Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Beer: Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Brewery Location: Escondido, CA
Beer Style: Stout
ABV: 9.2%



I just reviewed the 11th anniversary ale, and the 12 anniversary has been in Indiana less than a week now. I read over at Hoosier Beer Geek that Cavalier got a higher quantity from Stone than normal. I stopped at Party Pak yesterday and they had a ton of this beer at $8.99 a bomber. I planned on purchasing some extra for trading and aging purposes, and I checked the internet on my phone (has this change anyone else's shopping habits?) and found this beer for a buck cheaper a bomber a mile away, and I bought my fills worth of this offering. $7.99 a bomber seemed to be a better price, but I read over at RateBeer that this beer is $5.99 in Detroit and other places in Michigan, but at least we get it here right?

Stone's anniversary beers have tended to be towards IPAs and DIPAs that the west coast brewer is known for, but this year they changed things up and went with a chocolate oatmeal stout. I am sure hop prices may have also had something to do with this as well. This is actually the combination of two different beer recipes. The first being an imperial stout and the other being an oatmeal stout. The original formulation called for Oaxacan chocolate, but I am sure the price of that kept it from being brewed for the masses and they still went with unsweetened cocoa added to the boil. It would be really cool to be able to have a vertical of the original home brew recipe and the final product.

This stout pours absolutely jet black with no light penetration. A small dirty brown head sits on top of the beer. This is a gorgeous looking stout. I served just below cellar temp to give this a chance to warm up a bit. The nose is really nice on this offering with plenty of roasted grain, bitter and rich chocolate notes, coffee, and black licorice. Once the beer warmed past cellar temp though plenty of hot alcohol notes quickly came on and overtook everything smelling like fingernail polish. The flavor profile starts out with plenty of bitter chocolate notes, light espresso, dark fruit, oats, and roasted grain. The alcohol I smelled in the nose comes across in flavor profile in the finish. I do have to say the that chocolate flavor tastes like they used good chocolate, and didn't skimp on that aspect like some other chocolate stouts that I've tasted. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth from the oat addition with very low carbonation. It isn't nearly as viscous as some other stouts, but I like that actually. I do start feeling the warming alcohol though as I get near the bottom of this bomber. The drinkability is quite nice with how easy to drink this was both in the flavor profile and on the mouthfeel.

I think this will be a really nice beer in six months to a year, but right now this beer is a little "hot" for my liking. I've got several to age for this winter, and I think this will be a real winner. If you like stouts make sure to get one of these before they are all gone.

Cheers!
Matt

Stone 11th Anniversary Ale

Beer: Stone 11th Anniversary Ale
Brewery Location: Escondido, CA
Beer Style: IPA
ABV: 8.7%



I haven't had that many of Stone's Anniversary beers. I've only had the 9th, 10th, and now 11th anniversary ales. They just announced they will be doing their 12th anniversary beer and it is going to be a stout. I am assuming that hops prices may have something to do with that. Stone is a beer that I feel pretty lucky we get here in Indy because several states around us do not get Stone distribution (how about that? me praising the beer we get here instead of bitching about beer we don't).

This beer is the darkest IPA I've ever seen. Stone calls this an IBA or India black ale. It is a deep and dark brown color with a full slightly dirty tan head on it. This beer left creamy rings of lacing until the very last sip. The scents that dominate this beer lean heavily towards piney hops, loads of tropical fruit like tangerines, mango, and passion fruit with a touch of caramel waving from the back row. My brain is perplexed at something that looks like this beer but smells the way that it does. The flavor profile starts with heavy floral hops notes providing plenty of bitterness, but the malt begins to show its assertiveness with dark roasted malt and dark fruits (plums and raisins) coming to life as the beer warmed. The finish brings back those hops with plenty of citrus and pine and showing you what Stone Brewing is famous for. The mouthfull is a bit chewy and sticky, but yet the finish is actually quite creamy. The drinkability is quite nice on this beer since the alcohol was extremely well hidden on this offering.

This is another tasty beer from Stone. It is certainly hop heavy, but the malt provides some really good balance on this offering. I only have one more of these, and I am curious how this beer will age. Stone 12th Anniversary will come out next month, and will hopefully be in Indy sometime in last July or early August.

