Stone 9th Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

Nice orange color with decent foamy lacing white head. Aroma is of lots of west coast hops and some grapefruit, some orange blossom, some lemon zest. Much the same for the flavor, only adding some yeast and some alcohol burn to it. Pretty damn decent. Thanks Shag. THought I’d had this one,but I hadn’t.

Cloudy orange body with a good sized head. Granted I poured it like a jackass, but after having Stone’s 8th just prior... I had to test it. Aroma is hops.... grapefruit and citrus. Flavor has the hops... but also some alcohol. Grrr. It’s an American Wheat with a lot of hops. Nothing like Ruinition (thank god!), but enough to make it interesting and different. It could really use some refinement though as it felt a little off balance. Very drinkable, but kind of a mess with the jumble of flavors and the alcohol taste in the background.

Bought a whole case of it cause I liked last years a lot. Heard it was a "wheat wine" and got scared. At first I liked it, pours out a nice orange/yellowish color with a good amount of carbonation. Hops on the nose. Taste is mild, but drinkable with notes of some spice and hops. Good beer to try, but gets very old after you’ve had a few

a good beer and a decent year but wasn’t really for me. appreciate the strength but the blend is not too pleasing for this palate. worth a try, though.

Pours a orange-gold, lots of carbonation, and a quick diminishing white head. Sweet floral, lightly citrus nose - almost has an orange soda scent about it. Flavor is not as complex as the wonderful nose - light malt, some weak spiciness, lightly bitter. There is a slight alcohol warmness toward the end. Finish is lightly bitter. What happened to the wheat? Don’t know. Body is pretty even. Good? Yes. Great? No. 8th was far better.

My wife pegged it: a strong cross between a banananosed hefe and a floral IPA. Good, but I actually would have liked to taste a version with a lower ABV. This would have made a great session ale. As is, though, a nice sipper.

well. i like it a lot, but somehow it just ends up seeming kinda of run-of-the-mill. the aroma was pretty terrific. honestly, this seemed a lot like a dreadnaught without the punch. i guess the point is that it’s a pretty terrific beer, but i was hoping for more. for my money, i think i’ll stick with three floyds in this vein.

This is a rather complex brew. Hopsy citrus overtones characterize this Strong Ale. The alcohol is well hidden. A clean, crisp ale to serve on a warm summers day. Actually I’d serve it on the beach in a 30oz burgundy goblet at the tail end of a Rocky Point vacation. You know, the turn of affections when you start jonesin’ for the U.S. Thats right! ***REVISED 6-5-2007 ******** Almost two years later and this brew is better than before. Brew pours a deep golden color w/ a full, rich and creamy froth. Head retention is lasting. Perfect! Residual lacing is sticky leaving a clumpy creamy island of cream to spoon out. Aroma is of brisk, fresh, velvety hops and mild caramel. Full nectar w/ creamy residual effers. This is on the chewy side. The caramel malts are intertwined well yet persistant. I am truly amazed this brew made it this far. There is an aged vegetal component that is totaly inviting. Big caramel malts w/ velvety hops that gently caress my palate to balance. Where’s my girlfriend ? The hop component is vibrant like the effect of Pop Rocks in my mouth. Not real complex in flavor but very complex as a whole. VERY drinkable. The finish has a moderate hop bittering w/ a long malty sweetness (mildly). As I stated earlier, I am amazed. I remember thinking as I bought it...well, what the heck, I’ll just have to take my chances. As I am a sucker for aged brew comparisons. Today it gets a 4.4 total score w/ the aroma and palate gaining the most. Now I’ll just sit and enjoy.