Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

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95
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3,404 Ratings

THE BROS
94
exceptional
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rAvg: 4.25
pDev: 10.59%
Reviews: 1699
Hads: 1705

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Brewed by:
Stone Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Black Ale | 8.70% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (1474), on-tap (185), growler (25), cask (15).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (86) | Reviews (242) | Events (2)

Reviews

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Reviews by Manoftyr:

Manoftyr

New York

3.88/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance-Pours a rich dark brown into the glass and a sumptuous light tan head rises leaving very sticky lace all along the sides as it ever so slowly recedes. This is something of a lace monster leaving super-chunky lace all along the sides which is extremely impressive given its ABV, Stone rarely disappoints.

Aroma-Clean, fresh, rich west-coast hops dominate the aroma with a strong piny, woody scent followed by a smell of sharp citrus fruits; I can detect, tangerine, lemon, orange most outstandingly. The fruity hoppiness give way to an undercurrent of malts that smell reminiscent of sticky toffee on towards the finish. This beer has a really wonderful aroma.

Taste-The first thing that assails the palette are the hops and burnt malt and...unfortunately that's it. I hate to say it but the flavor is a little underwhelming, it almost tastes as though they were trying to balance the dark malt and the hops a little 'too' much and ended up watering down both flavors. The hops could be tweaked a bit to give it more of that grapefruit/citric character and the malts turned up to get more of that dark chocolate taste which would make this beer really amazing. It's still a good beer, just not as good as what I've come to expect from Stone and what could potentially be an amazing beer.

Mouthfeel-The mouthfeel is quite nice, thick and rich; just like it should be.

Drinkability-Decent, it's not up to Stone's usual standards though; it's a tad of a chore to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 01:26:58 | More by Manoftyr

More User Reviews:

Ctrauty

Minnesota

3.75/5 rDev -11.8%

05-20-2013 01:42:18 | More by Ctrauty

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5 rDev -5.9%

05-19-2013 23:22:31 | More by drgonzo2k2

cbaker1985

Ohio

4.5/5 rDev +5.9%

05-19-2013 22:10:22 | More by cbaker1985

CASK1

Florida

4.64/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured to a Sam Adams "perfect pint" glass.

A - nearly opaque black with a hint of ruby highlight if held up to the sunlight. Tan head with decent staying power.

S - Hops dominate with a complex blend of citrus, pine, and herbal/woody aromas. Low roast malt in the background with hints of coffee and bitter chocolate. I also get some licorice. Very inviting.

T - Hop forward, but nicely balanced. Lots of piney, woody hops that linger all the way through the finish. Bitterness comes up fast and lingers into a long finish. Roast malt supports the hops, but stays in the background. Hints of coffee and burnt toast.

M - Medium-light body and medium high carbonation combine for a highly drinkable beer. Dry finish with some dark malt astringency. Very low alcohol warmth - very well hidden.

O - I seem to have a love-hate relationship with this style, and this one is definitely on the "love" side. I love the complex, dominant hop profile, but the roast malt supports the hops just right for the style. This beer reinforces Stone as a go-to brewery for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 20:44:18 | More by CASK1

cp45

New Jersey

3.75/5 rDev -11.8%

05-19-2013 19:11:29 | More by cp45

ShawnMH

Indiana

3.75/5 rDev -11.8%

05-19-2013 15:35:53 | More by ShawnMH

SonOfKyuss

Virginia

3/5 rDev -29.4%

05-19-2013 14:51:17 | More by SonOfKyuss

jdhowe

California

4.48/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

22oz bottle, Enjoy by 08/08/13 (not clearly printed, so it's possible this isn't the date).

A: Pours a deep brown (very minimal light passes through the edges, revealing a deep brown color, but otherwise it's black) with 1 1/2 fingers of foamy mocha head. Plentiful lacing down the glass.

S: All hops. Piney, earthy hop aromas predominate, followed by light alcohol.

T: Strong hop bitterness, a sweet malty backbone filling out the flavor profile, with coffee and roast flavors on the finish. The coffee was undetectable on the nose for me, and is a truly pleasant surprise.

M: thick, oily, and moderate carbonation. This coats the mouth and stays long after the sip.

O: I am very impressed by this beer. While I am far from a huge fan of Stone, this is definitely one of the best beers I've had by them, right up with Espresso IRS and Enjoy By. I would not hesitate to have this beer again, and I will probably purchase it again if I am in the mood for a black IPA-type beer, which is really what this reminds me of. If Hop in the Dark were available year-round, this would have a bit more contest, but as it is, this may become the go-to for me in its style.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 06:43:03 | More by jdhowe