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I have not been a big fan of Stone hop bombs. Probably a palate thing on my part. They just seem muddled to me. Whereas their GoTo Session and Enjoy By seem simpler and tastier. But this collaboration has me intrigued because it brings three distinct brewers together. Plus I think the world of Julian Shrago of Beachwood, so I will be getting this just for his 1/3 contribution.
Stone is putting their name on their second release from their Matrix-y side project. And this one, seems a little more suited to the ethos of the project and looks like an interesting beer as well. A golden blonde no matter how aged isn’t a proto-typical Stone offering.
(Plus the gargoyle is more prominent too)
Stochasticity – Either a scientific term that I could not parse a meaning from OR a weirdly hyped Stone side-project. You make the call at the really overdone website, right HERE.
To me, it sort of looks like a cross of Ecliptic Brewing of Portland meets Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin, then passed through the mind of a website designer given carte blanche and some Philip K. Dick books.
First, why have this as a loosely veiled Stone project. It makes me suspicious that they are distancing themselves from it. Seems redolent of what I call phantom crafts. But why would Stone want to hide this? Why not emblazon the gargoyle on this? It’s not as if Stone can’t be wacky. They can put big words on their bottles and citrus peel in a beer. They have done wackier.
Second, what is with the whole separate website and matrix label design? It seems to be marketing that is trying too hard to make you buy it. When all Stone really needs to do is say, “Hey beer geeks! We have a grapefruit version of Ruination. You should try it!”
Third, if they wanted to blow people’s minds. Why an IPA? If someone tells me there is a new Stone release my first, second and third guesses are IPA. If they wanted to screw with fans, they would make a pilsner under that name.
And I hope they do!
(Sorry for all the questions in this post. This whole release has me flummoxed.)
I was a bit hesitant to buy this beer. Lately, Stone beers have been all Seahawk defense aggression which is not where my palate is right now. Secondly, the story behind the beer is sad and I didn’t want them to make a bad beer in the memory of one of their brewers.
Thankfully, this was a really well balanced and restrained beer. I enjoyed it from the first sip to the last. The underlying saison was still there in it’s Belgian glory and was nicely accented by the cherry wood smoke on one side and the darker malts on the other. The kicker was the higher ABV which also really worked here
I would love to see more saisons and fizzy yellow beers from these guys ’cause they can knock it out of the park when not obsessed with over hopping and the hottest peppers on earth.
For 2014, I will be pulling up some bottles from my cellar and reviewing them. Not to be pessimistic, but I don’t have lofty expectations. Though my beers were light protected and kept at a consistent temp, beer can be fickle and some may have been better last month or next month. That being said, I am really excited to dig into the beers and see what time has wrought.
First up is a Stone Brewing collaboration with the esteemed BottleWorks of Seattle Washington. But before that, the backstory on the beer from Stone, “Bottleworks, Seattle’s legendary craft beer store captained by Matt Bonney and Matt “Vern” Vandenberghe, celebrated their 13th Anniversary in March of 2012. Since bottle shop owners can’t make their own beer, “The Matts” commission a different brewery each year to help them create their anniversary brew. This time they wanted an especially big beer (they were aiming for 13% abv), so naturally they turned to us for help. Here you see the delicious fruits of our collective labor: a 13-grain, 13-hop imperial porter that packs a wallop.”
The beer pours with a big head of espresso that you could put a barista design into easily. I catch a slight bourbon-esque whiff as I pop the cap. A little sweet raisin note and a bit of alcohol heat also rise up out of the glass. Not totally what is expected but this beer sorta defies style though it is called a porter, it probably could just have easily been called a strong ale or barleywine due to the hefty malts and hops in it.
Now the taste is very complex. He’Brew has done the whole double digit malt and hops thing and I have liked the idea better than the execution but this beer is quite enjoyable and different. I get notes of tobacco, coffee, caramel and milk chocolate that start and finish a sip as the sharp raisin note takes over the middle. Coffee notes at the end linger for a bit too. The time wore away the hop aroma and bitterness. Though that may be for the better. Probably more akin to an English Barleywine with the fruit notes. For all the big flavors, the consistency is a bit on the thin side. And for it’s high ABV, it isn’t hot on the palate or cheek warming.
