Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

ckk527

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22-oz bomber into pint glass.

A: Dark brown to black, with a glimmer of mahogany where the light hits (at bottom of piny glass when help up to light source). Thick and inviting light tan head, 2-fingers deep with a mildly aggressive pour. Substantial lacing remains near the lip of the pint glass and is streaky below that.

S: Aroma of pine, some roast, but I'm also picking up a slight musty-resiny aroma. Truly a hop-lover's dream. Not mine, but for the style, spot-on.

Taste: Hops up front, with a slight malt note next, followed immediately by a mix of cocoa and bitter citrus (grapefruit, maybe?). Something just short of burnt. There is a LOT going on here, and it all works quite nicely.

Mouthfeel: Dry and tart but smooths out to provide a light-medium feel.

O: Full disclosure: I am not a fan of IPAs in any form, but since this one was from Stone, I felt it warranted a try. A remarkable representation of the style, and priced reasonably (which is not always the case when looking to buy a brew from Stone). I will finish my bomber and enjoy the experience of tasting a truly remarkable American black ale. However, I probably will not purchase again - simply out of personal preference.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:45:42 | More by ckk527

Zach136

Georgia

4.16/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into New Belgium globe glass.

A - Pours pitch black with a one finger light tan head. Great lacing.

S - Aroma smells strangely familiar to Fruit Loops cereal to me. Tropical hops with a touch of malt.

T - Mostly pine flavored hops, a touch of grapefruit bitterness and a very coffee like finish.

M - Crisp and dry at first but leaves a sticky, resinous quality.

O - My favorite Black Ale so far. I'm still not particularly sold on the style, but this example is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:20:42 | More by Zach136

JCaweinstein

Ohio

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

Black in color with some dark brown highlights around the edges of my Sam Adams Perfect Pint. This beer has a light tan two finger head that sticks around untill the beer is empty. There is a lot of carbonation and there is a wonderful lacing left down the sides of my glass. This is a very nice looking ale.
I am picking up a variety of aromas from this ale but I really have to agitate it for them to show. The aromas that I'm getting are mostly malt based with some yeasty notes coming out as well. I'm picking up caramel, roast, and raisins.
The flavor of this beer is a little more complex than the aromas where I'm getting both malt and hop flavors. First I get the roasted malt and caramel flavor which is followed by a light citrus hop flavor. The finish is one that really reminds me of my morning coffee.
Sublimely Self-righteous is a medium bodied beer. It's mouth coatingly smooth up front. It's intensity picks up midway and on the finish where I get roastiness, citrus, and coffee. It leaves a significant aftertaste as well.
This is a quality ale. The great thing is that it's now being sold in 4 packs as opposed to the 22oz format. I'm a fan of Stone and will continue to support them by purchasing more Sublimely.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:38:40 | More by JCaweinstein

rangerred

Tennessee

3.83/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours a nearly opaque dark reddish-brown with a one finger tan head. Despite the smallish head there is outstanding head retention and nearly a solid wall of lace all the way around.

Aroma punches hard with pine resin and some tree bark. There is also a slight influence from tropical fruit but it is far behind the pine. There is a pleasant malt base with dark caramel, toast, and just a slight hint of coffee.

Tons of hops upon tasting. Pine mixed with a little bit of orange and lemon really dominates hardly letting any malt flavor through at all. Some sweet caramel along with dark toast and a faint hint of cocoa. Not nearly as much roast as I would expect given the dark color. The dark malt really shows more in the sweeter, heavier mouthfeel than in roastyness. Very bitter along with a full, somewhat sticky mouthfeel.

Overall, a really good Black IPA but I want more roast. There is not enough here to firmly set this apart from a normal IPA. That complaint aside, an excellent beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:30:44 | More by rangerred

Tomhet

Illinois

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

Stone's 11th anniversary ale that was so good they kept it in constant rotation as one of their most easily obtainable beers. Thank God for that.

