Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great black color, mostly clear, with a lingering swirling head and nice lacing.

I could smell the delicious hops even as they had just set my glass on the counter. Absolutely terrific, with lush smelling citrus and fruity hops, and a good malty backbone.

Taste is off the charts with deliciousness! Rich dark malts are balanced with oily, pungent hops, along with some piney grapefruit flavors. For a black ale, it's a lot like an IPA.

Feel is tangy and bitter, with a medium body and plenty of carbonation.

On tap this stuff is outstanding, just as it is in bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 17:56:18 | More by AlCaponeJunior

BrainDad

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Hopcat in GR. Except for the bitter element of the hops being a bit too harsh, this is an exemplary Black IPA. The nose is what really gets me. It has that rich, earthy, citrusy hop aroma reminiscent of Founder's Double Trouble (as a reference).

Color is a rich, ruby black. Seems a bit thin on the tongue at first but really rolls off nicely. A nice head to start with good lacing as I work down the glass. I could really drink a lot of this on a hot summer day. That's where the bitterness really pays off!

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2011 21:42:30 | More by BrainDad

smakawhat

Maryland

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso Dupont into a tumbler.

Great light cocoa brown chocolate like head that is foamy. Cloudy dark brown body with red character. Just like it's bottle cousin, some good lacing while drinking too.

Hop citrus orange and grapefruit but muted, seems oily, sharp but still tiny and muted, I'll say it's slightly bigger than out of the bottle.

Taste is a little more varied briefly, first a quick sugar of milk chocolate disappearing with hop and grapefruit bitter. Aromatics of oil and citrus fruit on the finish, extremely fruity it never lets up.

A little more dynamic, but mostly just more powerful on tap and still a good example of this style. Can't go wrong with it at all.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2011 22:28:35 | More by smakawhat

Gehrig

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on tap at The (Brilliant) Blind Pig.

Deep black ale with dark ruby trim when held to the light, with two fat fingers of creamy, light tan foam. Excellent duration, ample lacing, and a terrific looking beer. The aroma is magnificent, lush with citrus smell, pine, chocolate and caramel malts. Orange, pineapple, and some lemon fill the nose, making this a surprisingly hop-forward Black Ale with ample malt, as the taste attests. Exceptional smell, nothing short.

The taste is magnificent, very well-rounded, and packed with rich, durable flavors. The first part, especially given the hop content, is surprisingly malt heavy, loaded with chocolate with a hint of roasted coffee bean. Citrusy hops and some pine emerge with a little warmth, adding some sweetness. Fabulous, all the more so because, combined with some appreciable hop grit, this is is eminently smooth, creamy, amply effervescent, and thoroughly enjoyable. This doesn't allude to 8.7% ABV whatsoever, too easy on the palate, too accessible, too good. Amazing.

Stone arrived in East Central Champaign with much fanfare and advanced advertisement, with bars such as The Pig, Crane Alley, Seven Saints, and others conducting tap takeovers filled with Stone offerings. I had enjoyed Stone's delicious wares before, so I was prepared for their craft goodness, but Sublimely Self-Righteous was a breed apart. One of the very best veers around, this is first rate Black Ale/Black IPA.

Tremendous, a privilege to have tasted and enjoyed. I gave this a good go for a dozen pints/bomber bottles soon after it was introduced.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 00:33:37 | More by Gehrig

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stone Sublimely, on tap at The Pony Bar, Hell's Kitchen, New York.

Appearance: Exuberant, macchiato-colored and creamy two-finger head. Looks like a nitro pour! Lots of bubbles on top, great retention (head lingers a long while) and lacing. Color is black with auburn tones when swirling the glass. Looks like cold, day-old coffee (in a good way)

Smell: Reminds of the inside of a humidor- not quite smoky but more like a cigar humidor bought at a estate sale after spending three years in your grandpa's attic (the nose has the dryness of an attic, not the dampness of a basement). A hint of smoke, ever-so-subtle. Roastiness and brulee sugars at the end. That said, the aroma is not as enticing and full as the body/appearance. A bit quiet.

