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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7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
This bottle was dated August 4, 2014.
This was poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a nice looking hazy brown color with a semi-thick two finger rocky white foamy head that once it dissipated there was a really nice looking semi-thin lacing sticking and sliding into the body.
The smell had a blend of bitter citrus hops and caramel malts that empowered a sense of rebellion upon my nose. Honestly, I think my nose hairs were actually twitching - smelling this, wow how powerful.
The taste was mainly sticky bittersweet - a nice combination of the sweet caramel malts to the bitter citrus hops - wonderful and powerful.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a somewhat decent sessionability about it. The carbonation seemed fairly subdued but eloquently graced a fairly decent sharp balance of sorts to tell me this was a DIPA.
Overall, mmmm....good DIPA with a little more than a month’s age on it, I’d say this was still well done. Way to go, Stone!
This was poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a nice looking hazy brown color with a semi-thick two finger rocky white foamy head that once it dissipated there was a really nice looking semi-thin lacing sticking and sliding into the body.
The smell had a blend of bitter citrus hops and caramel malts that empowered a sense of rebellion upon my nose. Honestly, I think my nose hairs were actually twitching - smelling this, wow how powerful.
The taste was mainly sticky bittersweet - a nice combination of the sweet caramel malts to the bitter citrus hops - wonderful and powerful.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a somewhat decent sessionability about it. The carbonation seemed fairly subdued but eloquently graced a fairly decent sharp balance of sorts to tell me this was a DIPA.
Overall, mmmm....good DIPA with a little more than a month’s age on it, I’d say this was still well done. Way to go, Stone!
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Sep 2014
at 11:58
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Pours deep, clear mahogany into a tulip. Off-white pancake head with good retention recedes leaving trailing sheets. Dark caramel and resin aromas. Full with sweet hot nutty caramel bread upfront turning to citrus and resin in the lasting finish.
Tried
on 16 Sep 2014
at 16:38
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
22 oz. bottle, pours a clear golden brown with a tiny head. Aroma brings out earthy hops, candied malt, and some funky BO. Flavour is on the maltier side, with toasted caramel, nuts, and piney hops. Really weird stuff, not very well-balanced or overly pleasant in flavour mix. Stone messed this one up - not really sure what they were intending.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Sep 2014
at 23:34
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle @ home, picked up at Supermarket Liquor Fort Collins. Pours a pretty dark orangish brown appearance with a light brown head. A bit of cinnamon, brown sugar, and strong anise in the nose with pretty potent, grassy, herbal hops. Somewhat sweet flavor. Moderate bitterness. The flavor is pretty overridden by black licorice and brown sugar. Some piney hops. Herbal notes. A little twangy. Kind of strong. Ok but not my favorite.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Sep 2014
at 23:23
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to Nick. Pours a clear copper orange with small beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong pine, hemp, resin, grapefruit. Medium mouthfeel with nice fruity hop, light grapefruit, resin, bitter finish. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Sep 2014
at 20:19
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
Thistle and pineapple bouquet, honey underneath. Clear ochre, medium yellow head, some lacing. Pronounced clover honey flavor. Whole overripe grapefruit notes also present, but understated. Medium body, a little harsh and warm. Good, but not as mind blowing as I have come to expect from Stone.
Tried
on 11 Sep 2014
at 16:04
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 8/14/2014. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/copper color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, apricot, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, floral, grass, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, light roast, and floral/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of big citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; with great strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, apricot, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, floral, grass, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, light roast, and floral/toasted earthiness. Good amount of pine/grassy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, apricot, mango, lemon/orange zest, pine, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, and floral/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity and balance of big citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, crisp, and fairly creamy/sticky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent imperial Brown IPA! All around great complexity and balance of big citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/bready malt sweetness; and very smooth and crisp to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Sep 2014
at 19:23
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
On draught at Local Bar. Pours a murky reddish-brown color with a medium off-white head that diminishes steadily. Partial rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of floral hops, fruit and malt. Medium-bodied with flavors of herbal hops, citrus and roasted malt. The finish is moderately bitter with a spicy hops aftertaste. Pretty good overall.
Tried
on 10 Sep 2014
at 13:40
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
22oz bomber pours with a clear amber body that has copper hues and supports a tan head of foam. The aroma offers up malty and nuttiness and then the maltiness is lightened up somewhat spicy and earthy hops. Behind those notes I get a bit of citrus heading into a sliver of earthy tobacco. As it warms it seems to pick up a thin layer of earthy almost smoky peat. The taste begins hoppy with spicy and resiny hops that quickly pick up earthy tobacco, earthy tea and some malty nuttiness. To midway the earthy tobacco grows a tad and is joined by the addition of slivers of citrus hop flavor and floral hops. Interesting and this comes together alright.
Tried
on 09 Sep 2014
at 22:43