Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

CloudStrife

New York

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Enjoy by 12/07/12.

A: Pours a dark brown appearing black in the glass with a 1.5 finger off white head. Leaves a thick layer of lacing as the head dwindles to a thin covering with clumps around the edge. Some light is visible through the body.

S: Interesting blend of malts and hops. Has a sweet chocolate and carmel malt body with pine and citrus hop notes on top. Some dark fruits like raisin in there as well.

T: Malt forefront with a chocolate blend of dark fruits, hops quickly pick up in the after taste with a nice bitter taste. Can get the pine from the simcoe and citrus from the others. Almost a spiciness to it too. Nice roastiness.

M: Medium body with average carbonation. Has a creamy velvety mouthfeel which is pleasant.

Overall better than I remember. Stone really blends a nice malty hop blend here and makes a benchmark for the rest of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:48:41 | More by CloudStrife

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

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

Catching up on some more reviews from notes, sampled on-tap. As soon as I saw this listed on the chalk board - I had to have it.

Dark, just a shade above black, coppery highlights, thick orange brown foam. Long lasting head, chunky lace.
Resinous hop smells, pineapple, grapefruit but also some brown sugar sweetness.
Lots of hop flavors, but not one dimensional like a DIPA. Some roasted malt, actually more porter-like malts than I was expecting. I was prepared for a darker colored IPA, but I really liked this one. Citrus hop zing to start, then tons of complex flavors follow.
Despite the high alcohol, very high drinkability level. Not overly hot, but not mellow either.
The mouthfeel is thick and a bit oily from the hoppiness, good body.
Wish we could get more Stone products north of the border.

Note to Self: Rated #4 American Black Ale when I tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 20:51:26 | More by BigBry

n2185

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Awesome to see 4-packs of this beer on shelves now for a reasonable $10!

A: Pours black with two fingers of light tan head that recedes to a thin layer with decent lacing.

S: Loads of hops up front with grapefruit and pineapple at first followed by some resiny pine notes. Roasted malts bring up the finish with bitter cocoa, char, and slight coffee aromas.

T: Roasted malts up front with lots of robust flavors like bitter chocolate and char. Very roasty. Hops hit next with a lot of earthy pine flavors and some notes of grapefruit and citrus rind. The finish is charred and reminiscent of very dark chocolate.

M: Body is slightly on the heavier side of medium with medium carbonation that accentuates the hops and roasted malt characters well. This beer avoids being too watery or too thick.

O: One of the most readily available and yet best black ales out there. This style is becoming more popular, but it's difficult to find examples that are as good as this, let alone as easy to get. It does a good job of balancing hops and roasted malts, both very present but without one overwhelming the other.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 06:53:57 | More by n2185

Mavigo

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been developing quite a liking for Stone Brewing Co, this one's got a cool bottle and is up my alley in terms of style. Served in a mug.

A: Poured a very dark blackish brown color with a thin hazelnut-tannish head with small amounts of lacing.

S: Holy hops, smells very hoppy, flowery, also woody, and malty, fruity too, like plums and dried apples

T: As indicated by the smell, has a strong hop flavor too it, pretty bitter, a very smoky, woody feel to it, very strong malt taste. Can't really pick up on the almost 9% abv.

M: At first its refreshing, has well balanced body with medium carbonation, the way I like it, but then BOOM, hopmania super strong after taste.

O: Overall, Stone never ceases to impress me, this was a very interesting beer, had a nice contrast of mellow, easy going mouth feel paired with the very bitter, strong hop backlash, I liked it, not a bad pick at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 01:30:43 | More by Mavigo

Toddzillamz

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

A: Not as dark as Wesley Snipes, but a shade or two below. Laced up. My glass remained covered in film as I took sip after sip. Like three year-old unbrushed teeth. Love it.
S: Smells like Stone. What else? A locker full of sweaty briefs meets magic.
T: Tastes like Stone. One of the reasons I enjoy this brewery. In a blind taste test, you could always recognize a Stone brew. At first sip, you get ready for it to knock you on your butt with over-the-top hoppiness, but the ale fools you and comes flanking from the left with a gentle rush of roasted malts. Like when I got flanked from both sides by a couple Brazilians. Gostosa!
M: Aside from the open sores on my lips, which I'm treating at the moment, I felt no pain. Usually my mouth feels dirty, but after rinsing it with this holy water, I feel like a new man. Like when you gargle bleach, or when you go down on a virgin. Same thing. Virgins kill everything. Ask the africans.
O: Well, damn it, this is what matters most right? I hold this beer like I hold my member. It is precious.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 20:37:29 | More by Toddzillamz

Lordquackingstic

New York

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Deep, dark black with probably one of the best lacings I've ever seen. Super sticky with thick lines of lacing.