Taste: A beautiful combination of dry hops and roasty malts. Some chocolate and toasted bread.

Mouthfeel: A little underwhelming but correct, with medium body, flavor and carbonation and a pleasant stinging and dry and bitter end that lingers in the mouth. Well balanced, never boozy.

Overall: While not as impressive as the bottled version, this is still a beautiful black ale. Smooth, drinkable (almost chuggable). Enjoyable. Subtly and roasty... well done, but perhaps I expect more from Stone.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 18:39:13 | More by DoubleSimcoe

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was my review of the bottle version:

I liked this beer a lot but didn't really see why Stone made it. They have a number of strong ales, some weaker (Arrogant Bastard), some stonger (Double Bastard). This beer is a little darker in color than both and I think a little less hoppy. It's also darker.

I would definitely get it again but just don't understand why they're introducing this style.

---

It wasn't the best beer I'd had. Not interesting enough to justify the high Alcohol by volume and too strong to drink as a refresher.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 14:16:59 | More by david18

chugalug06

Colorado

2.15/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Personally, I thought this brew was one of the most offensive brews i've ever had... Very strong and upfront booze flavor with hidden hop. For the style, I was looking for hover hopped goodness, none was to be found.

The strong black booze was severely over taking and was very hard to get through. I almost sent back the brew once served. Way too over done; it seems Stone is going more and more this route with their brews :( I wonder if the keg lines have been cleaned recently...

Fairly decent out of the bottle, but no bueno per draft...

C at best, had I been at home... This one would have ended as a drain pour.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2011 23:07:12 | More by chugalug06

colts9016

Idaho

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter at 47 degree, drank at Marcellars.

Appearance: A very nice 2 finger head that has good retention and the color is a medium tan.The head is foamy and cream with some lacing on the glass. The color of the beer is opaque with dark brown highlight. The clarity is nonexistent, however there is some carbonation bubbles visible on the side of the glass.

Nose: A very rich roasted malt, chocolate, espresso, and a very night toasty note. There are note of phenols and yeast. The hops is strong and more flavorful than the bottle. The hops are floral bouquet, pine, and grapefruit.

Taste: A very strong malt backbone with flavors of chocolate, espresso, and a rounded toasty note. There are note of phenols, yeast, and a touch of solvent. The hops is floral, pine, and grapefruit.

The mouth feel is carbonated, astringent, and coating.

Overall: The body of the beer is medium and the finish is medium full. This beer is so much better on tap than in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2011 02:48:20 | More by colts9016

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at Avenue pub, New Orleans

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, black in color, opaque

Smell: caramel and pine hops

Taste: big pine hops, charred malt, and a bit of cream

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium body, sweet with a bitter aftertaste

Drinkability: I could have a couple over a long night. I like the nice deep charred malt and pine--my favorite ipa flavor. One of the better in style, yet I think I would reach for others in style first.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 14:58:10 | More by tigg924

pdoran10

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a slightly translucent black color with two fingers of off white head that leave some pretty ridiculous lacing.

Smell is big pine and slight acidic alcohol.

Alcohol heat doesn't come through in the taste. I get pineapple, pine, and grapefruit from the hops, with a slight roast and a big biscuity body from the malt.

Mouthfeel is substantial with moderate carbonation. Well made here.

Really supreme beer. I don't even like this style but somehow they melded flavors so well here that I'm really diggin drinking this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2011 05:06:20 | More by pdoran10

JDizzle

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a Growler from Party Town in Florence, KY

The appearance is a deep dark, reddish old ale that doesn't let a lot of light through. The head is wonderful and thick with an off white color that hangs around for the whole glass. Lacing drags down the glass all the way.

The smell is of strong hops with a citrus backdrop and a little roasteg malt.

This beer taste like an DIPA with attitude that will keep you coming back for more. This is such a great beer that should be in 6'ers!! Think- dark DIPA!

