Stone Brewing Company

The problem with beer was that it wouldn't survive a long voyage, ergo rum and other distilled spirits. Still, beer later became a wondrous thing, with each community having its own unique brewery and style. We were loyal! That changed, but of late, Craft Brewing appeared and gone mad - with over 3000 of the buggers and 100's of weekly new releases, ergo a blood, er beerbath is in the offing. Until then - this section...
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bearmark
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Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:35 pm
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Stone Brewing Company

Post by bearmark »

Our first brewer to highlight is Stone Brewing located north of San Diego, CA.

Regular Offerings:
  • Pale Ale
  • Levitation Ale (amber ale)
  • Go To IPA (session IPA)
  • India Pale Ale
  • Ruination IPA (double IPA)
  • Cali-Belgique IPA (Belgian IPA)
  • Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA
  • Arrogant Bastard Ale (strong ale)
  • Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale (aged with oak chips)
  • Smoked Porter (peat smoked malt)
I've had almost all of these and they're all good. They're particularly known for their IPAs and you should definitely explore these if you like that style.

Stone releases several special offerings throughout the year that are highly anticipated. If you like their regular offerings, then they're worth seeking out. Here's what you'll be looking for:
  • Saison
  • Double Bastard Ale (oak aged strong ale)
  • Lukcy Basatrd Ale (dry hopped and oak aged strong ale and no, it's not misspelled)
  • Enjoy By IPA (double IPA released several times a year with an expiration date prominently displayed on the bottle)
  • RuinTen IPA (double IPA)
  • Anniversary Ale (this year it's a Brown IPA)
  • Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean
  • Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers
  • Coffee Milk Stout
  • Imperial Russian Stout
  • Old Guardian (barley wine)
There are some real winners in this bunch! Right now, you should be on the lookout for RuinTen IPA, which still may be on the shelves. If you can't find it, then watch for the current Enjoy By IPA release, 09.20.14. RuinTen is their biggest, hoppiest IPA, so beware and Enjoy By IPA is the freshest IPA on the shelves! Finally, their Anniversary Ale was just released and Coffee Milk Stout is about to be released. Hurry up! You're missing the action!

Stone also produces experimental beer under the Stochasticity brand, which is a new venture started last year. Here's what they've produced so far:
  • Grapefruit Slam IPA (double IPA with grapefruit zest)
  • Quadrotriticale (Belgian quadruple with triticale)
  • Hisbiscusicity (Belgian ale with wheat, hibiscus and orange zest)
  • Varna Necropolis (golden Belgian ale aged in bourbon barrels)
As if this weren't enough, here are some special one-time releases from this year that I still see on the shelves. The last one is just about to be released:
  • Matt's Burning Rosids (cherrywood-smoked saison)
  • Sprocketbier (black rye kölsch)
  • Unapologetic IPA (IPA with new and experimental hops that was brewed in collaboration with Beechwood BBQ and Heretic Brewing)
  • Collective Distortion IPA (IPA with elderberries and coriander that was brewed in collaboration with Kyle Hollingsworth and Keri Kelli)
  • Xocaveza Mocha Stout (brewed in collaboration with AHA Homebrew Competition Winner, Chris Banker, and Cervecería Insurgenta)
Well, there you go and you certainly have your work cut out for you. Let us know what you find, particularly the special releases, and what you thought of them.
Mark Hébert
Rum References: Flor de Caña 18 (Demeraran), The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidadian), R.L. Seale 10 (Barbadian), Appleton Extra (Jamaican), Ron Abuelo 12 (Cuban), Barbancourt 5-Star (Agricole)
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bearmark
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Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:35 pm
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18th Anniversary IPA

Post by bearmark »

I found Stone's 18th Anniversary IPA on the shelf last week and gave it a go. According to Stone, this is "a golden‐brown India pale ale dry-hopped exclusively and abundantly with El Dorado hops." Here's my take on it:

It pours medium amber with a tan head. There's plenty of pine and grapefruit up front, with notes of orange peel, honey, sap, lemon peel and grass appearing afterwards. It reminds me of an "amped-up" pale ale with lots of hops and a twist (the golden-brown ale base).

I recommend it as I've not had anything quite like it before and I like it. If you like pale ales and IPAs (even if you don't like brown ales), then it's a must. Get it while you can, because when it's gone... it's gone.

Beer Advocate: 88
RateBeer: 3.56/5 (94 overall, 69 by style)
Mark Hébert
Rum References: Flor de Caña 18 (Demeraran), The Scarlet Ibis (Trinidadian), R.L. Seale 10 (Barbadian), Appleton Extra (Jamaican), Ron Abuelo 12 (Cuban), Barbancourt 5-Star (Agricole)
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