Stone Pale Ale

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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.

Pours a light amber, somewhat cloudy with a nice white head that leaves good lacing. Warm floral aroma gives way to a very caramel and bready flavor that lingers into a somewhat dry finish. Could use more hops in the back end. Not Stone’s best offering, but a good APA nonetheless.

12oz. bottle - pours auburn/orange with a fluffy white head that left a tonne of lacing coating the entire glass. Really nice. Soft, delicate aroma of hops against a kind of nutty malt background. Flavour starts with a nice hit of citrusy hops, then quickly switches to a pleasant, rich malt flavour, slightly fruity, that blends perfectly toward a lightly bitter finish. Very good.

This beer starts out with a faint aroma of hops, backed up with a hint of sweetness. It pours a cloudy dark amber, with a thin white head that leaves behind good lacing. Gentle bitterness and good balance roll across the tongue when tasting this. A nice sessionable beer.

Best and hoppiest APA I’ve had yet! The pour was a beautiful dark orange with a small white head. The aroma was al malt as was the taste. However...the hops come out in the end...and in good quantity for an APA...and round the beer out nicely!

Amber color, with a floral/orange aroma. Thick mouthfeel, but it is light and refreshing in the finish. Good floral and slightly spicy hop taste, with a crisp and refreshing bitter finish. This bottle is a fow months old. I would love to try a very fresh one, but it is still very good.

fruity aroma with some sweetness.Pours amber with a white head.Very malty flavor.A little bit of bitterness in the finish.

Pours medium amber with a smallish off white head. Aroma is sweet and malty but also of citrusy hop. Taste is nice and malty as well, with a big bitter hop finish. Very good stuff.