Stone 10th Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

Brent

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Huge hops creakily supported by a slightly syrupy malt. A hops overload is expected from this beer, and it certainly does not fail to deliver. A well-done study in excess for the consumption of hop heads (into which category I fall), but overall it is a novelty, something to be experienced more than enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2007 14:00:18 | More by Brent

alexgash

Connecticut

4.7/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Two pints worth at Ashley's on Friday the 13th during the MI Stone Release Party. Great time by the way! Thanks Stone! Dark gold edges around a glowing dark orange body. Small, persistent, off-white head. Nose is overflowing with sweet sugary malt, tropical fruits, and huge, numbing hop bitterness. Taste follows suit. Big sugary malt with complex fruitiness; tropical and rummy. Yummy. Hops come on strong; pineapple, pine, citrus, you name it! Bitterness is big, but not out of whack. Finish is warming and long and makes me want to drink more. A big beer for a big anniversary and I'm glad I got some of this. Full-bodied with a smooth, creamy feel. Here's to 10 more years!

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2006 22:39:14 | More by alexgash

blackie

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: Pours into my favorite beer glass with a fluffy, off-white head that slowly falls to a nice layer on the surface that lasts for quite awhile. Light lacing is left behind as I drain the glass. The beer is a bright copper-amber in color. Reverse label #4 of 10.

smell: At first sniff, I find a full-on hop assault of the nose. Juicy, dark, evergreen hops that lend lovely notes of tropical fruits. These hops are backed up by a sweet, malty caramel aroma. Ethanol presence is low, at most, and a boon to the aroma. Notes of tangerine, concentrated fig pulp, and vanilla iced lemon poundcake. Exceptional mix of badass hops with sweet malts and fruits.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is low-medium. The body is a full medium, somewhat slick on the tongue, though it cleans up nicely in the finish.

taste: Big, grainy caramel malt sweetness supports a thick American hop flavor. Unrelenting pulpy, dark evergreen hops coat the palate from sip to finish. Notes of tropical fruits and citrus, sweet Turkish fig sugars, and golden raisins. Sweet cake. I'm guessing the IBU's are high here, but it really doesn't come across that way. Not a drop of ethanol is noticeable. Moderate bitterness in the finish with long-lingering grain and hop flavors.

drinkability: easy, considering...though i do feel the alcohol after the first 1/3 bottle. An extremely well rounded beer for such a monster. The only DIPA I've had that can touch YuleSmith.

the "surprise" in my latest box in an ongoing exchange with dirtylou

08-22-07: Still good, but already going downhill. The malts have backed off, revealing more of the ethanol that was well hidden before. Hops still nice but also pretty faded. Past its prime for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2007 00:18:27 | More by blackie

GClarkage

California

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

10/22/06- Purchased at Ledgers Liquors in Berkeley, CA.

Presentation- 22oz bottle, Fall 2006 release. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Darker copper-amber colored pour. Full inch plus white and thick head. Very small tight knit bubbles. Patches, spots and streaks of lace left.

Smell- Sugary sweet grapefruit and pine hops. Very earthy toasted caramel malt backing. All around very nice meld.

Taste- Super caramel malt background. Perfect roasted malt flavor. Hops then explode with a nice and sweet grapefruit oil flavor. Also seems sticky sweet with a taste of pine sap. Yummo!

Mouthfeel- Thicker and sugary caramel mouth coating. Medium, maybe a bit higher carbonation level.