S: Malty tropical fruits! Cool, but not really my thing.

T: Follows the nose with a citrusy, super malty taste. Orange peels and milk chocolates.

M: Full and not as thick as it looks! Medium carbonation.

O: I don't think my palate knows what to do with black ales just yet. The tropical notes just don't seem to mesh well with the heavy malt. This is good, but nothing I'd by again. Don't think I can appreciate black ales.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 01:41:46 | More by Lordquackingstic

IronLover

Pennsylvania

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

Black in color with brownish hues on the edge of the glass. Poured with a thick beige foam with excellent staying power that left sheets of sticky lacings on the glass. Black patent malt and citrus and resinous pine hop aromas. Medium bodied with a creamy smooth feel. Dark roasted and burnt malt flavors below intense bitter citrus and pine hop flavors. A nice combination of intense flavors with a delicate feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 19:19:53 | More by IronLover

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date is “12/28/12.”

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is very dark brown leaning toward black. Two fingers of dense, cappuccino-colored head dissipated very slowly.

Smell: Lots of west coast citrus and pine; mostly grapefruit but there is also tangerine and orange. Very invigorating. Dark chocolate and sweet caramel are also present. There are also faint roasted malts and molasses.

Taste: It offers a very strange and tasty flavor experience. At first it seems the hops are about to slam my taste buds. But just about the time I expect them to become overwhelming, they are balanced by the dark malts. Everything plays a minor role: hop citrus, pine, and the dark malts. The mouthfeel is much like I expect from a pale ale, and a slight, boozy sting is pervasive. As it warms, the hops leave an earthy, grainy aftertaste.

Drinkability: Excellent. This is something I will definitely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 05:32:41 | More by TheQuietMan22

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-dark brown black color with a nice tan head and good lacing

S-citrus, pine, dark roasted malt, grass

T-dark roasted malt, pine, slight citrus and coffee, nice bitter hop finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp with slight alcohol burn

O-a flavorful black ale, my favorite of this style

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:26:16 | More by MDDMD

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 22oz bottle with a BB of Oct 27th 2012. Bought recently from Trembling Madness in York. As always, I love the labelling and the self-indulgent tirade that accompanies it....

Poured into a Duvel tulip (twice). A deep ruby hue; appears black unless held to the light. Produces a vast head of creamy beige foam with great retention - this slowly subsides to a surface layer. Aroma of overwhelmingly resinous hops, with notes of pine, grapefruit, orange peel and citrus. This is underpinned by hints of sweet roasted malt, yeast and a warming whiff of booze. Though in all fairness the aroma is all about the hops - incredible!

Tastes of super-intense hoppiness with a restrained dark malt character and a knock-out bitter finish. Notes of pine, resin, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus oils, roasted malt, mild caramel, faint earthy yeast and stewed hops. Slightly sweet, with a hint of alcohol in the background. A forceful and astringent bitterness upon swallowing - deep and spicy. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with a peppery dryness. Good body, though perhaps a little insubstantial for the strength/flavour. Highly astringent - dries the palate completely. Aftertaste of pine bitterness and fruity aromatic hops, along with a hint of sweet, dark malt.

Wow - what a beer! I think this might be my favourite Stone brew yet. Incredibly hoppy, although the malt provides good balance while lurking discretely in the background. The aroma and flavour are peerless. Amazing - I don't think I could recommend this too highly. Form a line, hop-lovers! Self-righteousness shall be yours...

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:47:38 | More by jazzyjeff13

GMB

Japan

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

Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale pours a coal body that turns dark mahogany when held up to strong light. The sticky, craggy head rises slowly and falls even more so.

