Stone 9th Anniversary Ale

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

Big hops bouquet of evergreen forest, perfume, flowers, resin, and believe it or not a hint of bubble gum. Pours a medium clear honey amber. Tall off white head the consistency of meringue topping. Nice big fluffy hunks of lace stick to the side of my pint glass. The brew is of course big and hoppy from the start - just the way I like it; but not without a hint of malt presence for some balance. The warm alcohol middle has heavy acidity throughout. The finish is classic Stone - BIG! The medium dry body is lively and feels chalky at the finish. This brew is a perfect example of the excellence that is consistently brought to us by the good people at Stone.

Pours out a slightly hazy orange-gold with a substantial white, medium-density head. A very assertive beer. Lots of hops in the nose and taste. High bitterness with a strong but not unpleasant alcohol character. The wheat aspect is downplayed--adding primarily to this beer’s relatively light body in relation to its alcohol and hops profiles. This may come across as harsh to some, but I find it very crisp, drinkable, and refreshing.

Quite frankly, this beer sucks. Hoppy aroma, with cleaning chemicals. Taste is about the same, chemicals and hop bite, kinda dry. Soapy. Sorry Stone, you guys are usually great. Did not like this stuff at all.

Slightly hazy, golden orange with a fluffy, white head reducing to a thin layer. Hop-dominated nose chuck full of grapefruit, pine, apricot, bubble gum, cereals, fresh baked bread, tart orange juice, light alcohol, and a bit of creamy mashmellow. The body is just the right thickness, not too thick, but doesn’t leave you wondering where it went. The flavor shows more of the wheat character than the nose. The wheat meets a bit of grain and some sweet caramel. Mild fruitiness joins in as well. The typical Stone hop profile makes this like one of their many IPAs. I guess, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s tasty, smooth, easy drinking and flavorful. How, it’s not that different from many of their other big, hoppy beers. I could drink a lot of this, because I like those beers, but the price will keep me from doing it.

Pours a cloudy orange with a big thick foam. Aromas are nasty with cheesy piney grassy hops but nothing floral or sweet smelling to blance the major phenols mixing with the hops. A really horrid smelling beer. Not infected, but might as well be. The body is med. The flavors are lightly sweet with a hodgepodge of spices, lemon peel, cloves, banna and a descent amount of sharp phenols. Finish is sweet and uneventful. One of the weakest American strongs I have had and the weakest beer I have ever had from stone.

The aroma was big and full of grain, citrus, and alcohol esters. The flavor was grainy, slight honey note and oranges. The beer poured an orangish brown color w/ slight head and lacing. The mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and no carbonation. sucked.

Pours yellow with a medium sized white fizzy head. Smells malty and hoppy together in a difficult way to explain, kind of like carmalized pine needles. Taste is quite interesting, it starts off sweet and soothing tasting of caramel. It then gives way to a complex bitter aftertaste that is quite unique. Nice beer.

Medium sized, large bubbled, light tan head, moderate retention, minimal spotty laceing. Clear copper/orange color. Nose is light and flowery, light fruit, peaches and citrus, a touch piney. Body is light/medium, good carbonation with a lightly oily palate. Delicate juicey hop flavors, flowery, spicey and fruity. Malt flavors are subdued, spicey wheat, caramel showing underneath all the hoppiness, touch yeasty, light bubblegum notes to boot. Finish is lightly sweet, floral and fruity. Hello alcyhol! An easy quaff. Thanks Odeed!