Drinkability- Leave it to Stone! Probably the most well rounded DIPA's I have had. It's both a malt and hop bomb. It almost tastes like a combo barleywine and DIPA. Reminds me a lot of Speakeasy Old Godfather with a bit less caramel and more flavorful hops. Quite a delicious brew. Highly recommended. I'm fortunate to have a 3 Liter of this to share in a few weeks in celebration of my first child.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 18:27:04 | More by GClarkage

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

really interesting IPA. Having with my friend Paul B. and we both note the differences between what we're drinking and the commercilal description. Hardly any piney qualities. Poured with some head and lace. Color is dark & hazy amber with cherry highlights. Aroma is a little grapefruity, some malty, rotten fruit, caramel, and grain. Wrap around the tongue body. Silky. Sweet finish. Not a session beer though. This is about 3 years old. Killler.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 02:02:55 | More by drpimento

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Cool bottle. Poured a light/medium brown nut color with a nice fluffly head. Some lacing.
Smell of hops and citrus, but not quite as strong as some other 2xIPAs i've had. Alcohol is noticeable in the nose.
Tasted of a regular IPA; hops, some grapefruit, passion fruit, some malt to balance the experience.
Felt oily and thin. Nothing special. Leaves a film and did not finish as crisp as others.
Disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2006 15:36:24 | More by Mebuzzard

merlin48

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Found this at The Keg in Clarksville, Indiana, last week. Haven't seen it in Evansville, yet. Beautiful bottle. The Stone Gargoyle has never looked better. Pouring into a large pint glass the body is a radiant orange amber. Excellent clarity, with a two finger ecru head that stays around for several minutes. Lacing is lavish and quite attractive.

Aroma is initially very hoppy, with lots of citrus. Pink grapefruit, orange, and lime zest are complimented by a solid spruce pine note. Bready malt is also noted, and reminds me of DFH 120 Minute. A hint of red apple is sensed in the background, seemingly from the malt.

Mouthfeel is a full medium. Carbonation is ideal for melding the big malts and hops here.

Lovely taste boasts big and juicy citrusy hops. Orange, tangerine, and pink grapefruit add an ideal bittersweet character. Malt character is very intriguing. Reminds me of the rounded breadiness of some of the DFH 90 or 120 Minute IPAs. Works better here. More complex than Stone Ruination or IPA. Uniquely Stone, this is a really fine DIPA. Happy Birthday Stone!

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2006 01:45:27 | More by merlin48

Vancer

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another Stone classic – those that can readily get these are indeed fortunate.

I mean, check this out: semi-hazy amber, poured hard in case the 10% tries to knock down the head. But it didn’t, got a nice ivory cap that left sticky laces. TONS of citrus, orange and hops in the aroma. Very sweet and sticky quaff, can’t believe the amount of orange in here. NO hint of alcohol, it slides oily and smooth.

Nice. Enough said, what more can you say about a superb brew>

Muchas Thanks to boolshot for sending this for my BA annv.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2007 22:09:57 | More by Vancer

Gmann

New York

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Out of the bomber. Pours a slighty hazy brownish copper color with an above average head that left awesome lacing on the glass. The smell is piney with hints of orange. Has a smokey grapefruit flavor, piney, a tad too sweet. I am on the fence on whether or not I like a sweet IPA; I think I prefer a little less sweetness. This brew does pack some flavor and noticable alcohol presence. Good feel, moderate body, the bitterness and sweetness null each other. A very good brew, a bit too sugary for my IPA preference.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 03:09:40 | More by Gmann

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Scored this 22oz bomber from Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, MA last week. No freshness dating, but the bottle says it sports commemorative label #5 of 10, with the usual, rambling soliloquy on the back (this time from Dave Dyer)... Time for some 10th....

I poured it into my Portsmouth Imperial Pint glass... clear, light copper colored, with a thin, beige head. Topping is almost an afterthought, and lacing is minimal... Aroma is heavy on hops, though some toasty malt also comes forth. Has lots of piney, resiny action here, plus hints of the heat to come (10% abv). Mouthfeel is top-shelf, with the body being a solid medium to medium-plus. 10th also has a creamy, velvety feel on the tongue. Jawohl!

Flavor has caramel lurking here and there, but comes a-calling strongly with hops. Alcohol hits hard as well, and cuts into the piney hoppage present. Flavor is rough and grainy, and also has a character akin to orange peel, and even a smidge of mint. All of this leads into a syrupy, sticky finish which has lupulins lingering on the palate. Another solid, well-made Stone offering, though the "heat" is a bit of a distraction, leading me to peg 10th a bit lower than other Stone biers.

