Stone 10th Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip glass,a very thick dense creamy white head.Masses of tightly wound strings of tiney bubbles surge to the top of the glass.A light to medium coppery hue a slight cloudy appearance.A lively looking beer. Extremely tantalizing looking.A lasting head.
Smells citrusy,piney,grapefruity,caramelly,sweet,very complex the aroma makes your mouth water.
Taste piney,resiney,citrusy,grapefruity,carmelly,a warm sensastion of alcohol. An exploision of taste in your mouth.
An amazingly smooth mouthfeel,but thick and chewey in the best possible way.
This beer is so good you don't even think about its drinkability,you just want to drink it all night long. It's hard to believe it's 10% .
This is a great and unforgettable beer,a hopheads dream come true.
The balance and drinkability of this beer is amazing.
I can't believe i'm drinking this beer,I feel like i'm dreaming.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2006 06:39:36 | More by jcdiflorio

WVbeergeek

Ohio

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Body appears copper ruby roange let's just face it this is ambrosia as in amber nectar of the gods, it simply glows. Head initially forms thick coating jcdiflorio's Mad Elf chalice. Aroma: Succulent layers of grapefruit rind, ruddy earthy dirt tinges, pine cone, with apricot and mild pineapple highlights...deep sugary sweet malt base, massive amounts of specialty malts blended to bring balance to this raw unrefined hop explosion that some would argue borders a barleywine. Either way it's amazing! Taste: Thoroughly expressive on both ends of the malt and hop caracteristics, yet the equilibrium of the two is found in a harmoniously unmatched combonation, I've yet experienced in my beer drinking. Soft yet abrasive with sweet sugary alcoholic hop bursts exploding on the palate. So worthy of a Stone 10th celebration combines extreme yet completely balanced flavors. Truely raw hops include ripe apricot, bitter rinds with a multitude of citrus fruits blended with warming alcohol that was fermented out to 10 percent abv. Sticky pine erupts in the flavor to a beer that only Stone is capable of. Mouthfeel: Full syrupy body resinous flow of hop oils this one brings it all together with even smooth carbonation with a touch of alcohol burn to lively up the palate. Drinkability: Not just another double IPA trying to out do the competition...this is a true original expression of a brewmaster's talent. Yes a ton of hops and malts don't always equate to a great creation, but in this case we're nearing perfection.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2006 19:36:46 | More by WVbeergeek

zuggy9

California

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I received a 3L growler of this treasure and what a gift it was! It pours a deep rich coppery amber. Nice head retention thinning to a nice crown. The aromas that are clear are citrus and good hops. The taste is fantastic, very hoppy but not too bitter. The mouthfeel is perfection and it drinks well, and isn't hard, even with the high ABV

Serving type: growler

01-16-2007 18:57:56 | More by zuggy9

xmorgan

California

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thank you stone for being the pallet assassin!

I love big bold beers, unless I want to get something done.

A.: clouding copper

S: big fruity hints and grapefruit.

T: MMM Hops alcohol and butterscotch.

F: good annihilate all other flavors in your mouth feeling. Like you could chew raw garlic and teach a virgin how to kiss after drinking this. The Stone experience is what other tastes can we knock out of your fead.

Yes, Love it, by it and be at home, with not were to go and hit this beer. It is so aggressive, You must take a preemptive strikeQ@

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 11:24:51 | More by xmorgan

sublimesipping

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So, after an extended absence, this reviewer is back with another sublime beer to report on. Much anticipated release from the folks in San diego does not fail to dissappoint. An amazing beer with much to write home about.
Poured from the bottle into an oversized wine glass; the color of the beer is one of the more beautiful that I have seen in a long time, deep royal ruby red amber, nice silky glass lacing and head retention indicates freshness. Smells of herbs and hops a sophisitcated sweet smell that promises much and delivers. I would say that this is a like a beautiful belgian with a distinct character and bitterness of an IPA. The 10% alchohol makes its presence felt but it is not overpowering. the beer is super silky smooth and was a joy to drink on the back deck with an old friend(who drank Rolling rock- one of the last latrobe brewed bottles), OK. I love tis beer! It is SOPHISTICATED! with a capitol "S"! The profile of the beer changed as the bomber was killed over the afternoon, but unlike other reviewers the alcholol did not become edgey in my palate's estimation. Drinkability is slow relfective as it should for this sublime experience. A special occassion beer- say for an anniversary? I can't wait to age some of the case that I've luckily been able to get my hands on. Look for updates to this review in 2011 and 2016. Happy 10th Stone for a job continuously and righteously, need I say outrageously welldone! cheers! Thanks for the beer memories...

3 bottles into the case and my review hits 5s across the board. As my palate gets more finicky but also demands to have its a-- kicked this beer does it for me in spades. SIMPLY AMAZING!
Update 12-31/12:
Drank one of my last two bottles for the 10th new years married and now 10th new years in my house anticipation mounts as I wait to see how this aged. The verdict-
DELICiOUS! Now drinks like a barley wine amazing flavors of almond brandies Cherry and of course oak caramel and even peat wonderful way to ring in 2013 wonder what the abc now is...

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 23:51:23 | More by sublimesipping