Stone Pale Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Pale Ale
Escondido, California USA

Surprisingly mellow American Pale Ale with an appetizing aroma and initial taste and the finish is just as refreshing and pleasant. Excellent beer

It would have been good but the taste got it. It started strong but then finished with a lingering metallic finish.

Countless times I have overlooked this brew in favor of Stone’s IPA. Today, however, I felt drawn toward it, perhaps because the Wild Oats store was sold out of Stone IPA, perhaps because my palate has been assaulted by big IIPAs and barleywines lately and needed a little break. Anyway, the best by date on this pale ale was sometime in April, more than a month in the future, so I made my purchase with confidence. The pour revealed a reddish amber liquid with lively carbonation. I enjoyed the subtle aroma, which included hints of fruity sweetness -- more apple than citrus -- and hinted at a strong malt character. The first sip surprised me with a powerful blast of hop bitterness. Definitely a fresh bottle. With continued drinking, this bitterness settled down and achieved a very nice balance with the rest of the flavors. This is not a strong ale, but its texture never feels watery or weak. You could drink a few of these in a row and the flavors would remain interesting without becoming overwhelming. Nice APA.

Poured a slightly cloudy/hazy orange/amber color, with a nice tall head. The head was nice and tall. There was a mild hops aroma and also a mild flavor. This was a nice beer. My opinion of this beer was probably not accurate after having several stronger, better tasting beers that this one couldn’t stand up to. This one paled in comparison :)

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. A deep orange-amber color with a slightly creamy, off-white head with decent retention. The aroma is mild, mostly some citrus hops and a bit of caramel malt. Taste is dominantly bitter, particularly upon the finish, with a touch of sourness. Full, dense body with a thick mouthfeel, and average carbonation. This beer seemed to grow on me as it went.

pours a slightly hazy ruby-amber with an off-white head. aroma is hoppy, citrusy, and a little floral. taste is light bitterness, nice rounded hops, very well balanced. has some citrus and pine notes. mid-full bodied with average carbonation. crisp, refreshing bitter finish. clean, lightly sudsy mouthfeel. yum! badass session brew. this was a really nice APA, will definitely buy again if i see it.

Medium amber color with little hop aroma. Strong malt flavor with a nice hop balance. Finishes strong with a good aftertaste.

bottle from Cardoza’s. red/amber color with controlled, whispy head on pour. aroma overwhelmingly of caramel malts, with surprisingly few hops coming through for an american pale ale... i like the balance though. sweet caramel again coming through on the taste, but this time with bitter pine and citrus hops on finish. smooth, light to medium body, making this an excellent session beer.