Stone 10th Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

younger35

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received this in a trade with JohnGalt1. I gave him a few FFF’s and Victory brews and he gave me this and an Abyss. What a guy! Comes in a really really cool looking bottle with half of a book written on back by Mr. Koch. Drank out of my Bear Republic pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a dark orangeish red with a bit of chill haze. Big billowy two finger off yellow head that slowly recedes leaving a nice big cap and collar. Decent lacing follows the beer down the glass and the beer because much more clear as it warms.
Smell- Lots of deep fruity hoppiness that seems to almost jump out of the glass. Very pungent and piney with huge bursts of grapefruit, pineapple, orange, tangerine and apricot. The alcohol is very very strong as well allowing only peaks of a thin, caramel/toffee malt to show. Doesn’t really matter though, the hops are the focus and they shine.
Taste- Smooth as silk with nothing obtrusive or harsh. A bit more malt is allowed to show on the palate than in the nose. It’s sweet but could maybe be a bit sweeter for just a touch more balance. Alcohol is prevalent but so are the hops! Big earthy waves of piney bitterness that slowly works to citrus and touches of dark fruits. Lots of orange, lemon and grapefruit round everything out nicely.
Mouthfeel- Oily and slick with nice medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. Lots of warming from the alcohol.
Drinkability- Overall I think this is a pretty decent IPA that I enjoyed for the most part. The nose was fantastic and deceiving in what was to come. I think I thought it was going to be a bit better than it was, 1. Because of the nose and 2. Because of the great things I’ve read. I’d take Ruination over this any day but it’s still a quality brew. Thanks again to JohnGalt1!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2007 17:44:36 | More by younger35

barefootbrewer

Mississippi

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a burnt orange color with a thick rocky head – decent lacing. The aroma is strong of malt and hops. The taste is initially sweet from malt followed by noticeable hop bitterness. Wow! This is a wonderfully balanced beer with a strong hop flavor that is supported well by the malty sweetness. The mouthfeel is full and compliments the beer. It is easy to drink with enough character to make it quite impressive!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2007 23:27:34 | More by barefootbrewer

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A – Poured a very dark and hazy amber, I would almost call it a hazelnut brown but not quite. Just a very deep orange. Nearly opaque from all the haze and sediment in it. Ample carbonation was visible in the form of streams of bubbles that were churning up towards the top and then being condensed into a tight two inch foam head. Very sticky and frothy and leaving behind a ton of lace, this one gradually faded down and left behind a thin film on top and copious concentric rings along the sides. Very full look.



S – Aroma was very very hoppy, which was exactly what I had been expecting. Unrelenting aroma of orange peel and lemon were by far the most dominant here. These gradually melded in with the more sweet notes that started to percolate through and rounded it out nicely with a good touch of malts. Very well rounded flavor I must say. Extremely well put together and just the right amount of bitterness on the nose. No hint at all at the ABV lying within.



T – Wow, now this was one very big brew! From the first sip it was obvious I was going to be in for a hurtin here. This was a full out attack against my taste buds, but defiantly in a good way. Huge explosion of citrus and pine resin just gets you right from the start. Lots of ABV defiantly present here, no where near overpowering, or objectionable, but there was no way you did not know it was there. Big sugary notes start to follow in an attempt to balance out the bitterness, which actually works quite well and changes this one from a mouth ripper to something a tad more drinkable. Great dry finish with a huge long lingering taste. This was a very mean IPA, and I loved it so.



M – Great full mouthfeel. Lots of carbonation which stayed around till the very end and really helped in breaking up some of the thickness and keeping it from getting the syrupy kinda texture. Nice and easy going down, almost too easy as this was really starting to catch up to me by this point. This was a good sipper, and excellent late nighter.



D – Again this was defiantly a sipper but was soo yummy I started to treat it like it was a little more then that, and once half the bottle was gone, I knew I was gonna be in trouble. Probably should have been sharing this one but it was too late so I just pushed on and finished, boy did I regret that the next day.