Cheers!
Matt

Stone IPA

Beer: Stone Brewing IPA
Brewery Location: Escondido, CA
Beer Style: IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.9%


I've written about some of Stone's beer before, but this is the beer that started my love for Stone Brewing. IPA's are my favorite style of beer, and this is one of the best ones out there. This is one of my top three go-to beers and usually have some on hand in the house. Stone has some of the best bottle labeling out there. I am still curious what the cost of silk screening their bottles add to the price. The beer is very reasonably priced between 3.99 and 4.99 depending on where you are shopping.

Pours a light golden hue with a huge two fingered head that leaves sheets of lacing on my pint glass. The aroma is classic of a great IPA. A fantastic floral bouquet filled with scents of citrus fruit, sweet malt, and a second dose of grapefruit scent just to make sure you know the hops are in your face. It smells like I have fistfuls of hops cones. The taste is what a great IPA should taste like with the citrus, floral, sweet malt, and bold hop character playing off each other like the Harlem Globetrotters. The flavor profile just melts together on your palate and makes for a nice drinking experience. This beer is medium bodied with medium carbination. Alcohol is very well hidden and I didn't really ever notice it. This beer is highly drinkable and should be on the list to try for all hop lovers.

Overall this is an outstanding beer for the style, and just overall an amazing beer. Some say the hops are overdone, but if you are a hophead this is really nice for when you don't want a DIPA. This pairs quite well with a good burger, whereas DIPA's usually don't. Give this beer a chance if you see it out. I've found the best price on this at the Sunflower Market in the Broadripple village, and there is always plenty of it. Do the organic foodies not know how great this beer is or something?

Cheers!
Matt

Double Bastard 2007

Beer: Stone's Double Bastard Ale 2007
Brewery Location: Escondido, CA
Beer Style: American Strong Ale
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 10%



I hope that all that read this blog have been introduced to one of the best breweries in the country and that is Stone Brewing Co. They continue to pump out amazing craft beer year after year and several times a year some special brews come out. Their winter release is Double Bastard. Double bastard is a beefed up version of their flagship beer: Arrogant Bastard. I've had a bottle of the 2006 stashed in my beer collection and haven't yet opened it. This year I grabbed multiple bottles and am going to age them over the years and see how the flavor will change for comparison, but I just had to have at least one right away.

I really like Stone's bottles. Great artwork on them and then the silk screening must be fairly costly, but the beer is still at a reasonable price. I picked this up at Party Pak for 7.99 a bottle. Just a few years ago you could pick this up for 4.99, but Stone's bombers still tend to be reasonable around 4.99 to 7.99 a bottle. They were on sale at the Sunflower Market in Broadripple a few weeks ago for 3.99 a bottle.

This beer pours a deep dark mahogany brown with rusted red accents into my chalice. It has a thin tan head that quickly disappeared with little to no lacing to speak of on the glass. The nose is already a workout on the senses. The smell is dominated by sweet malt and dark fruits coming through. The scent of alcohol and pineapple is present as well about mid-chalice. Sugary malt, pine, dark fruit, and a touch of citrus run across my palate. There is a great deal going on with this beer. Rich malted tones and a smoky caramel are the most dominant flavors to me in this beer. I served this beer at cellar temp and still somehow this beer tends to gain more life the warmer it gets. The sweetness of the malt and bitterness of the hops is very well balanced and well made. The taste is in your face the whole time and in no way subtle, but the balance is really a nice surprise. This beer is a very nice sipper and coats the mouth and tongue very well with it's stickiness. After finishing the bomber I don't really want another one right now and I wouldn't drink this beer with a meal most likely. It is very heavy and quite filling. I know the American strong ale category is a bit of made up category to fill a large variety of beers that craft brewers are making, but the flavors on this beer actually reminded me of a good barleywine.

This is a pretty great offering from Stone. It's absolutely a big beer and will be enjoyed by people that like those types of beers. I know some of my non-beer geek friends have told me they have hated some of the beers that I really love, so if you are drinking "fizzy yellow beer" (as Stone would say it) don't start with this beer. Craft beer lovers should pick this up and give it a try.

Cheers!
Matt