Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

cabsandking

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Solid black color with a giant three fingers of sticky rocky beige head that last the duration. Big hoppy grapefruit and pine with an outstanding malt character of dark caramel, nutty malt and wafts of roasted coffee. Layers of malt character is evident; caramel, deep roasted grains, pumpernickel bread, and sour grains going into the finish, and roasted espresso. Beautifully balanced hops; mild pepper spice, pine, fresh raw hop oil, and a touch of mint starting towards the end. Fruity tartness mixed in for extra complexity. Sweetness from brown sugar and burnt sugars with hints of dark chocolate. Mouthfeel is full, smooth, and a thick creamy carbonation. Spicy, minty, some pine, charred malt, and espresso all in the finish. This beer is just wonderful, I’ve got to find more!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2007 19:20:33 | More by cabsandking

pershan

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD

A: Not what I expected! Black with a cream-colored semi-rocky head. The bartender called it an IBA (India Black Ale). Nice lacing on the inside of the glass after a few mouthfuls.

S: Strong, piney hop aroma. I'm a hop-head, so very nice.

T: A big, initial hop hit, and stuck around for the entire tasting. A great balance of hop flavor and bitterness, which did a fantastic job of masking the substantial amount of alcohol in this beer. The warmness came through, but not until you swallow.

M: All hop flavor and bitterness...again, very nicely done.

D: This is a dangerous brew, since it is very drinkable and does such a nice job of masking the 8.7% ABV. I haven't had a bad Stone beer yet, and I think this might just be my favorite. Frisco has 7 of the Stone beers on tap right now in preparation for a tasting tonight - wish I could be there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2007 18:04:28 | More by pershan

cavedave

New York

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The look of it is menacing somehow, in the way of a beautiful temptress offering dark pleasure, hiding danger. Thick, alive, mahogany-red, opaque, somehow glowing despite the opacity. A dark, dank head of close-knit lather. It leaves shaving cream peaks and valleys on my stemless wine glass.

The aroma is thick, silky, enters my nose like a waft of citrus perfume, lemon balm candy, with spicy herbal edges. My fourth sniff reveals a new bottom of mysterious fragrance that I find incredibly seductive. Can't wait for a sip.

Woahh, what an unexpected jolt of herbal goodness. It is a lightning bolt of intensity, immensity, and complexity. The thunder of the bolt rolls across tongue and mind beneath booms of bourbon, citrus, burnt caramel, currants, raisins, hints of chocolate, espresso, roasted malt, through it all the faintest promise of sweetness which sustains the flavor, and ends in a charge of the dry brigade, floral, dark, bitter, and long. I haven't been this blown away by a first sip in some time. Five sips later I'm now into the rhythm of the brew, some vanilla popping in, what a blend of flavor, what an amazing jazz piece of complex virtuousity. Feels like seeing Dexter Gordon at the Vanguard in the old days. Tastes so good it takes you to a new place. Am I crazy? Is this as good as it now tastes? Man, that sounds crazy, but this stuff has done it to me. O'kay, another big sip. This is one of the best beers I ever tasted. I love all of Stone's stuff, maybe I am a Stone pimp, oh well, I call 'em as I see 'em. Just try this and tell me I'm wrong. What a fucking deliciously complex, pleasingly delicious beer that is absolutely deliciously delicious.

Mouthfeel is awesome, just right clinginess, just right carbonation, just right acidity, sustains a long finish that is a joy.

Drinkability is extremely, dangerously, I-can't-say-it-strongly-enough superlatively wonderful. Between a very, very mild alcohol presence, and a flavor which nearly matches what my current fantasy beer would taste like, it is most perilously, marvelously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 23:01:39 | More by cavedave

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This bottle was opened to celebrate a personal achievement that I worked hard for. As I am rightfully proud of this achievement, this new offering from Stone seemed like the only beer to help celebrate that.

Pours a super ultra uber dark brown, or, okay, black. Head is a half-inch of toasted brown foam and thins rather quickly leaving a few wild lace streaks on the glass.

Aroma is tremendous. Apparently Stone either haven't heard about the hop shortage or are holding some in reserve. This nose is intensely hoppy, with that ultra-clean and super-fragrant character that reminds of SurlyFest or Gumballhead. You know--dryer sheets. Maybe a grainy character similar to rye in the background, but it's pretty much hop-forward. Also: this does NOT look like it smells and vice versa.