Overall what can I say, this was just really really good. A huge double IPA and a Stone Anniversay ta boot. A fantastic brew here. I had waited along time to get ahold of this and I was defiantly not disappointed. This was everything I had hoped it would be. A big, really big brew that accurately reflects what the boys ofver at Stone are doing. If you can get it, go for it. Me I am gonna go nail down some 11th anniversary now so it wont be so hard next year!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2007 02:32:19 | More by mikesgroove

franksnbeans

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poures a burnt orange with a cream colored head that settles slowly leaving a thick ring of lace. Smells of many different juicy hops, big pineapple and some sweet malt. Tastes of piney, juicy hops with big pineapple and a nice sweet malty balance to finish. Not the hop bomb I was expecting but very delicious anyway. Medium in the mouth with good carbonation. ABV isnt even close to feeling how it should except for the warmth from the alcohol. A delicious brew and a must try. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 01:16:08 | More by franksnbeans

dfillius

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After having this beer many times, I believe it was the best the first time I tasted it. The delicate floral nature of the hops deteriorated after storage, though I should note that I stored it at higher temperatures than recommended (80-90 degrees at times).

The following is from after storing it:
A: Orangey-red, cloudy. Fine, limited head
S: Cantaloupe, sweet. Pinene from hops; perfumey
T: aftertaste of alcohol

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 00:17:02 | More by dfillius

TexIndy

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 650ml bottle into a pint glass. Back of bottle had a story from a Stone worker about working at the brewery (label #8 of 10). It was an orange amber and very opaque in the center. It had a small head but I think it was still a little too cold when I poured it which hurt the size. The aroma was hoppy, piney and fruity. Also could get a little hint of the ABV within. The taste followed the smell. It was pretty good but had more of a sweet finish instead of a bitter hop bite that is common in the style. This one is just past the 1yr mark so it probably has mellowed quite a bit. The mouthfeel was good with good balance of carb. Overall, it's a damn good beer that has held up well. Wish I had gotten to try it sooner and gotten more of the hop bite but still highly recommend as is. (4, RR, T, Y)

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2007 01:49:04 | More by TexIndy

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

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

burnstar

Pennsylvania

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

Shared a bomber of this at Zenos a while back- review from notes. Beer pours a nice deep gold/orange with a persistant head. Aroma is sweet, with lots of citrusy hops. Taste is quite sweet. Really powerful malt backbone here. Tons of hop character- nice citrus and pine flavor. A bit of alcohol is noticable. Some fruit notes. Very lush and complex. Creamy, syrupy mouthfeel. A very good beer. I had high expectations for this beer given the strength of Stone's other offerings and the magnitude of the 10th anniversary event. This definitely met, if not exceeded, my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2007 03:19:50 | More by burnstar

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The hounds seem to know when this yearly release will be good. The last two years, I could have bought cases and cases of the stuff. This year, I had to go far out of my way to obtain one bottle of the nectar. As it usually goes, the quicker it disappears the better it is. And this year is phenomenal.

Out of the precious bottle comes a slow-glugging liquid and head production, owning to its high-gravity. Streamy ruby-copper. Not so pale, but a great ghastly cling arises.

Nose is cheery and overflowing with hops; peachy, gummy, hop-candy. Like the best IPAs, this one seems to be the aroma personification of an actual hop-plant.

Taste is a mouth-numbing flash of goo-sugar (par for the Stone big-IPA course) heat, and tangy-citrus. Liquified hop-perfume.

Lingering bitterness clashes with the close-to-barleywine goo-slick. One bomber disappears quickly and administers proper brain-damage. I bet I would have bought many bottles of this had I been able to. As it stands, a great hat-tip for a great 10 years.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 00:06:40 | More by GreenWBush

umustdrink

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to MiScusi for this special treat

A - Very dark peachy orange color, very hazy. Offwhite head starts out fluffy then fades to a rocky, thick quarter inch head. Lacing is average.

S - Rich toasty peppery malts complimented by a nice citrusy, slightly piny, hop. I know this beer may be past it's hoppy prime but still has a good deal of fragrant hops.

T/M - Starts out an almost thick consistency with a very oily hoppiness. Hoppiness becomes very defined: still very oily, very piny but slightly sweet and accompanied by a very present but not overpowering alcohol. After the intense hops reside, a warming alcoholic bready maltiness, much like a barleywine, finishes off. The finish is a citrus hoppiness with a spicy malt and an almost creamy texture. Carbonation was medium, working well with the beers complex flavors.