This is very drikable beer that suprised me from the way it looks and catagorized.? One of my favorites from STONE. A slightly sweet Double IPA that lives up to the score.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 01:27:00 | More by JDizzle

oldsailor

Nevada

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Extremely dark, smooth body and just enough head to make this a very good beer. At first try I was surprised by the hoppiness of the beer as it's not a taste I typically attribute to dark black beers. Quality of the ingredients definitely shows in this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 03:24:08 | More by oldsailor

ToAzwethinkweizm

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Date: 11 March 2011
Glass: Standard pint glass
Type: On-tap, 12fl oz

Drank on-tap at Gilly's in Rockville, MD to celebrate my new job offer. Taken from notes:

Appearance: Black in color, beige head, strong 2-finger head, stays strong for very long. Rather sticky lacing. Perfect appearance.

Smell: Rather fresh pine hops! Grapefruit heavy on the back end of the aroma.

Taste: Super-fresh pine with slight bitter citrus at the end of the taste. Malts are pale and provide a great backbone for the fresh hops. Bitterness is moderate in taste.

Mouthfeel: Delicious hop resins and bitterness are sooo fresh. Bitterness is pleasant and sticky.

Drinkability: Very drinkable....a real palate buster (in a good way). You won't want to spoil your palate with another beer after this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 01:05:17 | More by ToAzwethinkweizm

gatornation

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

served on tap

A- served in stone pint glass it was dark black/brown with a really fresh tan 1 finger head loads of sticky lacing as i drank this one

S- was some cocoa ,chocolate, some toffee, citrus hops

T- was outstanding it had some roasted malt with toffee ,mix in some creamy chocolate,some floral citrus hops,, a little fruit wow so fresh so tasty

M- is is full but its easy to drink with lots of stout tastes mixed with an ipa

D- so easy to drink this high ABV black ipa its stouts flavors mixed with citrus hops makes for an outstanding brew

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2011 22:25:36 | More by gatornation

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black, about a finger of tan head, Bit of lacing as well.

S-I think a bit of everything, chocolate, as well as coffee, hops and malts.

T: Taste as the nose, perfect blend, great bitterness that gets taken away by the malts.

M: Medium, great combination of everything.

D:Very drinkable, great great brew, would love to have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 02:48:16 | More by thedoubler55

NorCalYeti

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

taste- roasted malts, sweet, well-balanced hop/malt finish, sour toast

color- chestnut, deep brown

clarity- appears clear but too hard to tell because it's dark

smell- roasted malt, chocolate

body- medium-length finish

appearance- flat with a little off-white ring of carbonation

notes and comments- i wouldn't characterize this as a double ipa as it was billed at the festival

beer spy- double ipa festival, bistro, hayward ca, 2/12/11, 6 oz. glass

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 01:13:04 | More by NorCalYeti

joshuasamantha

California

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap, In bottle and growler form from the Stone Brewery- literaly one of the best beers ever, another home run for the guys at stone its like an arrogant bastard IPA strong american strong ale characters very hoppy and citrus-ee ha anyways as dark as midnight and very strong a good beer with bbq meats overall a definate A if you haven't tried it you need to...that is all....

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 03:48:01 | More by joshuasamantha

mltobin

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at The Moan and Dove.

Appearance is a dark brown with a one finger tan head, which leaves some nice lacing. The smell is sweet with grapefruit, quite a punch of hops, toffee as well. Upon sipping this black ipa from Stone, the same flavors from the nose are there & in a very balanced fashion. I also tasted some chocolate and coffee in the finish. MF is medium, smoother than I expected going in. Drinkability also gets a thumbs up with this beer, another winner from Stone.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 00:41:07 | More by mltobin

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford CT. All beers served in 16 oz mason jars.