The flavor is equally tremendous, and more complex than the nose. The rye element comes out stronger (not sure if they actually used rye) with a bitterness like astringent black tea while the hops intermingle with everything else. But they're they're, and they mean business. Rind-like pucker in the finish. What adds extra dimension to this beer is the subtle layer of black licorice and chocolate--as in fine Belgian chocolate--that lays on the tongue as the sips accumulate.

Texture is on the light-medium side, having presence and a little stick while remaining unobtrusive. And with the near-demonic boldness of the flavor, you wouldn't want a huge chewy feel. I wouldn't anyway...

Basically, Sublimely Self-Righteous is like one huge industrial-sized sheet of Bounce flapping in the wind, one end of the clothesline hung on a pine tree and the other on a lemon tree. With a burning rye field nearby and a chocolate factory across the street. Hung by you as you munch on black licorice nibs. This is my kind of beer and I hope they have the good sense at Stone to offer it year round. Mold-breaking, even having a transcendental element in its uniqueness, but seriously quaffable, which is really what counts most.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 22:19:44 | More by Metalmonk

MusicmanSD

California

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Stone just never disappoints, do they? A black IPA huh? Looks great, has an edge of ruby to it, smells like hops and sweetness, not so much burnt as a stout or porter usually is. It tastes of resin-y hops and dark beer flavors. In fact, almost black lager-like in taste, not so much Guinness-y. Great mouthfeel and, although hard to drink because of it's heave, a great beer. Totally self-righteous!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 04:18:01 | More by MusicmanSD

Foxtrot

California

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Split a bomber of this with a friend.

Poured into a tulip glass revealed a intensely dark brown body with a nice ivory cap, with moderate lacing.

Good God! The aroma is intense! Multitudes of hop goodness with ample amounts of molasses and dark fruits to reign in this bad boy of a beer from being a complete hop bomb! This must be the most unique aroma of any beer I have encountered to date. Might even oust Pliny The Elder.

Taste was on par with what I was expecting. Big flavors of bitter chocolate with an assortment of citrus fruits, and brown sugar, accompanied by big pine resinous notes to finish it all off. This beer demands your attention with every sip to truly appreciate it.

Mouthfeel was big. Thick and viscous.

Stone hid the alcohol extremely well in this beer. Huge marks for drinkability as it did not become cloying or repetitive. I wish Stone could make this a seasonal beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 05:58:14 | More by Foxtrot

Taylor88

California

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is so F'in Stone...I am however a "Stoner" I've shared this beer with many of my friends. It freaks most of them out! "What the hell is this?" is the most common response. It is a difficult beer to describe. It's hoppy, it's malty, it's, it's, it's...everything! I think Stone threw everything in this beer but the proverbial "kitchen sink"...Not for everybody, but this "Stoner" loves it!!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 01:40:02 | More by Taylor88

hophead247

California

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It pours a clear, dark brown body with a dense beige head on top. It has a nice aroma with chocolate, coffee, sweetness and dried fruits, as well as a lovely hop profile with pine, resin and citrus, mostly orange. Chocolate and coffee flavor, rather burnt, with fruity hop flavors, citrus notes, pine and resin. Full, rather dry mouthfeel, and a long, piney and resiny finish with citrus. This is one of those lovely beers with layers and layers of aroma and flavor. The aroma being the best of those though. I'm happy they modeled this beer after the 11th Anniversary ale...It was my favorite Stone beer to date.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 05:52:36 | More by hophead247

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

incredible from the start....huge dark crema head that settles in slow-motion Matrix fashion, lacing in odd gobs and veils. dark buckwheat pancake batter appearance develops as it descends...

nose: toasty, oily hops. can't find a best before date (if there is one), but this seems quite fresh. no telling, since i bought this in Penn Station/NYC for $8.

this is a full-bodied, luscious slop of massive hops and malts that have been working out with the hops...extreme balance of, well, extremes! nonetheless, unified into a lip-smacking perfection that is realized only as you finally taste it. creamy mouthfeel with enough carbonated punch to make this bristle and slide. totally different from, say, another hop masterpiece such as Nugget Nectar, but the devastating impact is all the same.

most drinkable...at least for the initiated, self-righteous and not-so-sublime. loved that Cali-Belgie, but this is stellar!

p.s. another swallow as this slightly warms and i get the dark sweet dried fruit sense i get in some really good imperial stouts....has much to offer as you try to take this one in slowly and experience its many nuances.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 16:05:09 | More by mempath

BigBlacke

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Where do I start. This might be a biased review seeing as SSRA is one of my favorites.

Appearance is a dark dark opaque blackness. A 1 inch frothy head leaves an random lace pattern.

