Japanese Green Tea IPA
(has 3 batches)
Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸
Collab with: Baird Brewing Co. / Ishii Brewing CompanyIPA - Triple Special Out of Production
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Score
7.30
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Collaborators: Bryan Baird, Brewmaster, Baird Brewing Company / Toshi Ishii, President/Brewmaster, Ishii Brewing Co. / Mitch Steele, Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co.
Our style of brewing has always been about taking chances. It’s an extension of our “What if” mentality, wherein we ask ourselves what would happen if we did things differently in the brewhouse, such as fermenting with a different strain of yeast or, in the case of this beer, incorporating whole-leaf green tea imported from Japan. The answer, embodied in this IPA when we first released it in 2011, was something truly magnificent, delicious and well worth brewing again. But what if we changed it up a bit? This time around, we exchanged Pacifica hops from New Zealand for Helga hops from Australia. The result is an IPA that’s as bright, herbaceous and bitingly hoppy as the one that’s had our fans requesting its return ever since its depletion from store shelves, but with a modern, hop-driven twist that makes this second draft unique and tasty in its own right.
Our style of brewing has always been about taking chances. It’s an extension of our “What if” mentality, wherein we ask ourselves what would happen if we did things differently in the brewhouse, such as fermenting with a different strain of yeast or, in the case of this beer, incorporating whole-leaf green tea imported from Japan. The answer, embodied in this IPA when we first released it in 2011, was something truly magnificent, delicious and well worth brewing again. But what if we changed it up a bit? This time around, we exchanged Pacifica hops from New Zealand for Helga hops from Australia. The result is an IPA that’s as bright, herbaceous and bitingly hoppy as the one that’s had our fans requesting its return ever since its depletion from store shelves, but with a modern, hop-driven twist that makes this second draft unique and tasty in its own right.
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6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to bleeng. Pours a copper gold with a small off white head that lasts awhile leaving spotty lacing. The aroma is wheat grass and floral hops. Medium mouthfeel with a bitter hop upfront with grass and light hop. A little funky with the alcohol present and a little too bitter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Aug 2011
at 17:01
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
This brew pours a slightly hazy amber-gold color with a medium off-white head that recedes steadily. Sticky rings of lacing. Aroma of floral hops, sweet tea and citrus. Medium body with a noticeable green tea character and notes of citrusy hops, caramel and mild spice. The finish is fruity with note of resiny hops and tea left over. Above average overall, another interesting collaboration.
Tried
on 19 Aug 2011
at 10:08
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Enjoyed on tap at Acre Restaurant in Chicago, IL as part of a Stone Tap Takeover...may have been my only chance to try this in the Midwest! Appearance a cloudy gold with a rich, creamy white head. Aroma of nice earthy hops, hints of sweetness, definite green tea presence, a touch of caramel malt. Taste is outrageous and just downright rude, just knowing this will be my only chance to try this. At first you’re hit with an abundance of earthy and piney hops, mixed with a citrusy sweetness which makes it a bit fruity, and in the finish the green tea turns everything into an ’ohm’ moment of clarity. As it warms some of the more malty qualities appear, also becomes a little more bitter. Also, no way this tastes like a 9% abv beer, way too smooth for that. Wish this was more readily available.
Tried
from Draft
on 16 Aug 2011
at 17:36
7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Pours a slightly hazy deep amber into a tulip. White head with medium retention recedes to skim surface. Deep pine resin, sweet tea and grapefruit aromas. Thick with sweet resin upfront, thinning to green tea before the lasting grapefruit finish.
Tried
on 13 Aug 2011
at 14:23
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Pours very hazy burnt orange color with off white head. Strong citrus aroma with some bread and a hint of tea leaves. Bitter grapefruit rind and herbal flavor with a touch of tea and slight mintiness. Some spiciness. Medium body with average carbonation. It’s a bit different than your usual IPA but a decent brew.
Tried
on 10 Aug 2011
at 19:50
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle at RBESG Grand Tasting, held at Dean Swift. Thanks to Chuwy for this one. Aroma is tea, green hops, creamy, malty. Deep orange gold color. Sweet, malty, citric flavor, with green tea,, good hops. Dry and astringent with nice hop bitterness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Aug 2011
at 22:13
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
33 cL bottle. Pours cloudy yellow with a small off-white head. Aroma is fruity and light herbal hoppy. Fruity, citrusy, peachy and crisp tea like. Bitter, mild sweet and crisp hoppy. Bitter and smooth fruity finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Aug 2011
at 08:57
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Pours a nice amber that starts sorta cloudy but very fine sediment quickly settles out. Small off-white head. Aroma is pineapple, mango, kiwi, pine resin, honeysuckle, caramel and a very floral green tea note. I wish the green tea was stronger because I’m mostly getting a standard pine resin tinged with tropical fruits and backed up by caramel IPA smell. Taste has more tea presence, but it’s mostly felt as a tannic note in the finish. Otherwise, the flavor is mildly dry with a big pine resin bitterness. Mouthfeel is pretty standard for an IPA, except for those tannic edges. It’s a decent DIPA, but I wish that they had tried to push the boundaries a bit more. The green tea flavor is mild compared to the big hop presence.
Tried
on 02 Aug 2011
at 22:16
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Beverages 4 Less in Santee, CA. Pours hazy amber gold with a creamy/foamy near white head. Aroma is spicy herb over light caramel. Med+ body. Flavor is actually suggestive of tea, and not that black fermented stuff, but it is more spicy and floral/citrus. With a slight pause a herbal tea sort of flavor kicks in. There’s a lot going on - it’s like a revolving flavor palate. In the end I think it’s identifiably tea as the major flavor component. How strange this is.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Aug 2011
at 19:10