Hopheads beware .... this beer may be brutal for even you .... you've been warned.
Beer Name - Stone 13th Anniversary Ale (Escondido, CA)
Serving Type - 22oz bottle served in a pint glass
Style - Imperial / Double Red
Availability - Brewed Once (June 2009)
Stone is absolutely one of my favorite breweries. I can honestly say that I have not once had a bad beer from them and I absolutely look forward to the anniversary ale every year. This year, for the start of their teenage years, they gave us a beer that's not only hopped ... not double hopped ... nope, they triple hopped this bad boy. Mmmmmm
The initial pour is a deep deep, did I say deep?, red. Almost to the point of it being black. There is a fantastically thick tan head (approx 1inch) that stays with you throughout the session and sticks heavily to the glass.
The aroma on the beer is amazing. With so many hops in the beer you get a very nice floral bouquet in your nose. Very big pine smells that are cut nicely with some roasted malt and citrus hints.
Now with a smell like that would expect that this beer may be on the sweeter side .... WRONG ... this beer is all hops ... about 99% of the time. You get some dryness from one hop strain ... you get bitterness from another hop strain ... then it leaves you some maltiness .... and dark fruit flavorings at the end.
Final Thoughts - Another outstanding offering from Stone in my opinion. I would recommend serving this slightly above room temperature for full flavoring potential. This beer is pretty high on the ABV scale at 9.50% so drink in moderation. Although one 22oz bottle should be enough for anyone per sitting (it's a lot of hops).
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