Smell is of a pine cone sitting in roasted malt with a distinct alcohol note. Absolutely exciting to the taste buds.

Taste goes hand in hand with smell. Roasted malt with a huge smack of piney hops. Alcohol is not well hidden in this one. Absolutely tears up the palate with greatness!!!

Mouthfeel packs a punch sharp pine and alcohol bite that leaves and aftertaste for days.

Drinkability is high if you are into this type of beer. Take a black butte, infuse it with Ruination, and you have SSRA. Get one and bask in its glory.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 02:10:16 | More by BigBlacke

skridgeus

Washington

4.8/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

There are few black IPAs in my experience worth drinking. Half are stouts. Half are pseudo IPAs. SSR is down right exceptional. It is the only black IPA that i have had that itches the itch that only a black IPA can scratch.

Living in the great northwest, i have access to some great IPAs. Ironically most come from San Diego, north of Santa Barbara, north of San Fran, and Portland (ty Black Raven for your Wisdom Seeker). SSR is Best of style. Fantastic. Stone, ironically I hate your IPAs,... but the black is badass.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 07:59:54 | More by skridgeus

Joshpu

California

4.79/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a duvel glass.

A: Poured a very dark brown reddish color, can slightly see light through it. Had about a finger of light tan head.

S: Very piney hop forward smelling. Citrus smells as well. Slight malt and coffee/chocolate notes at the end.

T: Very piney hop forward taste, just like the smell. Getting the citrus tasting fruits. Just a slight malt or chocolate/coffee backbone on the taste. It's actually got a little spicy aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied. Very smooth, easy to drink. The hops linger for a while.

Overall this is a great beer for me. I love the hop forward presence. It basically tastes like an IPA, just with the stout or porter look. I really like this beer, definitely more of a hop head beer. I also don't taste the alcohol at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 07:06:21 | More by Joshpu

onthefarside

New York

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had the great pleasure to try this beer on tap last night at Mahar's in Albany. Curious about the type of beer this was, I was told it was an Imperial Porter by the all knowing bar-keep.

A: Served in a 20oz glass with 1 cm of head about, not much. Was a very very dark brown or black, couldn't tell with the dim lights.

S: Smells like every Stone beer, hoppy and alcohol"y".

T: This beer has a nice one two punch on the tastes a nice flavourful malt up front with nice complexity and then a nice crisp hops twinge to hide any trace of alcohol, couldn't taste it at all. But this is definately a sipper.

M: Nice feel, not too watery, good to swish it around and let it cover your mouth.

D: I didn't know the abv at the time of drinking this beer, knowing stone tends to up the abv, i thought it was about 5-6 but i'm suprised to find it near 9! Unknowing, I could drink 3-4 and wonder why i felt strange. Over all a great beer from Stone again and it will please people who like their IPA and Bastard Ale. I felt like it was a mix of the two almost.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2007 23:28:44 | More by onthefarside

Douglas14

California

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

God, I freaking love Stone. It pours an incredible dark, deep, rich brown…almost black but not quite. It has a nice thick, foamy head with very good retention and nice lacing.

It smells intensely of hops (no surprise coming from Stone), maybe banana, maybe dark cherries.

The abundance of flavors are balanced so well in this beer…hops, dark fruits, roasty goodness. Everything about this beer is amazing.

This is an amazing beer and I hope I can find more of it. Too bad it’s a one time batch…this is my kind of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2007 02:29:10 | More by Douglas14

AlexCuse

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was doing some spring cleaning tonight, and this included going through all the beer in my pantry and trying to organize it. I bought a case of this last February after having the extremely rare pleasure (for the east coast anyways!) of having it on tap.

I was never too impressed with the bottle after having it on tap, but it was still a very solid beer. I probably hadn't had one for about 6 months, maybe longer. The time has treated this beer extremely well.

Hops have mellowed considerably, but there is still a nice grapefruit-like smell with a hint of pine. It takes me back to the time I had it on tap the second I smell it.

The mellowing of the hops have really helped it to get some balance, actually bringing the taste closer to what I experienced when I had it on tap. Its' hard to explain but in the bottle they never really seemed to mesh. Until now. Between the rich dark malts, the abundance of fruity flavors, and that intoxicating aroma, it is almost overwhelming to drink. Almost ;)

The alcohol taste remains pretty strong, but at 8.7% that is hard to avoid.

