Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

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

Nose reminds me of hiking in Maine. Pine, not quite turpentine but pushing the envelope a little, nutmeg, general hoppiness, but well balanced. Nice dark mahogony, just barely transparent (or maybe it’s the light...), mine looks a little cloudy, wish it caught the light just a little more. Palate is nice and smooth, just the right amount of carbonation to break through the malts as they coat your tongue. Flavor is hoppy, then malty, then hoppy, rounding out that initial nose of pine quite well. Great beer, just in time for my birthday!

22oz bottle pours dark blood red with full tan frothy head and lace. very nice Deep pine aroma. Taste is very good. nice mix of both Malt and hops and sweetness. pine resin stickiness really comes out as I found myself licking my lips after each mouthful. pleasant bitter aftertaste

On tap @ Mad Mex. Pours a very dark reddish brown with a lacing tan head. Big pine nose, lots of alcohol here, as well. Silky body, starts off malty and sweet, but that is instantly railroaded into a ravine of sappy, hoppy goodness. Rich maple finish, quite bitter. Worth a try, definitely.

22oz. Dark ale that reeks of hops. Sticky & alcoholic. While far from being "balanced" there are enough sweet malts to keep it afloat, but still VERY HOPPY! Deep citrus flavors w/ sticky pine resin mouthfeel.

Bottle. Pours a dark amber not unlike Double Bastard, with a frothy tan head. Nose is pine, malt and ether. This is an excellent hop bomb, and yes, drink fresh. Flavor has notes of pine, malteds, grapefruit and a slightly smoky note.

Bottle. Pours a dark dark red body with head that disappears quickly. The aroma is pine hops. The flavor is sweet malt, sugar, and a complex arrangement of hops. The beer finishes with a slight alcohol sting, but the hop complexity goes far beyond to make up for it.

Pours a mostly clear, deep, dark, blood red color with a beige, creamy, full, frothy head which is mostly lasting and leaves excellent, tight, drippy lace. Nose is fantastically simple with highly resinous pine almost dropping me from my seat almost to the point of being rustic, plenty of white grapefruit, spicy alcohol warmth, and the faintest notes of floral. Toffee and caramel with a bit of bready yeast find their way underneath flavors of white grapefruit, resinous pine, some nice earthy tones, and light floral. The high bitterness is at its peak near the end of the flavor progression but calms into the long finish. The palate is nicely warm, moderately full, velvety, and nearly lively. The finish is still mostly bitter but settles some and the floral notes dominate. Hops are brash but tasty, every element of the beer is solid but not exceptional, and the malts do make a presence but just barely. Similar to the original Stone beer, Arrogant Bastard, but the body is less viscous and the malts are less prominent. Not Stone’s best offering by any means but a very good beer nonetheless.

Pours reddish brown with a thin off white head. Aroma is pine, citrus, and some malt. Nice bitter flavor throughout. The alcohol presence is there, but it is still very smooth. Oily mouthfeel. Still a decent beer though, glad I grabbed a couple.