Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Escondido, California USA

Insane. This beer starts off with a sucker punch to the tongue - much like Ruination does.. Definitely more hop presence, splits the difference between a DIPA and a barleywine.. For whatever reason, I enjoyed the last half of the bottle more than the first - more of the flavor and complexity comes out as it warms a bit. I nursed this one intentionally, as it got better and better.. In the last 3 draws, I held it "on palate" & swirled it a bit before swallowing. VERY good. Can’t wait for another.

This is an interesting beer and wasn’t really sure what to make of it. It was very strong and bold like a typical stone beer, but it tasted differnent than thier other double IPA and IPA. It was almost more barleywine in taste than an IPA.

Aroma: strong grapefruit, pine, orange, other citrus. Typical IIPA aroma. Taste is more balanced towards malt, and isn’t overly astringent or bitter as most IIPAs are. Well balanced but not in a crappy way. I can’t say this has any kind of complexity but it is very solid.

Good sized off white head of medium sized bubbles. Minimal carbonation. Awesome aroma. Juicy and succulent hops. Resinous, with some orange and a good helping of caramel malts. Color is a deep copper colored orange. Very nice hue. Big caramel malt flavor with a big alcohol presence. This brew boarders between a very hoppy BW and a big IIPA. Could use a little more hops in the flavor. Some biterness but not enough. Flavor is a little lacking in depth and the succulent juicy hops. Little bit of sweetness. Finish is warming and malty sweet. A very good big beer. Probably should be considered a IIPA but really pushes the limit.

22 oz awesome looking bottle: pours a golden orange color with a tall off white head. Nose of raw citrus and grapefruit - nice hop aroma. Sweet carmel and malty flavors, grapefruit, tangerine, a little alcohol with a fresh raw and bitter flavor all around the edges. Too much raw grain and raw hop grassy and haylike flavors makes this just taste off.

Excellent pour, somewhat hazy orange-amber with a great pillowy, off-white, creamy head which lasts well and leaves great lacing. Very intense in the nose, citrus (pink grapefruit) and piney hops are commanding with smaller notes of tropical fruits (hard to pick up which ones) and a subtle toasty, caramel note. Flavor is nice and big and very well balanced; malt back bone is sweet with toasty caramel and has moderately high bitterness to match. Citrus hops dominate first flavors with other fruity notes of pineapple and mango? maybe. As the flavor progresses piney, slightly flroal hops filter in becoming more bitter but still remaining somewhat sweet and lasting farily long. Palate is full and somewhere between soft and lively with a creamy and sticky character that is intriguing. Alcohol in present but really just adds to the power of the beer. This was very inticing offering from Stone being that it was so balanced and sweet, almost too sweet. It was interesting and unique among IIPA’s and it was a tad sweet, but provided some excellent, curious notes. Stone really knows how to create such an array of great beers.

22oz bomber-An orangey amber body with a decent white head and an aroma of citrus grapefruit and hops. Taste of hops, citrus, malt and alcohol. Alcohol not too overpowering at 10%. Pretty decent double.

Poured a red orange color with a nice big head, great lacing, good retention. The small little bubbles were slow risers in this thick bad boy. The aroma was really strong pink grapefruits and some more grapefruits. Flavor was mostly grapefruits, yet it was supported by a substantial malt base, the main knock perhaps being that it was too sweet. Spicey attributes came out with some temperature. The alcohol was a touch hot, although not overkill at 10%ABV. This wasn’t bitter enough to knock my socks off (more bitter grapefruit rinds required), somewhat sticky sweet, and one dimensional in hop character (grapefruits), regardless of what the writeup lists as the hop bill. Mouthfeel was thick and highly carbonated.