The nose is an enticing mix of roasted grain, dark dried fruits, and resinous and grassy hops.

The first sip explodes on the palate. Up front there are nearly bitter roasted malts, followed by earthy and resinous hop-flavors. Thick molasses, herbs, and pine come to mind. As the aroma hop flavors begin to settle, the bittering hops begin to show themselves, recalling to the fore the roasted malt flavors that had since receded a bit. As these flavors withdraw, the alochol, whose characters are nicely integrated here, slowly creeps up to round out the beer's flavor. It brings with it the sweet flavors of dried fruit (prunes and unsulphured apricots come to mind). It also calls back the grassy hops and roasted malts, complementing the former with floral notes and balancing the latter with sweetness.

As the beer lingers on the palate, bitterness and roasted flavors begin to take over. At first I detected very little citral flavors. But as the beer's bitterness and sweetness develop, and as the dominant grassy character of the hops gives way to citral and floral notes, the beer's aftertaste changes from one of grassy herbs and dark dried fruit to fresh grapefruit.

Some have called Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale's flavor muddled. I disagree. Though they are many, the beer's flavors works well and complements each other. Though I would not call this beer balanced overall, there are areas of balance and counterpoint in its complex flavors, which take time to develop. Sip slowly.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 21:24:41 | More by GMB

UCLABrewN84

California

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by 12/28/12.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and some citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild roasty and citrus zest bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 22:32:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

AmitC

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Awesome beer. Had it at a tasting.

Pours heavy dark brown with a good amount of head. Leaves a lot of lacing. Decent amount of carbonation as well.

Smell : Well very unlike a black ale, hugely filled with hops, floral and piney. A little bit of roasted malt, coffee, porter type of smell.

Taste: Here lies the magic. The bitterness is not at all felt but you know it is bitter, very bitter. Hops are huge. All sorts of taste, very complex, yet delightful. It has a lot of piney, spicy, citrusy, floral taste. A little amount of porter like taste and some grapefruit. Awesome.

Medium to full bodied beer. A good presence in the mouth. Mainly, a bit oily of course but good feel, nonetheless.

Sublime, it truly is. Stone, as usual, never disappoints. Not only that, it over delivers all the time. Excellent stuff there. Highly recommended for hop heads for winter drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:14:27 | More by AmitC

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

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

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a nigh-black with three fingers of tan frothy head that lasts for three minutes and leaves behind some lovely patterns of lace. Medium body and carbonation levels, smooth texture and a nice hoppy crispness to the finish.

Smells of a wonderful blend of blackened roasted malts and fresh juicy citric hopping of both oranges and grapefruits. As the glass warms, resinous hopping aroma joins in as well. The flavor is slightly more roasted-focused than the nose is, but that is not to say that the hopping is not well represented. There is plenty of piney goodness to go around. It overall keeps very dry and ABV is about 75% hidden. (There is a rising warmth in the background, but mostly the orange peel hopping is made fruitier and richer by the ABV presence, which is a good thing in my book.) This is one of the best Black IIPAs out there on the market IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 17:43:10 | More by WastingFreetime

Roose13

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Closest color to black without being black. Huge head on the initial pour, beige in color. Head drops to a centimeter and lingers throughout the beer. Lacing is beautifuk

S: Not a huge fan of the smell of black IPAs. Citrusy, which I do like. But the hoppiness isn't one of my favorite smells in a beer. To each their own.

T: Strong. Roasted malts, very very hoppy, which I enjoy now and then. These beer is so bold and robust in flavor that a big-time hophead would love this.

M: Easy to drink in terms of texture but the intensity of the hops and flavor make you really sit back and enjoy it.

O: Excellent beer. Not something I will drink often (may enjoy as the weather really turns cold). Stone is awesome. Need I say more?

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 03:55:50 | More by Roose13

tony223366

California

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not really sure how I've gone this long without reviewing this!

A: Stone never really does disappoint me in this category. The color is about the darkest brown you can imagine. 3+ fingers of a light tan, fluffy head. Great retention and nice lacing. All kinds of bubble sizes. Just a beautiful beer that I can't wait to drink... again!