Prosit!!

overall: 3.95
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4

935

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2006 20:32:12 | More by Bierman9

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer poured into the glass very slightly hazy medium copper with an off-white low persistent head which laced the glass.

The aroma was deeply malty with a strong caramel malt presence which was bready and almost biscuity. The hop character was lightly spicy and citrusy, but not over the top in terms of hop aroma. Some alcohol was present in the hop and malt mix.

The flavor was malty with a super strong citrus bittering which contained grapefruit, orange and a twist of lemon. The hop flavor was also piney and resinous and just a bit spicy. The malt was no slouch either with a strong caramel presence and a bready character.

The finish was dry with lasting long and strong malt and hop flavors into the aftertaste. The body was full and viscous and had a bit of a creamy mouthfeel despite the fairly low level of carbonation. Alcohol was present throughout the beer. While notable in the aroma and the flavor, it really showed what it was made of in the warming that occurred after consumption. A very nice IPA. If I secure another bottle I'll age it to see what it may become.

22 ounce bottle. Thanks BeerBeing!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2007 21:41:53 | More by GCBrewingCo

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a clear, somewhat amber, attractive beer. The head is solid, but modest. It’s got a wonderful fruity aroma…lots of citrus, pine, and wood in the aroma. The smell is certainly centered on hops, but there’s also a nice malt quality to the beer. The alcohol, surprisingly, is fairly well hidden in the smell. The taste is warming and slightly sweet. There’s a touch of hotness, but it lasts only a brief moment. Lots of hops kick in by the mid-taste. It’s surprisingly drinkable for the alcohol concentration. Fairly smooth, with a full-to-moderate body.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2007 00:12:20 | More by Suds

GbVDave

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a 20oz Imperial Pint glass.

A: Pours a very nice looking copper color. Off white one finger cap of foam that as it recedes, leaves sticky lace on the glass.

S: Big nose of caramel malt, toffee, brown sugar, raisins, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and piney hops.

T: Big whack of sweet caramel/toffee and alcohol burn right off the bat. Sweet fruit flavors take over and lead the tongue on a neat voyage towards resinous, oily, piney hops. The finish sticks to the tongue (teeth, lips, roof of the mouth,...) and alternates between sweet tropical fruits (mango, guava, pineapple) and bitter piney hops.

M: Mouthfeel seems slick and almost slimey. Strange how something described as slimey could be such a good thing.

D: Drinkability would rate higher for me if it was a little less sweet with less alcohol heat. I also believe this could use a tad more bitterness. Overall this is great but, to me, this doesn't hold a candle to Dreadnaught.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2007 19:36:58 | More by GbVDave

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle purchased way back in August 2006 when it was released. The color is orange and transparent. Smell is grapefruit, pineapple, and pine cones. The taste is very tropical fruit with sweetness and a noticeable alcohol burn. While the hops are not as explosive as they were when I first bought a case, they are still a big factor here. I think this is still holding up very well and is possibly one of my favorite brews.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2007 21:45:22 | More by ArrogantB

Floydster

California

4.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 ounce bottle from Naja's Place

Poured into a chilled pint glass with a 1/2 inch head

Amazing double IPA with some fruit accents and a strong bitter taste

Hopefully the 11th Anniversary will be as good because I have been hearing a lot of good things about it as well

Highly recommended if you can still find this one floating around somewhere

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2007 16:51:34 | More by Floydster

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Stone- 10th Aniversary

Appearance- Dark orange with a big thick head. Heavy lacing on the glass.
Smell- Strong citrus and pine hops. Slight alcohol presence too.
Taste- Big chewy pine cone and orange/ grapefruit rind hops. Alcohol eventually kicks in.
Mouthfeel- Nice and dry with a big citrus bitterness. The strong 10% alcohol kicks in at th end.