The final cellaring verdict: This beer held up well but I think that if I had pulled this a bit sooner (maybe 5 months ago) some of the more jarring raisin notes would not have been there and this beer would have been even more balanced. But overall this experiment in aging gets a thumbs up.
It had been awhile since a box from Stone Brewing had reached my doorstep, but then I received this….
To give away my review, I am so glad that I did not get Punishment. This beer is all pepper. Seriously, it is hot. My cheeks are warm and my lips are stinging. Crime is part of the 2013 Series, Quingenti Millilitre. This was Batch No. 8. It has red and green Jalapenos. Cause why not. Then they added MORE peppers. Caribbean Red Hots, Black Naga’s, Fatalis and something with Scorpion in the title.
Supposedly it is Lukcy Basartd Ale aged in Bourbon barrels. But those flavors are gone. Obliterated. Nowhere to be found. To me it is undrinkable when warm and barely good when ice cold. I am not a pepper fan but I have enjoyed Habanero Sculpin in the past as well as other beers with chile in them when they worked “With” the rest of the beer. That is not the case here. This is one note and that note is hot. More novelty beer than anything else.
I wish I had gotten No. 7 in the series the Southern Charred. Oh well. At least the new book I am reading is good. It is by L.A. (Echo Park) author Charlie Huston. Skinner is about “asset protection” in general but fast paced action with social commentary on the side. Another cracking read from Huston whose book The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death is one of my favorites.
My L.A. Beer Week kicked off in Pasadena at the brand spanking new Stone outpost. An event so popular that they extended the event by a couple of hours to accommodate all the folks who wanted to get a first look at the arrogance.
Upon entering the Del Mar station of the Gold Line. (Yes, it is literally steps away from the train), I got my customary “bracelet” and a ticket for (4) beers and food. Now I could have saved some of the boxes for a growler fill or a tasting flight at a later date but I wanted to try the special beers that had come up from Escondido.
I started off with Ruination dry hopped with Motueka hops. This version tasted softer to me. Which is a good thing. I did not need to have my palate “ruined” one beer in. It still had a hearty kick of bitterness, don’t get me wrong, but a little more fruit notes rose to my attention.
Faithful readers of this blog will know that I prefer the lighter side of beers and I generally disdain the cult of the imperial stout but the beer that I was looking forward to the most was a big beer. Suitable for Cave Aging was created in honor of Danny Williams who passed away this year. He was one of the quirky legends of the craft beer world and I don’t know what his style preferences were but this beer was quite nice. Strong but not overpowering bourbon notes. A little sweetness. Overall a good after dinner sipper.
The other beer of note was an espresso bean version of Sublimely Self-Righteous. That coffeehouse aroma was in evidence but it faded into the beer which was more malt driven than coffee or chocolate. But it went really well with the beer cookies that were offered.
One day down and 10 to go!
This is a unique spin on the whole “born on” dating system that also is good education for many a craft beer drinker about the fragility of hops in our favorite IPA’s and pale ales. But at this point, I expect nothing less from Stone.
“Stone Brewing Co. may be celebrating its sweet 16 this year, but true fans know that the brewery’s aggressively-flavored bitter ales are anything but sweet. To commemorate the happy (hoppy?) day, Stone is releasing Stone 16th Anniversary IPA on August 13, and will hold its annual 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival August 17 and 18. One hundred percent of the profits from the festival will be donated to local charities including: Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, Fight ALD, Palomar Family YMCA, and Surfrider Foundation.
The two-day event begins Friday, August 17 with the Brewers Reception held on the grounds of California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). The $75 ticket price includes a commemorative glass, tastings of special beers, meet and greet with the world-class brewers featured at the festival, and complimentary gourmet fare and live music. The Stone 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival is also held at CSUSM and tickets are $40 per person, per session – Session A is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Session B is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Festival features more than 40 breweries and 100 beers, as well as the infamous Arrogant Bastard Ale onion rings, complimentary homebrewed sodas, and samples of Mike’s Beer Cheese. Ticket holders will receive a commemorative tasting glass with 10 four-ounce samples. All Access Pass/Rare Beer Section tickets have already sold out.”
This month, the shopping list tries to stay low ABV in deference to the summer sun and succeeds. From Germany to Montana and finally stopping in Escondido. (A Favorite stop of mine)
Click the link twice and a helpful PDF will appear and be ready to take to the store for some serious beer shopping.