S: Oh man this smells like a hop bomb (that I know it is). Lots of citrus, just pure... dank hops. There are some sweeter notes from a roasty malt presence too. Almost burnt coffee-esque. A great aroma that is so inviting.

T: Huge, huge hops. I mean slap you in the face hops. Really resiny... piney hops. Some citrus too. The malts come to play in a smokey, roasted malt sort of way. Some coffee. Just a hint of the coffee. But it's really hard to taste anything but those hops. Hugely bitter finish. Lots of heat from the alcohol, but it's totally welcome!

M: I'm totally digging this mouthfeel. It's so smooth and has great body. It's not nearly as slick as I would think, given the hops.

O: A solid beer in this category. Definitely not much in the way of balance. But that's ok, because it's damn good. I'm frequently at a toss up between the well balanced American Black Ales or the hop heavy ones. This is one of my favorite hop forward ones.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 04:58:56 | More by tony223366

chrisbru

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Very dark with a nice, think light-colored head. Color is a nearly opaque black, with a hint of amber and transparency near the top when held to the light.

S: Delicious smell, with hops being the most prominent. There is also some citrus and a hint of grapefruit and sweetness.

T: This is a wonderful tasting beer - It's been about two years since I had it for the first time (I moved back to Iowa and it just today was distributed) and it remains as good as I remember it. Very hop-forward with some malt follow-up. There are several other flavors present as well, possibly floral and pine.

M: The mouthfeel is great, with a forefront of bitterness and a great aftertaste. It makes me want another drink before I put the glass down. It feels medium to light, despite its dark appearance. Very pleasant.

O: Overall, I really enjoy this beer. It's much more hop-forward than I remembered or anticipated when I purchased it, but that was a pleasant surprise. This is one of those beers with enough complexity that I am confident I will discover more flavors as I come back to this beer over and over again. At 8.7%, the booziness is present but more subdued than I expect for a beer of this gravity.

Being my first Stone beer in nearly two years, its too early to say how it stacks up with the rest of their lineup. However, the price is great ($10.99 for a 4-pack) and I imagine this will become a part of my regular drinking lineup.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 20:07:21 | More by chrisbru

tectactoe

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours nearly pitch black with a thinner body than you'd expect from this dark color - similar to that of IPAs, and not super-thick like stouts and porters. Looks great - thin layer of off-white head that settled down rather quickly but left very nice lacing along the glass when I was finished. The nose is loaded with hops, pines, oily resin, a touch of citrus, and dashes of roasted malt, which is probably what gives this beer its fantastic color. Upon first taste, the hops immediately jump out and jab your tongue with a huge pine-tree bite. Halfway through the sip, as the beer warms up in your mouth, the roasted malts start to come out and mellow out the hops, performing a balancing act with them that works quite nicely. Your tongue is left with an aftertaste of floral greens and toasty malt and barley. Very smooth on the body, and overall pretty thin, with a fairly high amount of carbonation that goes hand in hand with the initial hop bite. Mouth is left somewhat dry and sticky - keeps you coming back for more.

I love this beer because it's so unique - it's almost starts off in your mouth like an IPA then transforms into a porter right in front of your palette. One of the first brews I ever had from Stone, and it surely did not disappoint. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 11:47:39 | More by tectactoe

KKB

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice big off-white almost rootbeer-esque looking head, with great retention; excellent lacing. Is almost black with just some light seeping in around the edges which is very interesting for an IPA. Intriguing. Carbonation looks good, cannot wait to dive in.

S - Wow. This smells just overwhelmingly good. Loaded with hops but there is also a distinct fruitiness there, a bit of citrus and maybe even some pineapple/grapefruit. There is also some sweetness to it that suggest a little malt.

T - Jumping with hops, definitely some malt as well, the fruit is present in therel, floral, citrus, some grapefruit, but the fruit is not overwhelming the palate so much as weaving in and out of the hops in a very subtle manner. Very bitter, very delicious, a little similar to the Ruination IPA. Sticky, piney and wonderful, very different though.

M - Really awesome mouthfeel; by the way it looks you would think it would be thick, perhaps even syrupy given it's black color, but it's not at all, it's very light and the carbonation only adds to this effect pleasantly. I would say medium bodied.

D - Exceedingly drinkable, I could take this down all night.

