Stone Cellar Hop Buster Pale Ale

Brewed by Stone Cellar Brewpub
Style: American Pale Ale
Appleton, Wisconsin USA

Served in a cold glass. I add this as you need this one to warm prior to tasting. In the cold faze this is a hot medicinal, airplane glue, rotting fruit conglomeration of a brew. Once it warms, white the alcohol is still there, the malt and grapefruit comes out. Dark amber color with a smaller off-white head. Initial aromas of over-ripe to rotting fruit, hints of pine, resin and airplane glue. Initial flavors of alcohol and resin. Asked by the barkeep, "How’s the Hop Buster"?, I had to answer "strong". Not until I was about 2/3rds of the way done with this one did it warm and finally some flavors that reminded me of a strong pale ale come out. Malt, dough, and citric flavors swim about. Finishes lightly grassy and a decent return of malt. Please let this warm. Rating based on the whole.

Definitely the best beer I had at the Stone Cellar, on a nice August visit to Appleton with my family. Vanilla, pine, and fruit layered in this beer. Smooth, rich body with a touch of carbonation that is both somewhat fluffy and somewhat tingly. Clinging head on a hazy dark orange/copper body. Some alcohol pops through, not especially hidden, but aiding both the complexity of the flavor and the palate sensation. Very good beer. On tap at brewpub.