Overall- This was a very tasty IPA. The alcohol is very noticeable at the end, but otherwise a very good 1! Find it and enjoy!!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2006 20:50:22 | More by NJpadreFan

Reidrover

Oregon

3/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Nice looking brew, dark/burnt orange , slightly hazy with a lovelly thicj creamy off white head ( eggshell). Nice bitter hoppy, citric aroma, still quite fresh, so good so far. But the taste, I will have to go against the grain, its way too sweet. Yes there is a great amount of hoppiness swirling about the mouth but underlying sweetness sort of messes this up for me, it sticks to my tongue and becomes cloying, putting me off the great hopping. To cloying on the palte, too sweet. Man i really feel bad about going against the grain on this..i love most everything Stone does, but even for a Scot who likes sweet beer this was too much

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 19:23:16 | More by Reidrover

Overlord

California

4.63/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Hell of a brew. Had it fresh years ago (dimly remembered), and recall loving it, but was surprised to see bottles of this reappearing.

Pours a bright orange with hints of amber. Two inches of off-white head.

The aroma ... breathtaking. Exotic fruits (pineapple? Mango? Guava? Mandarin Orange?) and a bunch of sweet white grapefruit with ... is that malt I detect? Wow, the flavor is pretty balanced. Sweet, viscous caramel, delightful brown sugar, and a bunch of sweet grapefruit and tropical notes.

This is a splendid beer, and I'm shocked at how well it's aged. Going back and getting more. Many more. I never cellar any hop-based brews, but I'm going to make an exception. This has really gone through a barley-wine style maturation process (10% ABV?), and while it may be a different animal, it's still one I'd like to butcher and consume.

**I spotted this review after writing my own: I agree, and would like to know how the tenth was stored.

http://thefullpint.com/2008/09/09/review-stone-10th-anniversary-ale-2-years-later

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 08:15:18 | More by Overlord

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

biegaman was nice enough to share this one with me. thanks jan!

pours a light copper colour with a big, dense yellow head. head is slow to drop and leaves a nice layer of lace behind.

aroma is great. first sniff was a touch catty, but after that the other dimensions come out. fruity, orange and tangerine. just a hint of grapefruit. not piney/resiny at all. no real alcohol noticeable.

taste is great. really nice bready malt, decent bitterness level that isn't over the top, and a wonderful hoppiness. alcohol comes a bit, but well balanced. really complex, much more than the average dipa. bit of sherry/dried fruit. maybe cherry. nice.

mouthfeel is great. nice body without being overly full. good moderate carbonation level.

drinkabilty is suprisingly high. hides its 10% really well. i could easily drink a few of these, and fall over. but it's good!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2006 23:09:29 | More by grub

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed a pint last night at Concordia Ale House from "...the VERY LAST keg of Stone's 10th Anniversary in the state of Oregon..." [according to "Meet the Brewer" event posting, 12.14.06]. Certainly there can't be much left in that keg, since it's been tapped for 4 days... Tried this beer earlier in the year from a bottle and thought I'd give it another shot before it's gone for good.

A: Deep amber w/ ruby hilights with a 1 finger off-white head, which is creamy but with an unusual sheen. Glistens in the light, almost like soap bubbles. Some clinging lace.

S: Loads of hops - resinous pine - melded with sweet fruit. Something juicy and citrusy, like tangerines. Caramel malts and a zesty spice too. Other reviews have commented on their beers smelling of all hops, so I was surprised by the balance I found in my pour between hops and sweeter malts.

T: Hops tend to dominate at first - a tastebud-pounding scotch pine flavor. Then the malty sweet backbone develops and unleashes a rich caramel/grainy flavor. Some spiciness and alcohol warming in the finish. Flavors are fairly typical of other Stone beers I've had - big, bold, complex.