Appearance is nearly pitch black with a faint trace of ruby surrounding the body when held up to light. A mildly aggressive pour yields a one-finger mocha/copper head and lacing that sticks around for a bit (strangely enough, the last few times I've had this, I've gotten a much bigger head despite the same general pouring strength; whatever). Aroma is one of very aggressive pine hops with a quite robust earthy tinge. It logically follows that there's some lemon peel and other quite acidic citrus notes just waiting to be found.

When it comes to taste, this is the real deal. The front is dominated by the aforementioned pine hops that bite the tip of the tongue, but the middle of the sip reveals a very creamy, slightly waxy mouthfeel that brings out a really balanced malt profile which eventually coalesces back with the hop profile near the end until a wonderful finish of dark chocolate gets the last word. Medium carbonation provides a nice bite and meshes perfectly with the slightly roasted, chocolatey finish. An absolutely stellar example of balance and linear taste progression from these arrogant bastards.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:17:39 | More by Tomhet

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.23/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Large head of tan on a black body. Maybe the head is a little too big? But it does have retention!

Aroma is great, a nice balanced hoppyness

Taste, not so much. There's an astringentness and background chemical blech kind of taste. The hop malt balance here is just terrible in my opinion.

The mouthfeel is fine. This beer is in what always think of as a kind of awkward alcohol range. Not low enough to be a quaffable, session beer with bright carbonation, not high enough to be a real thinker with a mild, low carbonation. But I think this sits in a pretty good balance.

However, I just can't get over that taste. Probably my biggest disappointment from Stone ever.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 16:33:53 | More by mdwalsh

bnes09

Illinois

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

Beautiful dark color with ruby hues when held to light. Mostly opaque. Two fingers egg-shell white head with excellent retention and mountains of lacing with each sip.

Aggressive aroma of piney hops and rye.

Pungent hop flavor of herbs, pine and spices dominate the palate and compliment the rye bread malt character. Although weak, the roasted malt still provides a satisfying character hinting at wheat toast. Drying finish with lingering hop bitterness.

Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Just enough malt texture to keep things interesting.

Solid black ale. Classic Stone brewing hop character.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 16:38:01 | More by bnes09

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep brown to almost black. Medium to big, frothy, tan colored head. Lacing and retention are both very good. Hints of light peek through the almost impenetrable brown to black body. A beautiful beer.

S- Bang baby! You know she's a black IPA with hop aromas like that. Mostly pine hop scents with a hint of resin flavor. Not too overpowering. Hints of the darker malts are in there, but mostly covered up by the hops.

T- Starts with a bang of hops mixed almost evenly with dark malt flavors. Tongue immediately is met with burnt flavors and hops bitterness. These flavors mix very well throughout the drink, except for the very end. The drink finishes with a slight, almost chemical-flavored bite. It's not too distracting, but it's not among the better flavors of this beer. Aftertaste is mainly of the burnt malt flavors and lingers only a little while.

M- The weight of this beer is a mix between a porter and an IPA. Slightly thicker and less carbonated than an IPA, it is very drinkable. No alcohol is detectable, and the burnt flavors and the hops don't really destroy the palate. Rather gentle on the palate as far as Stone brews go.

Overall, this is a pretty good example of a style that I am discovering that I like. Not quite as Wookey Jack from my memory, but the mix of hops and dark malts is superb except for that slight finishing flavor. Wish these weren't $8 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 23:48:31 | More by boilermakerbrew

Hopheadjnr

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

Bottle into goblet

A...almost pitch black with a quickly receding light brown head. Great lacing.

S...lots of pine and grass. Smells a bit like being in the mountains.

T...getting mostly the roasted malt right up front. A bit of black coffee and then the bitterness of the hops fight for your attention.

M...nice carbonation. Feels a bit heavy on the mouth. A full bodied brew.