O - Overall this IPA is very good. Loaded with hops, compulsively drinkable, and sublimely self-righteous. Thank you again Stone.

Serving type: growler

09-27-2012 22:08:43 | More by KKB

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.36/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This was a pint on tap at jack of the Wood.

It pours dark with good clarity and mild/medium retention. It smells super hoppy and has a mild malt taste. It has a bigger body than I expected and has a bunch of malts and then a powerful hop finish. Great beer for IPA fans.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2012 01:00:27 | More by brewdude1982

RussBecker1

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a very very dark brown, not opaque, but damn near close. A nice burnt caramel head lasts for a good amount of time, and produces a substantial amount of lacing from the moment it hits the glass.

N- Precisely what I would describe a black ale's nose as. The hops hit you first and make their presence known, but the roasted malts smoothen it out a good deal, and give you the first taste of what an ipa and stout would mix like.

M- Much creamier than I have had in black ales. It gives the feel more of a lighter stout than anything else which I have not yet had in many other black ales.

T- Great example of a black ale. The hops are there the malts are there, and as big of a beer this is, the flavors meld very nicely on the palate leaving it both complex and accessible.

O-American black ales have always been one of my favorite styles, as counter intuitive blend of bitter citrusy hops blended with the sweeter smokier stout has always created a very intriguing flavor profile. I would say this is either my second or third favorite black ale behind Coasts' Event horizon, and potentially Southern Tier's inequity. This Stone brew, relies heavier on the stout side of things that makes it more unique than other brews and for many, a great intro into the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:38:38 | More by RussBecker1

BrewDocCT

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle (glad this one is in 4 packs now) into my Bell's pint.

Appearance is black. Black coffe black. Some light barely squeezes through.

Smell is floral and burnt.

Taste is jarring. Smacked with hops. Finishes with a coating bitterness and awesome roastiness.

Mouthfeel is sticky and resinous.

Overall just a great beer. One of my favorites. Stone really nailed a 'style' that can be hit or miss.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 20:52:51 | More by BrewDocCT

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle bought for $5.79. Best by 11/10, so this should be pretty fresh.

A: Very black, dramatically so. Disappointingly small head that's gone almost immediately. Like many IPAs, doesn't appear very carbonated.

S: Full, fantastic pine and citrus hop aroma. Despite its appearance, I don't get a trace of roasty smells, just hop glory.

T: Wonderful. Pine and soft tangerines. Significantly bitter. Very long taste.

M: Heavier than Stone IPA, but not the heaviness of, say, a porter. A bit of a prickle also.

O: This is unlike any other beer and is remarkably affordable given its quality. In a lineup that ranges from good (porter, pale) to incredible (IPA, IRS), Sublimely Self Righteous is maybe Stone's apotheosis.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 15:32:15 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

Celtics76

Rhode Island

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

It’s 7:30 – time for Jeopardy and a sophisticated drink to go with it.

I poured this bomber into a Sierra Nevada balloon glass. It’s extremely dark brown in color, almost black. There was about a half inch of slowly dissipating head. Eventually things settle down and we’re left with a bubbly film across the top.

This has a distinct pine scent, with a hint of caramel. Very nice. The flavor is piney as well, with a touch of caramel malt. Also a slight “roasty stoutiness” to it, which I like. There’s a moderate hoppy finish. Not too bitter though. Heavy lacing throughout - the sign of a quality brew.

Not sure why this is classified as an American Black Ale, it’s more like a Double Black IPA to me. And a good one at that.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:09:19 | More by Celtics76

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a a globe shaped glass. Best by 12/28/12.

A- Very very dark brown with some red hues shining through, big frothy mocha colored head with big bubbles on top that left lots of cascading lace

S- Huge, huge piney hops, roasted malt, some citrus. Not very complex but very strong and I love it

T- Big piney hops, tons of bitterness, pretty big woodiness, lots of roasted and burnt malt

M- Very dry, creamy and smooth mouthfeel, moderate carbonation

O- This is seriously one bitter and dry beer, which is not surprising from Stone. This is like a black IPA version of Ruination. While the flavor profile has some differences from 15th Anniversary Black IPA, both are among the driest and most bitter beers I have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 03:57:35 | More by Hoptometrist