Pours dark black, wisps of off white foam, but otherwise very clear. Smell and taste are roasted, get the sensation of a stout with a little more IPA hop backbone. Residual bitter. More stout than IPA though. Good beer, full of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 00:35:05 | More by KTCamm

Urbancaver

Ohio

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown. Very dark with reddish hints. Tons of hops on the nose. Piney and grapefruit primarily. Hops hint first on the tonue. Pine first and foremost and then lots of citrus/grapefruit. Pretty impressive how hoppy it is given the darkness. Light and highly drinkable

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2011 05:11:51 | More by Urbancaver

SFrankBrew

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very dark, almost black with some lacing that hangs around down the glass. Roasty malts - like a porter, pretty much - with a hint of the hop assault. Black IPA is a perfect description of this beer. The hops are prominent and persistent throughout the palate. Upfront, the first impression is of a porter, with the chocolate/roasted malt flavor. Then the hops come in and dominate; the dry hopping is especially prominent in this one. The hop flavor in this beer is AMAZING-seriously like having a glass of fresh hops. This is a thick, velvety beer and the lingering hop taste does have a tongue-drying effect. Overall, a fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2011 14:03:07 | More by SFrankBrew

HopMasterFlex

California

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a go to beer for me. When the 11th anniversary came out I must have drank 20 bottles. It was my first time with a black ipa and frankly I never looked back. Though I feel the 11th was better than the sublimely I was still stoked to have it available year round. It bours black with a root beer hue. The head is an inviting tan. Smell is pure hops and I love it. The subtle toasted malt are present as well. This beer is the definition of an iba. The color is black bit it drinks like an ipa. Super hoppy and delicious. Nothing bad to say about this other than the smaller batch of the 11th was better. I still have 4 bottles of the 11th and I drank one the other day. The profile is completely different as you'd expect. The piney hop flavors are gone and the malt flavors are huge, it's almost choclatey. It is a completely different beer but still delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2011 07:17:28 | More by HopMasterFlex

treznor

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Pizza Paradiso (DC).

Appearance: Extremely black. Held up to a light a couple feet away a bit of light penetrates, but that's it. Dark ivory head. Fairly heavy lacing as it goes down.

Smell: Quite hoppy.

Taste: Bit of a punch in the mouth if you're think Black Ale (like 1554) instead of Black IPA. A bit smoother than you'd probably expect for a Stone IPA, with almost a bit of molasses in there.

Drinkability: Might be difficult to drink to many as it is quite hoppy, but I'd love to start the night with 1 or 2 to get things going. Will set quite the bar to measure up to though!

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2011 02:01:07 | More by treznor

NefariousR

Texas

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap.

A - Dark brown, nearly black. Poured a 1.5-2 finger light tan head with lots of foam.
S - Very strong grapefruit aroma - probably the strongest of any beer I've smelled. Rounded by piny hops and a bit of more sweet fruits.
T - Hoppy with strong, oily pine flavors. Rounded out with a fruity, floral assortment of flavors.
M - Medium-bodied and sticky. Slightly warm in the after-taste.
D - Fantastic beer; another great from Stone. A good balance to their typical uber-hoppy fare (not to say that this isn't hoppy). However, I found this to be more balanced than a lot of their other beers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2011 02:17:22 | More by NefariousR

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured on tap at the Stone Brewery into a pint glass. The beer is a dark brown, glassy, thick coloring. The beer has a 1 inch creamy, thick head. The nose is hop heavy, with a light malty note that helps to balance it. The taste is made pretty sharp by the increased carbonation, and the hop-malt blend does not balance well. The unbalance continues into the finish, where the hops and malt flavors are very strong and not complimenting. The beer is light and sharp in mouth, despite the boldness of the flavors. This was not a pleasant beer to drink.

On a side note, after reading some of the other reviews, and knowing my preference for IPAs, including black IPAs, I wonder if the keg was at it's end, or perhaps it was a dirty line, or some outstanding circumstance like those, because this beer was surprisinly unenjoyable. I will absolutely try it again at some point to make sure this tasting wasn't an exception to the rule.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2011 22:35:38 | More by GarthDanielson