Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

Bottle at jsquire’s. Extremely small head that mostly diminished, splotchy lacing, hazy, no carbonation noted, and an orange grown hue. Nose was very nice--malty, caramel, hoppy, pine, fruity, and alcohol. Ditto for the flavor along with a rich taste to it and a dry finish. Mouthfeel was tingly and dry. Medium in body. Very quaffable, nicely done, came together very well, not one of my favorite styles since I am not a hophead; however, I truly enjoyed drinking this one and would drink it again if it came my way. Definitely worthy of a try!

2-18-08 bottle
Thick red amber with big fluffy white head and some lacing. Smell is somewhat weak up front but opens a bit as it warms. Thick and heavy on the tongue. This is more a Strong Ale in my mind. Flavor is alcohol, vanilla and some lemon too.

Bottle shared by mmtmatrix. Poured a clear amber color with a moderate off-white head that left good lacing. Aroma of light hops and citrus, a hint of pine. Strong citrus and malt flavor leads into a hoppy, citric finish with a light pine character that finishes slightly bitter. Smooth, slight bitter bite on the palate. Surely this beer was better fresh, but it was still decent over a year later.

Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a very hazy caramel-brown color with a huge tan head. The aroma was strong harsh floral and fruity hops. The flavor was harsh, bitter and earthy with a multilayered floral and fruity hop presence. Rather like Arrogant Bastard but a little thicker and harsher.

I’ve been holding onto this bottle for a long time now and last night’s sushi dinner seemed like the perfect time to break it out. It pours a hazy dark orange that has some rustic tones appearing nearly brown. The head is relatively thin and bone colored. The aroma is very complex. Very strong alcohol, fermenting fruits, cherries, grass, and mildly floral hops. The flavor is difficult to really analyze as the alcohol comes through very strong, despite 18 months in the bottle. There are notes of sweet caramel and the ghosting of some ctirusy hop notes. It’s hard to believe how hot this beer is after sitting for so long. It really kills the mouthfeel and finish. Perhaps I should have drank this a long time ago...

on tap @ papago... hazy fresh brewed iced tea color with a fluffy off white head which sticks around for the remainder and leaves some nice lace work behind. the aroma is like a caramelized spruce tree!... caramel sweetness, earth, pine and black pepper spiciness. the flavor is very much the same, quite resinous, with floral hops and alcohol leaking out of my face on the finish. it’s sweet but not overly as the spice and alcohol make it seem a bit less so. medium to full body but not cloying as the bitterness helps. it leaves the lips a bit sticky...

Had an aged 10th on tap at Papago. The beer is still wonderfully hoppy and is quite a bit better than when it was first released now that it has had time to age. A big double IPA.

22 oz bomber thanks to adrian910ss, thanks Adrian. Okay first let me start by saying I LOVE Stone and I do realize that this beer is 1 1/2 years old and I do know what happens to hops over time. I don’t think my rating of this beer, #460, will destroy it’s average. I am rating on what it tastes like today Feb 22nd 2008 and not what it was/could have been 1 1/2 years ago. Pours a murky orangey/reddish/brown with a large beige bubbly head. Malt dominant aroma with lots of caramel, toffee notes, a slight touch of citrus hops still lingers in the background and to a lesser extent some alcohol. Medium bodied with light carbonation and lots of alcohol warming. Flavor is shot. The hops have long ago went the way of Elvis and left the building. What remains is some caramel, toffee, bread and alcohol with a bit of a soapy aftertaste. This is the Daunte Culpepper of beers, way past it’s prime but still trying to stay in the game.