Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

Aroma - bold maltiness, caramel, toffee, floral notes; Appearance - deep dark amber, almost opaque, fluffy cream head, excellent lacing; Flavor - hop filled front, balancing malt back, finish has a slight citrus tang; Palate - somewhat crisp, great body, mild alcohol warmth; Overall - very powerful flavor, straightforward, not too complex for the style, enjoyable though.

@ LCRBM 2009. A dark red colored beer, with a thick beige head. The aroma of hop bitters and sweet fruits. There are some spices in the back. The taste of chocolate malts with hop bitters and fruit. The aftertaste of a lot of bitterness with sweets.

The catch all catagory of American Strong Ale. All those beers that don’t quite fit into the other catagories. This is a great beer. Looks dark, but tastes light. Had a strong hops finish for me. Seemed to get stronger as I drank. Great brew!!

My Bottom Line:
Coniferous hops thrive within caramelized cereals, surrounded by juicy berries, sculpting a bubbly and bitter American Strong Ale for potency lovers.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the translucent burgundy.
-The hop presence might be over-the-top for some, but it’s beautifully done for those who like this alpha arrogance.
-The finishing bitterness is peppery and resinous.
-Alcohol licks the last half of each sip.

Bottle.

Color: Brown Aroma: Intense fresh hop aromas--juniper, piney, resinous--and roasted, sweet malt Flavor: Fresh hop flavors mirror the aromas at first and are soon followed by a rich, roasted malt and possibly dried fig notes that stay on through the finish. Comment: With time the malt aromas and flavors gain strength. The "Do not cellar" advice makes sense as the beer features aromatic hops (rather than bittering hops) which are best enjoyed fresh (in time I’d guess they would just turn vegetal).

Have already had a few times on draft around town, but this rating based on a bomber purchased at the brewery. Pours a beautiful deep deep red color topped by a thin yellow-beige head. Aroma is pure Stone -- pine/resin/citrus hops dominate. 13th supposedly has by far more hops than any previous Stone brew, but it’s more than just hop juice. Indeed, big sharp bitter hops appear right out of the gate, but there is a very good malt balance here as well (I’m even detecting some toasty malts in the finish). There’s a subtle delicious sweetness mixed in with all that bitterness. Very drinkable despite the high ABV. As usual, Stone has given us something unique and excellent.

bomber. Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Nose is of citrus and pine with toffee and syrup. Taste is of citrus hops, of course, with roast malt. Mouthfeel is medium and dry with hop bitter finish. Liked this.

Purchased at Craft Beer Store on Frankfort Ave. Reddish pour with two finger thick tan head. Reminded me alot of a double IPA. Hoppy nose matched with a hoppy taste all coming together in a perfect blend. Stone never dissapoints.