Stone 9th Anniversary Ale

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

65 cl bottle. Tasted during trip to California. Yeast in bottom. Amber unclear colour with a fast disappearing head. Very nice fruity aroma, hints of sweetness. A very hoppy flavour that ends some warm from the alcohol. Little yeasty and dry to the end.

If you were to do a blind tasting of Ruination, Stone IPA, and this beer, I doubt you would be able to pick it out with any accuracy - however, that DOES mean that it’s a damn fine brew; it’s just not something all that "special" for a Stone product - very citrusy and hoppy, but with major caramel malt so that the huge hop profile doesn’t overwhelm you - if allowed to age, perhaps the other subtle background flavors would come to the forefront, but right now it is mostly a hop explosion with sticky malts trying to counteract - the result is a confusing, albeit flavorful experience.

Foamy well lasting white head, slightly hazy golden body. Fresh dominating hoppy and light spicy aroma with a tone of alcohol. Dry biding hoppy flavor with notes of white pepper, grass and spices. Sharp. A bit unbalanced, but nice and interesting.

Golden color with a thick frothy white head. Relatively hoppy aroma. Rather sweet taste with some hints of wheat.

Bottle, 2.5 years old now. This was one of the first limited release beers I ever saw in stores -- I started drinking good beer right around when it came out -- but at the time it was too expensive for me. It was gone soon after, but luckily I got one as an extra in a trade (sorry, can’t remember who!) so I finally get to try this beer.

I probably wouldn’t have been too crazy about it fresh, but it’s aged very nicely. Old, peanut-butter hops aroma, loosely sweet and chalky. Pours with a beautiful head. Bitterness is all but gone in the flavor, only touching at the finish, with a syrupy hop flavor and strong backing body. Like an amber without the deluge of crystal. Chewy and perfectly carbonated.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Jerc, Blankboy, and GregClow, courtesy of GregClow. Strong hops and malt and some alcohol in powerful and pleasing aroma. Golden orange, small white head. Light frothy mouthfeel. Strong hop taste - very pine like - lovely. Thin body. Simple, but tons of hops and I like it.

Bottle: Lightly sweet aroma with lots of citrus and piney hops. Pours a cloudy orange with a nice white with orange tint head that lasts a minute or so. Light sweet citrus up front. Finishes with a touch of spice and huge piney and citrusy hops. Comes across as a super hopped up one-dimensional IIPA. Tons of hops and not enough balance.

Appearance: Bright golden-orange in color. Partial haze. Good carbonation allows the bubbles to organize a fluffy white head. Smell: Sharply citrus notes yield to a dominating bitter aroma. There’s some contrasting sweet fruitiness, but its got a somewhat sour twang to it. Taste: Predominant floral hop bitterness shadowed by some sour, pear-like flavors. The already sparse malts are squashed by the astringent bitterness. Finish is initially dry, but warmth brings forth some displeasing medicinal qualities. Mouthfeel: Smooth and sleek with a light oiliness. Drinkability: Not overly so, as it was a bit hard to supress myself from grimacing at the end of each swallow. I’m told it takes three times as many muscles to frown as it does to smile. My face is definitely worn out by now. I’ll admit I found last year’s anniversary ale to be infinitely more appealing...