Stone 8th Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

bottle from 23rd street hey guess what’s brown,got’s a smooth mlaty flavor,roasty nuttyness.like a brown ale on steriods.lil sweet. good one didnt think stone could brew one of these

Slightly hazy dark auburn-brown w/ frothy pale tan head. Sweet, sugary, lightly roasty aroma a caramel, burnt brown sugar, coffee, toasted nuts, & light hops. Soft, somewhat creamy, medium-full bodied feel. Very sweet, malty (caramel, brown sugar) flavour w/ a lovely light roastiness & touches of nuts & oak. Moderately hoppy, sweet yet dry finish.

Deep mahogany color. Lite malt aroma (woody?). Much more malty than the 7th anniversary. Smoother too. Maybe some bitter chocolate at the beginning or perhaps this was a wood flavor I was getting. Heavy body, creamy ending. I have the distinct impression that I liked this beer more than the 7th but I must say I was a little too drunk when I had this one. Guess I’ll have to re-rate this next August at the release of the 9th anniversary.



I’ll have to go back and look at my notes (though I fear they were rained on). 2nd bottle tasted in the vertical (7-9 anniversary). Wood, malt , and toffee all come to mind when I think about this one. Again, age has been kind here (less oxidation notes than the 7th). This was everyones favorite in the tasting (though I leaned slightly more to the 7th). I’m giving this one more point for longevity, appearance and tasteyness (3.6 moves to a 3.7).

Nutty caramel nose. Fruity brown at first, then berries and fruit. Floral hop and alcohol finish. Juicy and sweet.

Draft, to my surprise. Should be interesting to eventually compare to the bottle I’ve got. Dark reddish brown, OK head. Slight caramel aroma. Flavor primarily sweet caramel, touch of toast, malt focused. Hops are present, but just barely evident, with a touch of earth. Vanilla note there as well. Quite quaffable. Solid. And people say that Stone can’t make a subtle beer! : UPDATE 12/9/04: Bottle not quite so subtle as the draft, difference probably a result of glassware and temperature. Flavors similar, just amplified, and a definite roasted note entered the nose, making it quite pleasant. Original rating was a 3.5.

Chestnut brown w/a short lived light beige head. Roasty, chocolatey, and caramel in the nose along with herbal hop. Becomes more chocolatey and caramel as it warms. Toasted malty sweetness, like brown sugar cheerios with stronger vanilla as it warms. Low fruitiness, but hints of dark fruit. Well balanced, roasty coffee, chocolate, semi dry toasted malt flavored finish; earthy hop flavored aftertaste. Medium fruitiness. Sweetness is all up front, seems like a light brown sugar. Medium carbonation, medium body, smooth m/f, well hidden alcohol. I’d love to have tried the Lee’s Mild!!! If it had this much flavor, that would be another strong beer from Stone. I prefer this one the the past 2 years. Excellent beer!!!!!

Awesome, as I would expect from Stone! Chocolates and cinnamons and oaks, oh my! Pours beautaciously, the head is pure heaven (or hell, heheh) and the hops, oh the hops! A strong ale, to be sure, but nary a hint of alcohol to be found, lest ye be done with the bottle, mate ;)

brown.red colour. toffee, brown sugar, roasty coffee, earth, hops, chocolate wafer in the aroma. big and malty with some chocolate chip cookie notes. woody, smoke, ans raisin. like a big take on a brown ale. nice.