O...nice winter beer for us hop heads. The only thing I didn't like is it seems like hops used may not be just right to compliment the malt. Something seems ever so slightly off. I bet this will go great with a maduro cigar. I will try that combo tomorrow.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 03:33:18 | More by Hopheadjnr

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Stone pairing glass (short-stemmed goblet) adorned with the familiar gargoyle logo

Pours a nearly pitch black topped with a one and half finger cream-colored head. Great retention and significant web-like lacing. Roasted malt, light citrus, and pronouced piney notes on the nose. Opens with roasted malt and a bit of citrus joined by grapefruit rind. Finishes with bitter rind, pine, and roasted grain and malt. Well carbonated smooth, and silky. A fantastic black IPA; a brew that was one of the first to define the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 04:22:09 | More by chanokokoro

BeerDawgs

Georgia

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

A 22oz bottle bought a year ago. So most likely the 2011 version

A - Pitch black, not much lacing. But a creamy, tan lace coating left on the top of the brew looks nice

S - Hoppy pine notes, and something sweet. Very well balanced nose. Smells delicous

T - Delicious! A very hoppy black ale. Not enough though to be considered a black ipa. Sweet hoppy ale

M - Creamy, full bodied, well carbonated. Great mouthfeel

O - Great. Like any Stone brew, very hop forward. But well balanced, and tasty. Well done! Heres to 11, and 111 more!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:39:55 | More by BeerDawgs

BradtheGreat7

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Though enjoyed many times the past 2-3 years this review was taken October 31st, 2012.

22 oz brown bomber style bottle with quality label screened on the bottle. This label is pure Stone B.C. Badass Gargoyle with some nice art and an arrogant description on the back. What more could a man want? Poured into a standard American pint glass.

A - Shade of black in color with highlights of Ruby red to brown gushing through on the edges. Big tan head sits atop this black ipa with layers of sticky lace splotched to the glass as the liquid gets closer to the bottom.

S - blackest of malts in the front of the aroma followed by a floral and citric hop Profile. Some roastiness to the scent.

T - Roasted black malts with a small hint of vanilla. Dark fruits deep within. Hop character is big Citrus and grapefruit. Alcohol spice Paired with everything else makes a pretty complex but balanced flavor. Bitter finish.

M - Pretty full in body and smooth mouthfeel. It coats the mouth nicely and has some alcohol warming to the finish. I found myself thirsting for the next drink. Quite tasty.

O - this is the best black ipa I've ever had and probably the first I actually seeked out to try. Stone sets the bar for this style and everyone else follow in line. I'm sure there are some good black IPAs out there, but I can't imagine any being better than this. A few may be equal, but for me this is the standard for American Black IPAs and is already becoming a classic for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 15:18:57 | More by BradtheGreat7

DRyan

Texas

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

Poured into a Ranger Creek tulip from a bomber

A: Looks like a heavy porter or a stout, but with some of the most beautiful head I've ever seen on a beer. It's a very lightly tan head that sticks around forever and laces immensely.
S: Doesn't smell at all like it looks. While it looks like a porter or a stout, it smells more like a pale ale or an IPA. There is a definite citrus lean to the nose, and very little of the roasty malt scents I was expecting... a very nice surprise.
T: The taste is again surprising, as it does not taste like a black IPA like it pretends to be. There is a malt heaviness to it, but there is not that roasty feel that you would expect from something this black. Again it seems more like a pale ale than anything, but this is far from pale! It's a conundrum of a beer for sure.
M: Smooth, velvety, it coats the tongue without being thick or chalky.
D: For a nearly 9% beer, this goes down almost too easily.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:59:12 | More by DRyan

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass, dark dark brown almost black with a 2" light tan head that is thick and lingers leaving great lacing, clear

S: has an amazing floral nose of hops blended with coffee, caramel, dark fruits, prunes, raisins, cherries

T: taste is very pleasant and follows the nose, bitter sweet, hops and grapefruit blended with sweeter dark fruits, bitter up front, sweet in the middle, dry finish, missing some malt flavors though

M: I expected this to be thicker., medium with lower carbonation, alcohol well hidden

O: this is a well made beer with terrific flavors, well hopped with dark fruit sweetness for balance, an excellent black ale

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:43:39 | More by M_C_Hampton

DAllspaw

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark, almost black with inch of deep mocha head. Smell is very malt forward with chocolate and other roasted notes, with some definite pieny hops. Taste is substantial, really nice body to this beer and great balance of raosted malts and piney hops with a very creamy and somewhat sweet finish. Great finish on this beer actually makes you want more.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:38:38 | More by DAllspaw

JamesMN

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Opaque black with some maroon hue when held up to the light. Thin tan head with good lacing.

