18th Anniversary IPA
Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸
IPA - Imperial / Double Special Out of Production|
Score
7.18
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The Hoppiest Golden-Brown IPA on Earth
As we compose the text for this celebratory beer—a golden‐brown India pale ale dry-hopped exclusively and abundantly with El Dorado hops—we stand ready to leap from the precipice of all we know into a new era for our company, our beers and, most importantly, our fans. It’s one that will see us exploring new territory, both geographically and creatively, as we evolve from pacesetters for the American craft brewing movement to cross‐planetary champions of the worldwide cause of craft, hoisting our banner to proclaim artisanal beers’ vast superiority over stripped‐down, business-driven, industrialized, fizzy yellow mediocrity. We thank you for shadowing us for the first 18 years of our journey, and welcome you to join us for next leg and all that follows.
Several iterations of this beer were created before we settled on this recipe. Using a small amount of English Brown Coffee Malt in a double IPA seemed like an interesting idea to me, and was inspired in part by the success we had brewing Aleman/Two Brothers/Stone DayMan Coffee IPA and The Alchemist/Ninkasi/Stone More Brown Than Black IPA. The malt character is rich and complex, with hints of cocoa and coffee that don’t interfere with the hop intensity. We used one of our favorite new hop varieties, El Dorado, 100 percent in the dry-hop stage, which provides a distinctive lemony character in the aroma and taste.
As we compose the text for this celebratory beer—a golden‐brown India pale ale dry-hopped exclusively and abundantly with El Dorado hops—we stand ready to leap from the precipice of all we know into a new era for our company, our beers and, most importantly, our fans. It’s one that will see us exploring new territory, both geographically and creatively, as we evolve from pacesetters for the American craft brewing movement to cross‐planetary champions of the worldwide cause of craft, hoisting our banner to proclaim artisanal beers’ vast superiority over stripped‐down, business-driven, industrialized, fizzy yellow mediocrity. We thank you for shadowing us for the first 18 years of our journey, and welcome you to join us for next leg and all that follows.
Several iterations of this beer were created before we settled on this recipe. Using a small amount of English Brown Coffee Malt in a double IPA seemed like an interesting idea to me, and was inspired in part by the success we had brewing Aleman/Two Brothers/Stone DayMan Coffee IPA and The Alchemist/Ninkasi/Stone More Brown Than Black IPA. The malt character is rich and complex, with hints of cocoa and coffee that don’t interfere with the hop intensity. We used one of our favorite new hop varieties, El Dorado, 100 percent in the dry-hop stage, which provides a distinctive lemony character in the aroma and taste.
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4.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 2
Overall 3.5
Mad mex, nice place. Smell is a tad volatile and sweet. Slightly darker than a pale lager and just as clean. Taste has some saddle in ther. Yes, unque. Flavory is more leather as the session continues. Wants to punch you int mouth but does not.
Tried
from Draft
at
Mad Mex (Robinson Township)
on 13 Nov 2014
at 15:58
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A lightly hazed dark amber ale with a thin mocha head. In aroma, sweet fruity caramel malt with light nutty notes, light coffee, floral hops, nice. In mouth, nutty caramel malt with light grassy floral hops, green hops, light butterscotch, OK. On tap at Syracuse Beer fest November 2014.
Tried
from Draft
on 07 Nov 2014
at 14:38
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Shared by Ray from a bottle picked up at CBB. It pours a reddish-brown with a light beige foamy head. Wow it has a big juicy orange aroma. The taste is a sharply bitter citrus & malty caramel. Not complex but pleasing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2014
at 05:27
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Location: 22 oz bottle from Superstar - Huntington, 10/17/14, Bottled 8/21/14
Aroma: It has a tropical/citrus aroma, some sweet malts, a little toffee, and vegetal notes
Appearance: A murky dark orange-brownish color with a thick froth of beige head and plenty of lace
Flavor: The taste is along the same lines as the nose but just feels slightly lacking somehow
Palate: Drinks pretty cleanly, the alcohol is well hidden, with a smooth feel, and a soft carbonation
Overall Impression: There's something about the hops that just don't quite hit the spot in this beer, it's a minor flaw, but one that definitely impacts the enjoyability of this beer. I have to take a little off the overall score for that.
Aroma: It has a tropical/citrus aroma, some sweet malts, a little toffee, and vegetal notes
Appearance: A murky dark orange-brownish color with a thick froth of beige head and plenty of lace
Flavor: The taste is along the same lines as the nose but just feels slightly lacking somehow
Palate: Drinks pretty cleanly, the alcohol is well hidden, with a smooth feel, and a soft carbonation
Overall Impression: There's something about the hops that just don't quite hit the spot in this beer, it's a minor flaw, but one that definitely impacts the enjoyability of this beer. I have to take a little off the overall score for that.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Oct 2014
at 12:50
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle: Deep golden color topped with a finger of white head. Nose is modest with florals, bits of pine, and earthy. There is a floral hops presence in the taste, but it’s subdued in a way. Caramel and bready malts, somewhat grassy and earthy. Moderately bitter, but the malt bill counterbalances. Different for sure; glad I don’t have to pick the style on this one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Oct 2014
at 18:32
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle. Clear amber with a frothy, off-white head, diminishing. Aroma of caramel, toasted grain, light licorice, herbs, citrus and tea. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. It finishes lightly sweet and moderately bitter. Medium body, watery/sticky texture, moderate carbonation. Taste of resin, pine, herbs, licorice. Muddled, resinous finish with tastes of tea, bread and licorice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Oct 2014
at 13:53
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
30th September 2014
Craft Clerkenwell. Bottle tasting. Clear amber beer, goods pale cream colour head. Palate is airy with decent fine carbonation. Fluffy airy malt base, trace of cream. Nice juicy marmalade but light. Good spicy pine. Tangerine marmalade and mild hop skunk. Light finish. Very light and drinkable DIPA.
Craft Clerkenwell. Bottle tasting. Clear amber beer, goods pale cream colour head. Palate is airy with decent fine carbonation. Fluffy airy malt base, trace of cream. Nice juicy marmalade but light. Good spicy pine. Tangerine marmalade and mild hop skunk. Light finish. Very light and drinkable DIPA.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Oct 2014
at 09:09