Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

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

I was expecting something out of this world, and well I guess thats what I get. I’m not saying this is a bad beer, but...pours out a deep reddish copper color with a very small lacing head. Aroma is of pine and citrus hops. Taste is a nice mouthfeel with a well hidden alcohol content, but it reminds me more of a heavily hopped barley wine. The malts take over the palate with the hops taking the back seat. Citrus and piney hops linger in the taste but a sweet syrupy malty taste domniates. Not a bad beer, but I honestly can’t stand when an IPA takes such a lean to the malty side

Pours out a nice deep amber color with a medium tan head. Aroma is very hoppy, with nice grassy, citrus undertones. Flavor just fills your mouth with a hoppy smack in the face with a nice grassy finish. WOW this is a great brew.

22 OZ bottle from Liq Sol. Pours an semi- clear dark orange color. Average size head. Tons of tiny bubbles work their way to the top. Lots of lace left behind as the head rapidly diminishes. Aroma contains caramels, orange, grapefrut, pine, fresh bread. This begins very sweet and syrupy upfront, then turns to some citrus bitterness, then some pine notes, and a bittersweet crisp dry grapefruit finish. Medium to full body. Sweeter than i would have thought. Rough around the edges, somewhat medicinal tasting, not nearly as good as a couple of Imp IPA’s i have sampled over the past week. (Hop Rod Rye & Butte Creek Rev X are much better)

After having the 06.06.06, I thought that maybe stone had stopped sucking as much as they have in the past. With reading all the reviews on this brew, I was kind of excited.... really excited to try it... So I got a bunch of bottles thinking I would savor what was once a great brewery only to find that they had let me down again. It poured a slightly cloudy orange/amber hue with a fairly decent nose of herbs, pine, a little citrus and a balanced sweetness, but still seemed to be a little over cloying. Now...the flavor is where things get a little funky...... There isn’t much depth at all.... This is a malt-laden hop festival that doesn’t go anywhere or do anything. There is a light heat alcohol heat amidst the light pine and hint of caramel in the flavor that is very one-dimensional. This is nowhere near reminiscent of past anniversary double IPAs and the flavors are off. The only saving grace this brew has is that it finishes dry, with sweetness and alcohol dissipating...fast. Maybe I have too much stone here in san Diego, maybe I have seen a once great brewery with great beers, but all I see now is the arrogance and how people succumb to the beast with the ratings they give it on this site.

Hazy orange/amber pour with golden hues. Small white head with fair retention and thick lacing. The aroma has an intimidating and complex hop punch, bring in scents of grapefruit, lavender, honeydew melon and a touch of mint. A sizeable malt backbone is a welcome addition. Very lovely bouquet, smells very ripe, oily. Flavor is right away a very complex hop melange. More flavor of the same nature as the aroma, caramel maltiness is intense and delicious. The malt is almost as formidable as the hops. White pepper in the medium length and dry finish. Palate is very drying and full, quite soft as well. Enjoyable.

Nice looking brew, dark/burnt orange , slightly hazy with a lovelly thicj creamy off white head ( eggshell). Nice bitter hoppy, citric aroma, still quite fresh, so good so far. But the taste, I will have to go against the grain, its way too sweet. Yes there is a great amount of hoppiness swirling about the mouth but underlying sweetness sort of messes this up for me, it sticks to my tongue and becomes cloying, putting me off the great hopping. To cloying on the palte, too sweet. Man i really feel bad about going against the grain on this..i love most everything Stone does, but even for a Scot who likes sweet beer this was too much. Thanks for the beer "kenb"!!

#960, Bottle, sampled at the Champaign Urbana Beer Club meeting in December of 2006. Clearer with some hazyness, thin white quickly discipating head. Nose is very hoppy with lots of great malts, taste more kick of hops but sweet and very piney with lots of sugar. Great beer.

Pours copper with a medium, lasting head. Very fruity tropical aroma. I smell lots of citrus, but mostly pineapple. Huge sweet bitterness as soon as the beer touches the tongue. Awesome blend of big juicy hops, sweet malt, and just enough alcohol to kick. Beauty. Rerate on 6/17/07 this beer has gotten much better and blends together REALLY well now! Doesn’t get much better than this.