Aroma: A little bit of the wet dog odor you get with some kinds of hops. Some dark malt and milk chocolate. The hops really stand out here the most.

Taste: Intensely bitter with hop flavors of grapefruit and pine. This is a fresh bottle and it really does the hops justice. The malt presence is almost overshadowed by the hops but it is there, especially in the aftertaste. Black coffee, dark malt, and just a hint of baker's chocolate. I'm sure as the hop flavor fades over time the beer will balance out but for now it is great even without much balance. No hint of the 8.7% ABV. Almost juicy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with good effervescence. Above average drinkability. There is even a bit of a creamy/smooth texture.

Final Thoughts: Another great hoppy beer from Stone. They get bonus points for adding a 'best by' date on every bottle which assured I got fresh beer. Would I drink it again? Yes.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 23:06:09 | More by JamesMN

rtig

Florida

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

Pours almost black with a nice Lacey head

Emits a nice citrus aroma

Great hoppy taste that finishes extremely well

Mouthfeel sets the standard and really makes you want to keep coming back for more.

Overall, Stone has set the bar for black IPA's. I think this is one of the best beers on the market as it is so well rounded in all categories and is worthy of its namesake.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 00:06:13 | More by rtig

Dave1999

Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pure pure black with a nice off white foamy head. This is what a dark beer should look like.

The smell is citrus hops,very fresh lemon and grapefruit.

The taste like the smell has the citrus hop flavours with a slighty malty finish. Extremely well balanced.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied,slight syrupy with low carbonation.

This really an excellent beer, the hops taste so fresh and so well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:20:25 | More by Dave1999

BeerGogglesReviews

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Opened the bottle expecting good things, and it didn't disappoint.
Forget bouquet and think bucket. Black India Pale Ale and the 'pail' is the measure per bottle for the hops. Pine, passion fruit, cocoa, bergamot orange, lychee, fruit cocktail, peach, grape, muscovado, demerara, blackstrap molasses.
In short,
YUM YUM!!!
Need I say more?

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 18:21:20 | More by BeerGogglesReviews

warrenout330

Ohio

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle

A- pours pitch black, nearly no light through it... big khaki colored head... stays around for most of the time ... very sticky lacing

S- piney sap.. roasted barely, sweet caramel malt

T- sweetness up front... bitter sappy middle... to a faint roastyness... lingering bitterness

M- medium to thinner body, almost watery in some aspects... lower carbonation ... lingering dryness

O- stone is never a disappointment... this is a great beer... possibly a good session beer... even though you might make it to 6 on these hahaha

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 07:01:54 | More by warrenout330

Homerb3

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

Awesome! By far the best imperial IPA I have ever tasted.

Pitch black in color.

The smell of floral wafts as its poured.

Nice thick rich head. Extreme lacing.

Very hoppy blend that compliments the hints of chocolate.

Nice and smooth mouthfeel, with a little touch alcohol on the end.

All around solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 12:54:30 | More by Homerb3

nUgZ

North Carolina

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

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color with an almost 2 finger head. Very nice lacing.

S: Hops and malts are present but accentuated by coffee and bitter chocolate aromas.

T: Chocolate malt flavors at first, followed by some mild hops. Hides the alcohol well.

M: Medium bodied and smooth. Light to moderate carbonation.

O: Extremely well balanced and about perfect for the style. I'm an IPA fan, but this is a great option for the winter months. I will definitely be buying more.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 20:54:19 | More by nUgZ

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

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