Stone 9th Anniversary Ale

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

Pours a slightly hazed amber with a nice creamy, thick head. There’s still a nice fresh hoppiness in this, a mix of spruce and apricots. The flavor isn’t small, but there’s something watery about it. Nicely balanced with good hop character.

Pours with a golden body topped by a thin head with little lacing. It’s slightly sweet and hoppy with a slight malt note and a yeasty note. Not all that great of a beer. Medium bodied, warming and tingly.

Bottle shared at Immy’s Backyard Gathering. Pours a hazy orange color with a medium head. Good head retention and lacing. Herbal, floral hop aroma with toffee and citrus notes. Taste of toffee, caramel and citrus. Full bodied.

A solid four across the board. Poured, smelled, and tasted just like a dIPA, although slightly more yellow and less orange-amberish than many from that style. The aroma was malty, yeasty, and resinous. The flavor was malty sweet with some grapefruits and resin flavors coming through. Nice slightly pine-like hoppy finish. Mouthfeel was moderately bodied and the alcohol didn’t overwhelm (wasn’t hidden, though).

Bottle (Courtesy of Hogtownharry): Poured a clear golden color ale with a huge pure white creamy and foamy head with good lacing and retention. Aroma of citrus hops is quite dominant but also enjoyable. Taste is quite different from other beers I’ve tasted before and can be describe like a wheat Indian ale. Dominant citrusy hops over a light wheat base beer. Very interesting concept that could have been even more interesting if the beer had been less dominant on hops.

On tap at Stone. Caramel and cirus aroma. Bread-like taste transitioning to caramel sweetness and finishing with a dry slightly bitter roastiness.

2005 bomber, aged over 3 years. Pours a hazy, deep, orange-amber color with a massive, spongy, cream colored head. The incredibly well retained foam leaves sticky swaths of honeycomb lacing all the way down the glass. This is simply a beautiful looking beer. The aroma is quite hoppy, even at this advanced aged, with sharp grass, pine resin, and citrus notes still showing. A toffee malt base is sweetened a bit by orange marmalade, while lemon pepper lends a hint of bright, peppery spice. Flavors show more of the same, orange citrus hops, pine resin, semi-sweet toffee, and cracked pepper all showing well. This must have been a serious hop bomb when fresh, as it’s still mighty tasty years after the fact. Medium-full on the palate and well carbonated, the mouthfeel evokes thoughts of a lightly creamy, hoppy barleywine. Damn nice brew.

Pour is deep golden yellow with some amber highlights and a nice dense pretty tan head...smells like a Stone beer...dry hoppy warmth...there is something else there that I can’t put my finger on though...light citrus notes...spiced lemon peel...taste is dry and alcoholic and hoppy...where’s the wheat?...dry and hoppy all the way through where a hint of sweetness comes out after all the hop nonsense...alcoholic sweetness...tastes like a Stone too...