Stone Pale Ale

Cask gravity at GBBF 2007. Amber, bubbly beige head. Subtle rather nice hop aroma. However, doesn’t do a huge amount in the mouth malt wise, even watery. Fragrant. Flowery. It’s just a little disappointing in the mouth. Nice though, good flowery hop.

Bottle split with BossHossBikes. pours a lighter amber hue, though on the darker side of APA’s. A little white head forms. Lacing is spotty after a good swirl. The nose is less hoppy than I was expecting. Really, given the Stone philosophy, I was envisioning a straightforward lightly malty brew with some generous citrus leaning bitterness. I get more in the way of apples, wood, and melon in the nose. Flavor has strong suggestions of wood, hints of apples, caramel, and oranges. This is not all that bitter. The profile has some nods to an English Pale imho, but has the foundation of a standard American pale. This one is pretty mellow all around. It is cool that they tried something just a bit different here, but I can’t say it was my favorite Stone brew.

12 oz bottle pours a chill hazed orange amber body with a creamy beuige head. Toffee and caramel malt aroma with a fruity hop backing of orange and pink grapefruit. Medium body is supported by a smooth carbonation. Sweet fruity notes of orange and melon blend nicely with the grapefruity hop bitterness. Seems like an ideal balance of Stone’s 10th anniversary and Ruination.

12oz bottle. Pours a pretty, cloudy orange color with a large, compact off-white head. Balanced aroma. Notice the malts first. Strong presence with a sweet, honeyed aroma. Some subtle citrus type hops lurk underneath but do not stick out too much. Banana. Almost a wheat beer type aroma buried down there somewhere. Light bodied, sweet, honey, not much bitterness or hop taste. Balanced, refreshing, drinkable and thirst quenching. Easy drinking. Not too much character and not one of Stone’s best or one of the better examples of the style but highly drinkable. Not bad.

Not my favorite stone, I was pretty disappointed. Too much of a fruity aftertaste for me, over seemed a little flat tasting.

Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - GBBF 2007. A dark copper coloured beer. There are ops in the aroma but they are suprisingly subdued and don’t stand out from most of the UK beers at the fest. The taste has some grapefruit flavours in the mouth from the hops, and some biscuity malts. All quite thin and dull for a Stone beer, but still tasty.

Cask at GBBF ’07. Amber colour with a sweet nettly hop aroma. Sweet fruity taste. Some bitterness. Very pleasant, easy drinking beer.

12ozer. typical ipa smell. strong flavor of carbonated hops. smooth after taste. dark ruby brown color. strong thick head. amazing