Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

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

bomber from once upon a vine in richmond. pours a gorgeous, dark burgandy with a medium, fluffy, light khaki head and perfect lacing. aroma came exploding out of the bottle before the pour and is one of the most amazing beer aroma experiences i’ve had to date. massive, fresh citrus hop notes of grapefruit and orange zest combined with huge pineapple, berry, melon, and spruce scents dominate with a subtle toffee malt sweetness and a hint of spice. i literally smelled this beer for 5 minutes before taking a sip! that first sip led to almost as much bliss as the first whiff of the aroma. huge hop bitterness hits the tongue up front followed by big piney, floral, and herbal notes with a touch of tropical fruit, citrus, and woody vanilla. the smooth, sweet, toffee and caramel malt profile slides through on the back end taming the massive hops before the long, bitter yet slightly floral hop finish. palate is full bodied and juicy with just a trace of warming alcohol. overall, this is one hell of a brew. yet again, cheers to stone!

Chased a couple bottles of Stone IPA with a couple of these. Wonderful nose of hops. Residual sweetness at the finish is a nice counterpart to the hop flavor. Great mouthfeel. Alcohol is well-hidden. As an aside, my wife and her sister, who both favor watery store beer, both said it was tasty. Personally, I found it to be absolutely delicious. I’m glad to have stumbled upon it.

Beautiful blend of malt and hops. Dark brown color. Filtered. Aroma is fruity hops. First taste is sweet, roasted malt. Finish is hop bitterness!

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale is a dim, dark brown ale with a big, fluffy beige head that has oily bubbles and outstanding retention and lacing. It has a huge, fresh hoppy aroma, like fresh cut grapefruit. It smells a little sweet and malty. It’s pretty full bodied, quite smooth and bubbly with a dry finish. It’s bold and bitter; citrusy and a bit grassy. There’s a touch of sweetness and roastiness. It’s a bit top-heavy with a grapefruit aftertaste. It’s like an Imperial IPA with some nice roasty malt thrown in. It’s a champion beer!

Pine, Pine, Pine. Sharp thirst quencher. I think the malt is overtaken by the hops and for me that is a good thing.

One of the most over-the-top offerings yet from Stone, and that’s saying quite a bit. I thought the IBU count would be ridiculous but only 90? Try to imagine something like the Arrogant Bastard but with more pronounced Barley Wine character. The aroma is that of a pungent Stone-like IPA. The appearance is that of the Bastard. The flavor seems to remind me of Founders Devil Dancer except that beer’s official IBU count is off the charts. Consistency is syrupy and sticky.

22 oz. bomber from Julio’s in Westboro. Pours a deep amber, faint slightly tan head. Aroma is straight up hops. Flavor is a very, very nice hops flavor. Sweet and delicious. Alcohol is very well masked. To me it’s more of a double IPA Right in my wheelhouse, I love it. Stone is unparalleled.

Nice dark brown color. A lot of grapefruit in this aroma, maybe some pine too. Wow is this bitter. Hoppy, sweet, piny, a very tasty excellent brew.