602. Stone 10th Anniversary IPA
I bought three bombers of this at Downtown Wine and Spirits several months ago. I've been putting off trying it since it's 10% by volume, but I felt like an IPA tonight. I let this warm to around 50ยบ F and served it in my New Belgium glass.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber/copper with a thick, off-white head that fades to a sudsy layer leaving snaking trails of lace.
Smell (4.5): The aroma is a nice blend of malts, fruit and hops. There's a bit of toastiness, caramel, tropical fruit aromas, resiny hops and a spicy alcohol that's fairly strong.
Taste (4.5): Toasty malts are evident first, but are quickly eclipsed by sweet and fruity flavors in the center where there's also some tart citric character. The finish has a nice, firm, hop bitterness that's resiny, citric and a tad grassy. There's also an alcoholic spice that starts at the tip of the tongue and mellows before reemerging in the finish as a strong, spicy bite.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Full-bodied with moderate carbonation. A smooth, velvety character appears once the carbonation has died down.
Drinkability (4.0): Balanced, with a nice maltiness that moderates the intense hop bitterness.
Overall (4.35): An excellent DIPA. The balance is nice, without being cloyingly sweet, which is my main complaint with a lot of other beers of the style.
I bought three bombers of this at Downtown Wine and Spirits several months ago. I've been putting off trying it since it's 10% by volume, but I felt like an IPA tonight. I let this warm to around 50ยบ F and served it in my New Belgium glass.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber/copper with a thick, off-white head that fades to a sudsy layer leaving snaking trails of lace.
Smell (4.5): The aroma is a nice blend of malts, fruit and hops. There's a bit of toastiness, caramel, tropical fruit aromas, resiny hops and a spicy alcohol that's fairly strong.
Taste (4.5): Toasty malts are evident first, but are quickly eclipsed by sweet and fruity flavors in the center where there's also some tart citric character. The finish has a nice, firm, hop bitterness that's resiny, citric and a tad grassy. There's also an alcoholic spice that starts at the tip of the tongue and mellows before reemerging in the finish as a strong, spicy bite.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Full-bodied with moderate carbonation. A smooth, velvety character appears once the carbonation has died down.
Drinkability (4.0): Balanced, with a nice maltiness that moderates the intense hop bitterness.
Overall (4.35): An excellent DIPA. The balance is nice, without being cloyingly sweet, which is my main complaint with a lot of other beers of the style.
Labels: American Double IPA, Stone Brewing Co.