D - Now this is a double IPA. Exceptionally complex and nearly equally drinkable, but does have a definite alcoholic presence. I'm sure it would be awesome fresh, but old it's still pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2007 02:14:32 | More by umustdrink

ski271

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Zeno’s in State College, PA
A: Attractive mahogany with a small, foamy, off-white, slowly diminishing head
S: Earthy malts and piney hops are quite inviting. A little floral.
T: Woodsy and smooth. Some dark fruit, caramel, brown sugar and a hint of pepper and alcohol. Dry, piney finish
M: Medium-full body, texture is lightly syrupy up front, finishing dry. Low carbonation
D: Great balance, great flavors. I really enjoyed this one and would buy this again for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2007 20:52:24 | More by ski271

genog

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Recently acquired this beer and thought I should give it a try since the 11th anniversary is coming up soon.
Pours a dark golden quasi redish color with a large and fluffy 2inch white head. The head disappears in a minute leaving a thin white layer with lacing that sticks all around the side of the glass. The smell is all hops, all the time. A delicious, hoppy aroma that I wish I could have smelled a year ago. The taste is delicious. All kinds of hoppy goodness, and a caramel maltyness.

Very good beer from a great brewery. Look forward to the 11th Anniversary.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2007 02:41:30 | More by genog

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to cmaruschak for sharing. The beer is a clear orange-amber color with a thin ivory-colored head that stays for a bit. Thin spotty lacing on the whole glass. Piney hops aroma that has floral and citrus notes here and there. Rich and smooth mouthfeel with a nice sweet malt base that props up a juicy, resiny hops flavor. Sweet fruit (peaches) shows up at times too. As with most Stone beers, the complex flavor profile does not affect drinkability at all. The finish is hoppy with a good malt base. Overall this beer seems to fall somewhere between a normal and double IPA. While not solidly in either category, it is still a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2007 20:48:11 | More by Dogbrick

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served at about 40F from a silkscreened amber bomber.

Pours a rich orange color with a big, light tan head leaving plenty of lacing.

Nose is huge with resiny hops, hard to pick anything out since it is so complex. As it warms in the glass, fruity and citrusy aromas arise.

Flavor is dominated by the hops. Unbalanced in favor of the hops, great for a hop head who finds barleywines too big. As it warms, caramel aroma sneaks in.

Mouthfeel and drinkability are excellent. This is a big beer that goes down easy.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2007 03:50:15 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

bobhits

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Lots of bubbles, great head, great color.

smell. Lots of citric hops.

Taste. nearly perfect balance of hops and malt. A bit more alcohol flavor than I would like, but very good. Sadly age will mellow the hops AND the alcohol which will make for a different beer, but most likely not a better one.

Mouth. Smooth, silky. A bit of alcohol harshness that takes away from perfection (at 10% this comes as no surprise)

A bit heavy and the bitterness of the beer does make you think twice about drinking it quickly. It's not a sipper by any means but something you'll nurse for a while. I'm not sure what they wanted out of this, but since we only get one shot at this beer it probably is best to savor it.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2007 04:30:01 | More by bobhits

macster

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours into the snifter a slightly hazy amber-orange color. Props up a 1/2" bone white head with admirable retention throughout the glass. Some minimal spotty lacing noted.

As with most Stone ales the hops are king here. Crisp, tangy citrus and pine aromas waft up immedaitely to greet the nose. Some faint supportive notes of vanilla, flowers and light malts are in the background.

Mouthfeel is fairly full-bodied and pleasantly creamy, smooth and round.

Initial sip is all hops to the forefront. Lots of orange/grapefruit rind, pine needles and tropical fruits with a hefty lip-smacking bitterness. However, an appreciative appearance of semi-sweet caramel apple and malt cereal sweetness sneaks in to balance the hop blast out a bit.

Finishes long, dry and cleanly bitter. In addition it is very hard to believe this is a 10%’er in the alcohol dept. It’s hidden beyond belief. An easy one going down at 10% for sure!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 04:57:14 | More by macster

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

ncm45

West Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a few of these when they came out and have but one left.

Appearance: Poured a darker amber color - very appealing.

Smell: The smell was immediately there and was very inviting. Hops and a strong citrus smell are very apparent.

Taste: Flavor is excellent with the hoppy and citrus really grabbing you. Well done though - you feel like you're getting everything out of this beer without getting overwhelmed or lost.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and agreeable.

Drinkability: For such a strong beer (10%) it drinks very well and you don't feel overwhelmed by it. Probably one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2007 02:41:57 | More by ncm45

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to BeerTruth for this one.

