An IPA, for IPA-lovers
Sep 04 '01
The Bottom Line No compromising on hops, alcohol or additives from these arrogant bastards. Their IPA is hoppy and delicious, while a subtle sweet malt and fruitiness offers fine balance. A must try.
Stone IPA, Stone Brewing Company, San Marcos, CA
Stone Brewing Company in San Marcos near San Diego are quickly gaining recognition among beer fans as the “arrogant bastards” of the brewing industry. Their flagship brew is Stone Pale Ale but it is the amusingly and daringly titled “Arrogant Bastard” that is grabbing the beer drinker’s attention. I have a couple of these in the cupboard and was going to write an overview of Stone Ales in one article, much as Luke (lpny216) did a few days ago.
However a couple of sips into Stone IPA and I was immediately rushing for my beer notebook. I had a 6-pack of these brews and intended to enjoy a couple before writing the review, but within a minute or two the character and flavor of this brew were writing the review for me.
IPA’s are traditionally bitter beers weighing in between 40-60 IBU’s (International Bitterness Units), and Stone certainly make no compromise at an extreme 60 IBU’s. When I say that they make no compromise, I mean that most brewers and aficionados like a bitter beer heavy in hops, but have to milden down their brews to appeal to the mass market. As the label states, “dry-hopped for an extra two weeks, this unique process gives our IPA its bountiful hop aroma and rich hop flavor.”
There’s also no holding back on the alcohol. At 6.9% ABV this is a very strong version of the style. Furthermore as a final safeguard the company employs a gargoyle as its corporate logo that “wards off modern day evil spirits such as chemical preservatives, additives and adjuncts.” If only every brewery in the USA had one of these.
Tasting Notes
This is pretty full in color with its reddish amber body, maybe indicating a little toasted malt. The foam is decent although not particularly enduring while the carbonation is very light.
The nose is instantly greeted by a fruity hop sensation, like a morning fruit punch of lemon grapefruit and pineapple. I get light signs of pale malt, again suspecting a light toastiness. There’s also a faint metallic aroma, which is sometimes the case in such heavily hopped brews.
The palate is medium bodied, impressively smooth, and the carbonation light. I did think the carbonation was a little low, but from an Englishman there are very few complaints.
The first sip hits the back of the throat with a strong but not overwhelmingly citric tang. It’s bitter for sure but there’s also some smoothness running through it. The hops are noticeable right at the tip of the palate and do provide for a nice crisp dryness throughout. The malt is slightly biscuity in the middle, and I’m still guessing toasty but to a lesser extent. What really balances out the tangy bitterness however is the pineapple I got in the aroma coming through on the palate, although I’m not sure what produces this. It kind of adds a protective smooth fruity sweetness for the more timid.
Verdict
Whoa… what an excellent IPA, bold, bitter, very definitive flavor profile and very well pronounced. It reminds of a UK commercial where a Tango (sparkling OJ) drinker would take one sip and a big fat orange guy would sneak up, slap him in the face and yell “Oranges”. The 60 IBU’s are slapping you in the face and shouting “Hops”.
It is well balanced too, with a more subtle malt and sweet fruit support for the faint of heart. I’ve not reached that point in my life yet, but this is probably the kind of beer you could enjoy for breakfast, a true citric fruit sensation, much more refreshing than a glass of grapefruit juice.
I have to give this a full-blown recommendation to hop lovers, but would even risk on pushing it towards lesser-experienced taste buds. I really do think that the biscuity malt and pineapple sweetness will help assist others in enjoying what is essentially a hop sensation.
Availability
This is a company that is still pretty much in its infancy, only 5 years old. They only list locations in San Diego, LA County and Orange County, although I did notice that they have a sales rep for Arizona too. It’s probably only a matter of time before their beers become available further afield.
Ratings
Appearance: 3/5 Aroma: 8/10 Palate: 3/5 Flavor: 10/10 Overall: 18/20 (4.2)
5 Stars
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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