Stone India Pale Ale (IPA)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Escondido, California USA

Reddish gold pour with a minimal white head. Aroma is citrus and floral hops, with a bit of honey. The hop component is a little understated for my tastes - the citrus in particular is a little flat. The flavor centers more on the floral hoppiness, but includes some very nice clean citrus. Nice refreshing finish. Pretty average mouthfeel. Good beer, but a little disappointing, hopefully I just got an old bottle.

12 oz bottle. Pours a hazy yellow/orange gold with minimal white head. Strong hoppy aroma (citrus and floral). Hops in the taste, although I found that the citrus hops tended to dominate, particuarly in the bitter finish. Definitely enjoyable, but can’t quite give it as much love as some other IPAs.

(Sample from July 20, 2007 Beer Club Meeting; 12oz bottle from Yellow Store at home on September 2, 2008) Ultra-clear orange-yellow color with a small white head. Looks clean! Quick, sparse carbonation. Light, but clean and true. Hefty on the palate but thin at the same time. Alcohol is noticeable only when you slam a mouthful. Nice properties. Citric. Serious dry-hopped characteristics. Well done for a standard-style IPA. Two thumbs up!

650 mL bottle. Orange-brown with a small white head. Strong aroma of C-hops and not much else. Not that that’s a bad thing. The flavour is surprisingly well balanced, with loads of citrus & floral hops almost, but not quite, balanced by a solid nutty-caramel malt backbone. Alcohol is well hidden. Surprisingly drinkable.

NTH TRIAL: Pours a brilliant golden color with a slight white head; aroma is the perfect amount of citrus-y, floral hops (definitely there, but nothing overboard); flavor is smooth and delicious with citrus bitterness, biscuity malts, and a great finish that sits in the corners of your mouth. This beer is fantastic, and although it’s ~7% ABV, it’s currently my session beer of choice. It embodies what IPAs should be, and although I wasn’t that excited to hear that Stone had finally made it to Wisconsin, as I sit here in my favorite chair and sip away at a Stone IPA, I’m now completely delighted.

Really nice aroma. Very strong citrus presence. Very hoppy, but definitely bitter at the end. Very pretty orange color.

Tons of citrus (lemon, grapefruit) and pine hop flavors and aromas. Strong bitter finish. Alcohol is not noticeable at all. Very enjoyable.

Pale orange pour with a nice luminescence at the center. Big frothy head, booming floral hops in the aroma, Cascade and maybe some Chinook? Delightful, just like you’d expect from SoCal masters like Stone. Caramel malts are initially detectable in the flavor but this one is really powerful in the hop department, with the dry-hopping contributing estimably not just to the scrumptious flavors but to the balance of the brew. Sessionable as hell, and compares favorably with high-level quaffers like Two Hearted.