Pours a beautiful amber, good clarity and a fluffy one finger buttercream colored head. Lacing and retention are both excellent with lots of stick on the sides of the glass and a constant thin film on top.

Smell is sweet, malty and very hoppy. Lots of herbal hops, very fragrant, also a bit of citrus and a nice underlying caramel malt aroma. There is alcohol in the nose, as well. Taste is basically the same and is very smooth and well balanced. Hops are not overly bitter and are checked perfectly by sweet caramel malts. Very fruity and just delicious. I don't get much alcohol in the taste even though it was present in the nose.

Mouthfeel is full bodied, very slick and creamy. Also very smooth, though, and overall it's a fantastic DIPA that is highly drinkable, although the alcohol limits the drinkability obviously. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2007 00:59:23 | More by number1bum

orbitalr0x

Illinois

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

From notes. 22oz bomber. Pours a copper orange hue that's quite dark. A nice half inch of light tan head on top as well. Looks great in the glass with good clarity. Aromas burst out of the glass with an onslaught of thick hop oil fumes. Pine aromas intertwine with massive citric/tropical notes. I get a big pineapple/mango aroma off this brew. Smooth caramel malts underneath. Quite simply a beautiful, enticing aroma that makes it hard for me to put my glass down.

First sip brings a rush of hop oils right off the bat along with a velvety smooth caramel maltiness. A superb hop profile with a mix of pine resin and vibrant tropical, citrus flavors. A touch of pineapple surfaces again. Flows down with a touch of alcohol and a big, bold bitterness that is to be expected. A massively tasty brew that brings the hops without remorse. Yum.

Mouthfeel is big and very smooth & creamy with just enough carbonation. The big alcohol is very well masked, making this one hell of a tasty, drinkable DIPA. I really wish I had more of this and I will keep my fingers crossed that this gets brewed again someday. One of the best DIPA's to cross my lips.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2007 23:42:45 | More by orbitalr0x

shivtim

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass, a nice dull copper color with a big off-white head. Good lacing as you drink it. Nose is heavy on hops and sweet fruit. Taste is more hops and a whole citrus field- mostly grapefruit and lemon. Malts come in the middle, but are surrounded by hops. There's a sweet stickiness to the finish, almost like a barleywine. Mouthfeel is just about right for a DIPA, and drinkability is great considering it's 10%. You don't taste the alcohol at all.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2007 22:09:01 | More by shivtim

delicious

Vermont

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

Poured out of a 20 fl. oz. bottle adorned with commemorative label #1 of 10.
Hazy copper body beneath a foamy off-white head.
Ton of hops in the nose. Citrus, leafy, spicy hops with a bready background.
It tastes like a warm and bitter mouthful of fresh hops. There isn't an overwhelming rush of hop bitterness; it holds a strong presence indeed, but it doesn't deliver a militant blow to the tastebuds, and nor does the alcohol. Instead they both come in smoothly, warming the cockles pleasantly with glowing coals rather than combusting them as ten percenters are want to do. As the beer warms and breaths, some malt character comes out, sweetening it ever so slightly.
Anyone who loves to sip warm hoppy beers should put in the extra effort to find this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2007 04:24:47 | More by delicious

jerrymiller

Nevada

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

Pours a deep orange hint of maroon. Leaves a thin tan head that disappears quickly. The aroma is fantastic, hoppy, citrusy, slight alcohol presence.
The hops in this brew dominate as this is a big IPA. The alcohol in this brew is pretty subtle but by the end of the bomber, I felt its presence clearly.
The finish is smooth and grapefruity. Malt presence is evident, but not overly strong.
Great beer, can't buy enough…

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2007 17:50:26 | More by jerrymiller

largadeer

California

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Clear copper, darker than you'd expect an IPA to be, with a substantial blanket of foam on top.

S: Tropical and citric fruits combine with hops and alcohol for a pretty interesting aroma.

T: An extremely fruity, sweet entry becomes more citric and eventually finishes with intensely bitter hops and a slight alcohol kick.

M: Thick, slightly oily and chewy and with moderate carbonation - this is probably the heaviest IPA I've ever had.

D: Even for the style this is pretty heavy, boozy stuff. Not something I could drink a lot of.

A subtle beer it's not, but it has a remarkably complex, layered character. I generally prefer my DIPAs less sweet and fruity, but despite not necessarily matching my criteria for a perfect beer I have to give it points for being unique.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2007 21:16:07 | More by largadeer