Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

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

(Bottle) Pours deep reddish brown with a nougat coloured head. The aroma is medium to heavily hoppy with tones of pine, earth and resin up front. There is also some room for sweet grapefruit, apricot, tart mango, black currant, perfume and that typical “metallic” tone you get from boiled hops. Fat caramelly and toffee-like malt backbone. The nose is dry hopped, no question about it and I like the balance between the “bright“ and “heavy“ hop notes. The sweet citrus/tangerine reminds me of Centennial. Maybe some Cascade and Simcoe as well? A whisper of roast and sweet anise also present. Strange notes of cinnamon rolls. The aggressive hop tones cover the alcohol well. The flavour is light to medium sweet, medium to heavily bitter and light to medium acidic. Tones resin, pine, citrus, earth, caramel, burned bread and mild roast. The mouthfeel is quite round and light creamy but still astringent from the hops. The carbonation is soft yet lively for the style. Lingering resinous afterbitterness. The alcohol is notable. Medium to full bodied. Typical Stone - clean and refreshing, but too much of everything = Nice but not spot on.

Light head with little foam. Malty, bitter yeast but yet a sweet taste. Loooooong aftertaste that leaves your mouth feeling like blotting-paper. Very nice!

arrogant bastard, but more hoppy. or double bastard, but not as sweet and rich. a happy in-between that is eclipsed by either of those beers.

Bottle (bomber) from Systembolaget. Clear reddish, medium beige head. Citric, piney & perfumy hops with some caramelly malts. Medium bodied and smooth. Some malt sweetness is quickly dominated by a firm bitterness.

Beautiful dark ruby color with a nice head and lacing. Aroma/taste is very intense hops (citrus/grapefruit) but amazingly balanced for such a hoppy beer. One of my favorites. I would have a hard time thinking of a beer I enjoyed drinking more.

Bomber: Pours a murky brown with a active yeasty tan head....bubbles a popping. Head grips glass for half its height and then diminishes. Nose of piney hops. Decent amount of malt in semi thin body. finish is mostly resiny hops that linger. Tasty.

Bottle.Fresh hoppy aroma. Smells like a IPA or APA. The taste is big and malty with a fesh hop touch. Tastes like a hoppier and "lighter" version of Double Bastard. Typical Stone beer.

A style of beer I love in theory and have mixed emotions about in reality, too often these red part of these big hoppy red ales tends to get a little too cloying. Stone 13 is a good example of it, the pour is sexy, the aroma was sexier, but the residual sweetness and ethanol notes as it warmed up really turned me off