Stone India Pale Ale (IPA)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Escondido, California USA

22oz bomber from The Lighthouse in Manchester, Maine. Pours a hazy yellow-amber with a thin film of off-white head that leaves some lace. Smells amazing - orange, grapefruit etc hops dominate for sure with just the slightest hint of malt. Bright citrussy hops dominate the flavor - orange, grapfruit, and slight pith. Slight caramel and biscuit malt help to make the hops not overpowering. Nonetheless, hops dominate and create perhaps one of the finest hop flavors in any beer I’ve ever had. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. An easier drinker than expected, considering the ABV and big flavor. Perhaps one of the finest IPAs I have ever had. Phenomenal in almost every way.

Bomber. Hazy gold with a nice thick small white head. Nose of citrusy hops with some lingerng sweetness. Taste is a nice hop profile, quite bitter but with little malt balance. The true hop bomb. Drinkable but one dimensional.

This one has seen better days. Not bad, but much better on the other side of the Pacific. I’d imagine.

Lemon and grapefruit aroma of medium strength. Cloudy amber, medium yellow head, nice lace. Grapefruit rind and lemon flavor. Medium body, well bittered.

Bottle. A good, clean crisp IPA. Very well balanced and easy to drink. One of my favorites...

11/08/2009. 12oz. Beerstore.co.nz. Stewed jelly-like barley malt, good hop bitterness but the hop flavour and aroma is muddied behind the oxidised malt. I can see this is a great beer on the way out. Certainly still drinkable, enjoyable even, but the tide is hop tide is way out.

I really enjoyed this stone brew, but I enjoy every stone brew... so that isn’t big news. Over all it is a very smooth easy to drink IPA with a lot of good hoppy flavor. Definitely bitter but in a good way. I enjoyed a 22oz bottle all to myself and after the pour the beer looked delicious with a great head and color.

(22oz bomber) Pours a medium yellow with glimpses of orange and a nice 2 finger head. The lacing coats the glass well. Nose has a great honey aroma, pine and grapefruit. Smells sweeter than most IPAs which for me is good. Taste is a little too bitter on the front and finish, but the body and carbonation are just right. Those grapefruit and honey esters hit you up front, but the honey fades faster than the bitter hops unfortunately.