Mouthfeel is about the same, but the improved balance has really let
Like a fine wine, this is getting better and better with age. If you get a chance to drink it, don't let the age turn you off. Even though its' getting old, it still won't disappoint! I don't even have a basement either, I bet this would be even better if it had been sitting in ideal conditions.

Now, time to go drink the other half of the bottle :D

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 03:05:03 | More by AlexCuse

JamesS

Indiana

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured a fantastic opaque black with some excellent head and nice lacing. Very deep malty scent, huge sweetness with a hint of bitterness in the nose. Great taste, a deep and malty hit, slight roastiness, with an excellent hop hit at the end to balance it all. A wonderfully smooth beer with no alcohol tinge even at over eight percent. An excellent brew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2010 02:45:03 | More by JamesS

jrish

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a snifter.

This beer is a beast. Absolutely love it. Pours a great black, tar looking body. A thick 2 inch khaki head is on top. Lacing is present til its time to refill. Smell completely catches you off guard with a left hook, your nose gets hit with a wonderful blend of citrus-floral smelling hops and a wonderful caramel malt. It tastes of a hop - malty fist fight ending with a wonderful chocolatey knockout. Full bodied with a perfect bitter. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 23:24:04 | More by jrish

FarmerJohnny

California

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz Bomber, no freshness date

A - Pours a thick, dark brown with a lighter brown, two-finger head the lingers. Absolutely beautiful

S - Hops, hops, hops. Hops dominate the smell. Very earthy and crisp. A hint of maltiness in the background.

T - Extremely well balanced. Malty start, almost hints of cocoa in the middle, and hoppy, slightly dry finish (Stone signature).

M - Very smooth, not too thick, and clean, crisp finish. Almost perfection

O - One of my personal favorites, never gets old, and arguably one of Stone's finest. The perfect balance of malt and hops. The name says it all. Do yourself a favor and add this one to your list.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 01:53:14 | More by FarmerJohnny

DeanMoriarty

California

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a litre growler of this the other night from the new Stone Brewing World bistro and Gardens - Liberty Station in Point Loma and poured it into a Bitburger branded stemmed pilsner glass.

Pours like iced espresso coffee with auburn highlights when held up to the light, massive tan head that mushroomed over the edge of my glass with ridiculous amounts of lacing from the first sip to the last. Smell is like a West Coast IPA - extremely hop forward right off the bat - chlorophyllic and resinous, as it warms aromas of carmel and roasted malts emerge, balancing the aggressive hoppiness perfectly - hints of dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans as well. Flavor is amazing and on point with what the nose suggests - hops abound with earthy goodness that coats the palate, sweet toffee and carmel, fresh milled grains, espresso and cocoa nibs round the flavor profile perfectly - insanely tasty and so well balanced! Mouthfeel is on the lighter end of medium bodied which is just insane for a beer clocking in at nearly 9% ABV - chewy but finishes clean and dry, carbonation is perfect for the style with a lingering bitterness from the 90 IBU's. Where is the alcohol - barely detectable - a bit of warmth with all those hop oils but other than that, you'd never know what this one clocks in at.

More please!

Serving type: growler

05-25-2013 02:17:38 | More by DeanMoriarty

bcsbeer

Florida

4.76/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bomber poured in to a tulip glass. Enjoy by date of 1/2/2013

A: Black but not completely opaque. A deep ruby glow got through when held up to the light. Poured with a huge khaki head. I had to interrupt the pour to keep it from over flowing its boundaries. Incredible lacing. I haven't seen anything like it. As the beer went down the foam crystallized on the walls of the glass, leaving the impression that it was permanently etched in.
S: Coffee beans , figs, root beer, bread, molasses, green pine cones.
T: Initially presents the roasty goodness of the malts, coffee, raisin ,caramel and brown sugar but at 90 IBUs the hop bitterness takes over like a bully in third grade. Dominating the playground. Mostly pine. After the swallow the bitterness sticks to the tongue like sap. The alcohol is undetectable.
M: Slightly dry and bitter, very sticky, perfect carbonation.
O: If you can't make up you mind between a Russian Imperial Stout and a Imperial IPA, this is the beer for you. It's like mixing Old Rasputin with Palate Wrecker. A Masterpiece by STONE.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 05:50:27 | More by bcsbeer

becktone

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

After talking from reps from Stone at Stone Pint Night at the Comet I learned that they (I'm assuming that this is Stone's POV) classify or consider this beer to be a Dark IPA (perhaps it was a "Double Dark IPA" don't remember exactly which-given the ABV I'd say most likely Double Dark IPA).

