Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Escondido, California USA

Poures a burnt orange with a cream colored head that settles slowly leaving a thick ring of lace. Smells of many different juicy hops, big pineapple and some sweet malt. Tastes of piney, juicy hops with big pineapple and a nice sweet malty balance to finish. Not the hop bomb I was expecting but very delicious anyway. Medium in the mouth with good carbonation. ABV isnt even close to feeling how it should except for the warmth from the alcohol. A delicious brew and a must try. Well done.

Bottle shared with a buddy of mine from Halftime in Poughkeespsie, NY. Thanks Justin! Pours amber brown with a small head that dissipates quickly. Nose is phenomenal! Whole hop flowers, caramel malt, candied fruits, sweet, sweet, and sweet! Flavor is bready malts, cirtus candy hops, caramel, with a malty and buttery background. One year did this brew good. Complex yet perfectly balanced. Creamy mouthfeel and just the right amount of carbonation. Its quite obvious there was once a hop bite but that has mellowed out. Thuroughly satisfied.

The beer emerges from the 22-ounce bottle a sparkling deep brown, the head a crown of light chocolate, creamy and long lasting, after its final demise the lace forms a thick blanket to cover the glass. Nose has a profound hop floral spiciness at the front, backed by the sweet malt, caramel, and maybe a hint of chocolate, mouth watering. Start has a nice malt sweetness; hop bitter bite to the back, top is moderately full in feel. Finish has a determined acidity, the hops potent and spicy; the alcohol warms the tummy while the aftertaste continues the hop spiciness.

Had this beer on 11/19/2006. Aroma is a strong hop scent that seems to have a sour tinge to it. Color is orange/gold with very good carbonation and loose head. Taste is bold and very citrusy. Stating with a bold medium body, it goes down with a rich juice like feel. Finish comes on rich with a sweet wine taste and fruit flavors that end with a grapefruit taste and mild bitterness. Its like drinking a grapefruit beer. I feel it misses the mark of an IPA but it is a drinkable brew. I am very let down by this, Stone usually makes such a good beer and this is just lacking. The hops are over done in a way that makes them too fruity and cirrus. It also loses all the nice hop flavor and bitterness that should be present in a good IPA.

Cloudy orange with a yellowish, off-white head. Grapefruit, peach, apricot and syrup in the aroma. Alcohol is very obvious in the very sweet flavour, much hop flavour and of course, bitterness too. When it comes to sweet peachy IIPAs, I prefer the Maharaja

Bottle. Tasting @ thewolf. Pours a deep orange bit hazy colour with an off-white slightly yellowish medium well lasting head. Fruity, sweet, bitter, hoppy alcohol aroma. Good mouthfeel. Sweet and fruity peach flavour with bitter hops and pine. Very long lasting dry fruity finish.

Bottle @ tasting at my place.
[thank you, boutip!]
Pours a hazy amber with a medium frothy white head. Aroma is a soapy hops, and lots of flowers, caramel and general freshness. Nice, creaminess to the mouthfeel. Flavour is hoppy with little caramel background but not too much at all. Peach, flowers and hops hops hops. Nice!

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 3     Golden(1)->Dark brown(5) : 2     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3   White(1)->Tan(5) : 2   Lasting: 2   Lacing : 3
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : XX   Bread : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX   Fusel : XX  
Malt : 3   Biscuity : 2   Hay : XX   Toasty : XX   Caramel : XX   Fruity : 2   Nutty : XX   Honey : 2   Maple : XX   Molasses : XX   Cereals : XX   Grainy : 3
Hops : 4   Noble(1)->American(5) : 5   Leafy : XX   Spicy : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : 2   Grapefruit : 4 Orange : 3   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : 4  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : 3   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX   Dates : XX   Bourbon : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : XX   Bitterness : 4   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 3   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : 3   Alcohol : 1   Mineral : XX   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: An unoriginal IPA, aggressively hoppy, that fixes your hop kick, feels very fresh, but the sweetness is nothing short of immense and disturbs.