M: Full mouthfeel and body, active carbonation. A sticky, sweet residue is left on the lips along with a bitter and slightly yeasty aftertaste.

D: I prefered this beer on-tap rather than the bottle I tried several months ago. It's a fine tasting, bold DIPA - nicely balanced and quite satisfying. At 10% ABV, it's one to sip and savor. It has my endorsement for certain...

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2006 20:28:30 | More by msubulldog25

flexabull

California

4.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Well... needed something special for my 100th review. I think this should work fine.

Pours a clear amber color, with a nice head. A great looking beer.

Nose is sweet, a bit dusty, and citrus like. A bit different than I expected. Still a pleasant beer to smell.

This somewhat innocent looking beer really knocks you upside the mouth when you first taste it... whoa! Really bitter and pine like up front, has a sweet and tart middle, then finishes with a bit of creaminess, some alcohol making it's presence known, and then the bitterness from the hops hits you again. This is extremely well balanced for such a huge beer.

Mouthfeel is unbelievable. This is a huge well rounded beer that really coats your mouth. Almost perfect!

This is an amazing beer. It loses a few points for being a bit over the top, but I would never turn one of these down. However... I'd probably only have one per night.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2006 02:47:40 | More by flexabull

illidurit

California

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach.

Dark straw color with an orange hue to it. Dense and sticky head with massive lacing and nice retention.

As expected from an IPA made by stone, this beer smells like HOPS. Citrusy and piny, probably quite subdued compared to when it was newly released a year ago, but still strong. Doughy, thick malt aroma is also present.

Not all that hoppy in the taste, unfortunately. Age has really changed this beer. The dominant flavor now is a viscous maltiness and a kick of booze in the finish. Lots of caramel sweetness.

Thick and robust like a Stone beer is apt to be. Pretty standard for a double IPA. Pretty easy to drink for such a big beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2007 20:19:21 | More by illidurit

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this from an internet ordering website just for the heck of it. It has been aged for a while so it will have lost most of what makes it good (probably) but what the hell.

A-the color is a deep redish copper color, extremely hazy, with a thick two full fingers of an off white head that lingers for about a minute and leaves huge lacing on the glass. i couldn't ask for any more.

S-as expected, not much hops. huge notes of sweet malts with caramel and lots of caramilzed brown sugar. there is some resinous taste to this with hint of citrus hops at the very end but they are faint

T-again, the hops have faded, bit sweet malts, this is more like an american barley wine and i think i'll rate accordingly (as it is an aged high abv beer). the sweet malts are the same, lots of brown sugar, some sweet caramel, and hints of citrus towards the finish. there is also some notes of oxidation at the back

M-almost a full body, extremely syrupy, still lots of carbonation but very smooth.

D-its still pretty solid even after all this time. just no hop presense and i'm going to look at past reviews, but i'm assuming (being a stone imperial ipa) that it was a hop bomb!) cheers and this was fun!

S-

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 00:21:47 | More by cpetrone84

Boto

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bomber: This one pours an amber color. There was a fair amount of an off-white head on it. Some lacing. Strong but not overpowering piney hops is the main aroma. Some grapefruit also. The taste is quite good. Medium bodied, With some malt sweetness actually coming through. The hops are potent without being overpowering, so the sweetness was a bit of a surprise. This is quite nice. Now, how can they get this into some kind of regular production??

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2006 01:07:15 | More by Boto

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on-tap at the Liars' Club.

This IPA poured a clear, amber color with creamy, white foam that settled and clung to the glass. The smell was hoppy, but not overly so, and malty. The taste was dominated by the hops: bitter and fruity with flavors of orange and grapefruit. There was a good malty backbone to balance the hops. This was not a "hop bomb". The flavor of alcohol became more noticeable as the beer warmed . The mouthfeel was smooth and full bodied with modest carbonation feel. Very warming. The aftertaste was hoppy with some bitterness. This was a good beer, but less hoppy than I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2006 18:36:17 | More by UncleJimbo