Eye: The brew pours a very dark brown or black if you like. When the light strikes it just right garnet highlights appear at the bottom of the glass. The head is tan in color and leaves some nice lacing, retention is stable, but a large head would be nice, looks very much like a stout except for the fact that the head isn't as creamy.

Nose: Great nose on this beer. Lots of things going on in the aroma of beer. First aroma to hit you is the hops, lots of hops...citrus aromas emanate from the bottle and glass once opened and poured. I'm guessing that there are some cascade hops going on in here. After that there is a very fruity aroma that blends very nicely with the hops. Took me a minute to determine that what I was smelling was pineapple. These two aromas pretty much dominate the brew but there is a bit of a malt backbone in there to support it all, I get a very faint chocolate malty type aroma deep within the aromatic profile of this brew. (or I could be imagining its there). Very unique aromatic profile here.

Tongue: Definitely would classify this one as a Dark IPA myself. The flavor of hops dominates the profile of this beer, makes up the majority of what I'm tasting here. Citrus and floral, citrus and floral... Once the beer is swallowed after a few moments that pineapple comes back just enough to hint at a pineapple flavor. Once the beer starts to go down the throat the hop flavors drop off giving way to malt flavors, as I mentioned with the aroma there is a bit of chocolate in there and also some toasty/lightly roasted flavors-more so the tell-tale bitterness from them, though it is not as nearly as strong as it is in a stout.... all pretty faint though. A slight spiciness from alcohol also adds to this brew's flavor.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability: Kudos to Stone for the Mouthfeel on this brew, I don't think that I could imagine it any other way. The beer is incredibly smooth, has low carbonation-which one doesn't notice until one thinks on it, then realizes that it is the perfect amount. This is a beer I'd drink all night, alcohol is hidden pretty well, slight spiciness as formerly mentioned and a slight warming in the stomach. This is a beer I'd definitely buy again, think that I'll grab another bomber next time I see one. Too bad it is a limited release, I'd like to see something like this around more, seems to me that Dark IPAs are pretty rare.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2007 00:20:26 | More by becktone

DevilDogBeer

Pennsylvania

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

Stone XI poured a deep ruby color, more along the characteristics of a Stout than a brown ale. The head was dark, rich, and had a "surge" similar to a Guinness. The smell had a noticeable aroma of earthy hops and a slight roasted malt undertone. The taste was true to the aroma; it had a solid roasted malt character that sat well on the tongue and faded gently into a distinct and enjoyable hop aftertaste. The mouthfeel was very good, a nice body but not heavy or thick. This beer is quite drinkable, but be careful to enjoy in moderation or it will bite you back. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 14:00:01 | More by DevilDogBeer

riored4v

Colorado

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

A= Dark in color. Basically black with hints of red when held up to a light. Nice big/tight head that slowly fades down a 1 finger head with lacing throughout sample.

S= Hops!! Nice hints of citrusy and grapefruit aromas followed up with a malty sweetness.

T= Did I mention hops? A very nice hop bite that you can feel in the back of your mouth. Nice and bitter with a good malt roastiness that helps to balance things out. Definitely more hoppy than malty.

M= Crisp. Nice carbonation, medium body with and oily tongue feel.

D= VERY drinkable. Session worthy if it wasn't for the high ABV. It does manage to hide the alcohol pretty well.

Outstanding beer in my opinion. Definitely a unique offering and I wish it was more readily available. I'm glad I was able to grab a case because this has become one of my more favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2008 16:11:06 | More by riored4v

DogFood11

California

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

In the mood for a big beer to end the night. Stone has been a consistent winner for me so in the glass it goes. Dark body with some deep ruby red around the edges. Spider web lace.

Screw categories and trying to place this somewhere its just good. It has a fresh kendling type aroma and it translates to a nice but guarded smoked edge. Hops create a great sticky resin that lays back and gradually takes over 3/4 way through and lingers until the next pull.

Brilliant and once again Stone keeps the price sane. Price per value is off the charts.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 05:44:24 | More by DogFood11

CampusCrew

Florida

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

appearance: pitch black with some good head rentention and lacing

smell: big citus, smells like a strong IPA, no indication that it's a dark beer at all.

taste: very complex and comlicated beer. which makes it interesting. It's drinks like an IPA on the front, citrus, grapefruit, and a stout on the back, bitter and coffee flavors. fantastic and one of the best front to back chnages in a beer that I have had.

mouthfeel: medium and light for a dark beer

drinkability: superb.... a new fav of mine

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 21:35:42 | More by CampusCrew