuff sit around :mug:). No onion. I think its a batch/bottle/distribution problem. No onion at all, and the way I remember it last time I 'enjoyed' it. Who knows..... I'm happy I can like this beer again. Of course, it's probably just all in my head. :drunk:
 
I just tried this over the weekend and to me it tastes just like a dumbed down version of their regular IPA but at the same price. Not as hoppy as stone IPA and not as much abv but basically the same flavor, with little aroma. I wouldn't buy it again, I prefer founders all day IPA for my "session ipa's" but if someone gave me one I would glad let drink it.


Sent from my iPhone
 
Just had one yesterday, in fact. I didn't get nearly as much citrus as their regular IPA. I would agree, tim: it's all right, but I would buy Founder's All Day instead.
 
You guys ruined it for me........I just had a Lagunitas Daytime- super fresh- and all I get is onion.....:(
 
Evan_L said:
I didn't get onion. I was really pumped when I finally found some. I can't say that I recognize session IPA as a "style", it feels more like a gimmick. That said I love Founder's All Day so I was excited to try Stone's rendition. Very disappointed. It had some nice bitterness and flavor but it was fairly one dimensional. Far too thin, I know it's supposed to be sessionable but come one, this is downright watery. It really needs a bit more balls in the malt or body department.
Click to expand...

I thought the exact same thing on this beer. Too thin and watery. It needs *some* body even with the low ABV to stand up to those hops, and it just had no body at all.

I thought the Lagunitas DayTime and SN Nooner were better examples. I haven't had the Founders as it's not available in CA.
 
I don't think that this beer was designed with balance in mind. The goal was likely to deliver in your face hop aroma and flavor, let that all shine through, and don't let anything get in the way. I personally think they did a great job of that. It's nice to drink a hop bomb or 2, or 3, and not feel like I am impaired at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
adamelb said:
That oniony hop flavor seems to be very palate specific. I find it and can't stand it in some IPA's, I mention it to other people I'm drinking with and they look at me like I'm crazy. Some beers I've found that flavor in suddenly, and then the next batch, it disappears. It's my opinion that the flavor may not be linked so much to varieties as it is to harvest. In that there are multiple varieties that exhibit that flavor to certain palettes, but not always depending on growing conditions and harvest time. Really just a personal theory as I have no expertise in anything besides enjoying beer. The latest beer that gave me that green onion sting was Hop Ranch from Victory. I tried other beers with the same hops and even brewed a Mosaic SMaSH and didn't pick up onion flavors in the slightest. I find it pleasing in small quantities but mostly offensive.

Things like this have led me to never really hate on a beer, and to completely disregard aggregate beer reviews.
Click to expand...


I think this is spot on. I got huge onion in Hop Ranch as well. Others get big fruit. Definitely palate specific.
 
And the hop flavor is vegetal tasting, like it was dry hopped too long. I normally love all their IPAs and was very disappointed by this one.
 
To me... I thought this beer tasted exactly like hops smell. I really like it. I mostly brew session IPA, so when I do buy I buy session IPA. This week i bought go to IPA. It reminds me off smelling the hops before I throw them in the brewpot. Just awesome.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
It wasn't bad but when you factor in price, then it was bad. I paid $12 for a 6pk and for $8-9 I could get such a better session IPA.


Sent from my iPhone
 
Go To is one of my favorite Session IPAs. I don't get an "onion" flavor from it. It's just the right amount of hop aroma and flavor IMO. Has anyone cloned it yet?
 
I haven't been trying to clone it, but I have been trying to imitate how they get the hop flavor. It is really unique. I get a little fruit/tropical flavor on the front end of the sip, but when I swallow I get the herbal/spicy taste.

I have the grain bill down pretty well (pretty easy), but I just can't get the hops right.

I'm on my 10th try right now. All of the beers I've made have turned out to be very good IPAs, but I haven't made "the one".

Next batch I'm cutting down on the Citra/El Dorado to 1/2 ounce and doubling the Sterling/Crystal. Hoping to nail it this time.
 
I've had several of these in bottle and draft and never gotten an oniony flavor. After all the hype and finally tasting the first time I was little disappointed of course, but if I put that aside it was enjoyable in it's own right if you don't try to compare it to the hype or anything else.
 
I'm getting closer to this taste. I was experimenting with Crystal/Sterling additions at 5 minute and whirlpool, got a lot closer with the back end of the taste.
 

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