Stone 9th Anniversary Ale

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

22 oz bottle: light hazy amberish w/ a lasting off white/cream colored head and a fizzy body. Initial aroma is of Sierra Mist on hops!!!!! Not quite, but lemony and grapefruit hops dominate! I’ve heard some comparisons to Gumballhead, but this has a much more refined and smoother hop aroma IMHO! A bit grassy as it warms, but still a nice floral and citrusy hop bouquet. Unfortunately, very little malt presence when cool, but alcohol comes into the aroma as it warms. A very light toasted wheat malt and pretty clean of esters. Flavor is well balance, citrusy hop flavored, of course, and has a clean, citrusy and piney hop flavored finish & aftertaste which lingers toward citrusy, like sucking on a lemon flavored LiveSaver. A bit astringent up front, but smooths out w/ a lighter body and higher carbonation as it warms. Alcohol is extremely well hidden. I’d have to say, this is a very refreshing beer if it were still 90+ degrees outside, even w/ the alcohol level where it is. A bit dry in the finish, slighly tart from the wheat, and a bit citrusy and dry from the hops! Nice beer in moderation!

After much deliberation I chose Stone 9th Anniversary to be my thousandth rating. The logic behind this is somewhat complex and I’m not sure I can describe it properly w/o the appropriate diagrams. However, I will give you all hint and say it was the only beer in my fridge.

So here it is ladies and gentleman rating number one thousand:

*applause*

Oh, no you’re too kind. It’s really no big deal.

*applause*

Well, I do have a small speech prepared. I suppose I could say a few words...

First, I would like the thank myself because I couldn’t have done it w/o me. Wait for laughter. Oh shit! Did I say that out loud? Sorry, folks, I’m not much of a public speaker.

In all seriousness, I would like to thank my liver. He’s been through a lot and I do plan to keep him around for another four or five years until I can get a replacement a la Mickey Mantle. I’d also like the thank my parents, Hunter S. Thompson, your mom, Brett Favre for being a shitty quarterback and--more than anyone--the big dude w/ the beard upstairs.

I’d also like to thank the Ratebeer community. W/o you guys I’d be much less fat.

Now, about this beer: Well--I don’t know how or why this isn’t classified as an IPA here. I mean it looks, smells and tastes like an IPA. You can have wheat in an IPA. It’s OK. It doesn’t stop being a IPA.

That aside, this is a pretty tasty IPA. Good looking too--pours a crystal clear glowing orange (first pour) w/ a beautiful head that leaves an intricate multi-tiered web of lace. Big hops in the nose. I can’t pick out too many flavors but I’d call it vaguelly floral w/ some buscuity malt character to back it up (probably from the wheat malt--how about that?). The flavor is simple and malty more than anything w/ a bit of a crisp tart bite. It has a good full body w/o being overly sweet (it’s that wheat again--still an IPA). Finishes clean w/ a moderate bitterness that wanes to a lingering sweetness.

Bottle. Glad this beer was able to hold up, I was a lot more confident since I had an 8th Anniversary not that long ago. Pours a cloudy orange with hints of red and a thin off white head. Grapefruit, and more citrus and hops in the nose. Very good fruit flavor in the beer, mainly citrus and a lot of sweet malt. I was actually kind of surprised at how sweet it was. Good beer though, glad I was able to get a bottle of it. Now I need to find some 10th Anniversary!

Doesn’t seem to match up with their description on this site. Instead of a jacked up wheat beer, it tasted like a strong Scotch ale. Moderate hoppiness with an overwhelming, intense malty character. Very alcoholic. Maybe this one was sitting out too long.

Nice gold color with lasting white head. Wheat, flowers and citrus in the nose. Lemony, malty palate and then some hops kick in for a dry hoppy finish. Decent balance and decent beer but for the price and the hype this is the 1st disappointment I’ve had from this place.

Clear golden color with a huge fine white head. Aroma is light evergreen and a little citrus. Flavor is fruity with a light lemon start fading to tangerine, some wheat, light citrus tartness, a hint of mint leaf and a dry orange rind finish. Light on the palate, but with a velvet touch.

this brew was clear in color and dry in flavor - tsted more like an IPA than a wheat -- but what do I know. I just know it was good!

~RBSG ’08~

On tap at Stone. Pours a murky golden copper color, with a small white head and frothy lacing. Aroma has some bitterness, although I wouldn’t describe them as hops. Hard to describe at all. Flavor has some distant hoppiness, creamy malts, caramel, and that same interesting bitter component. Start is bitter and sticky, somewhat oxidized maybe? Interesting, but not too sure what I just had.