Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.69/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale pours a black color, with a small lacing head. There is a nice smokey, but mostly floral aroma. The taste has a sharp hoppy kick, then finished smooth and smokey, with hints of a burnt like malt flavors. Good full flavors. Overall this beer is soo incredibly enjoyable, great full intense flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:31:47 | More by vette2006c5r

erialbill

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours black but not too thick. Very nice creamy tan head that left ample lacing on sides of the glass. Nice job of combining a great stout with a great IPA. You get to enjoy all of the complex flavours of both beer types in just the right combination. Another great Stone offering. Would highly suggest giving it a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 22:22:42 | More by erialbill

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours black-maroon. Lacing is good. Head is meager.

Piney earth, roast, leafy hops, anise, grapefruit, and greens.

Rugged hoppiness with a sting. The sting is booze and big latent bitterness. Nearly spicy. Pine and grapefruit, foremost. Roasted grain supplements the malty underdog. Fresh leafy hops with an electric zip. Bready notes. Bitter greens, bitter orange, Angostura Bitters... an exercise in bitterness. Yet, very flavorful.

Gushy soppy feel. Sluggish body tones down the want to guzzle. Heavy in the mouth with all sorts of carb action.

Classy ale with that Stone intensity. Dark and satisfying. Delightful.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 13:50:19 | More by thecheapies

Roman5150

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

bottle purchased from Total Beverage in Murfreesboro, TN

appearance: very dark, mocha colored one finger head

smell: great mix of malt and hops, none is too overwhelming. i smell some apple and cloves as well.

taste: very malty backbone, with a very hoppy finish. smooth and well balanced. hints of coffee, caramel, apple, and piney, earthy hops.

mouthfeel: not over carbonated, this sits well on your tongue

overall: I will be buying this upon seeing it, tastes amazing. I would say this beer tastes very similar to Sweetwater's Happy Ending seasonal, if you've had that (or this), you will love the other. Except this one is a tad bit more malt heavy. Either way, I love dark beer with lots of hops, and if you do too, Stone did a great job with this one. Well crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 23:04:34 | More by Roman5150

kangarooAdam59

Maine

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

Thanx Aaron (I'm glad I'm finally able to mention your name on here and will from now on every time you hook me up):

Into a pint glass:

A: black body with a film of a head; some light sticky lacing clings to the sides

S: up front powerful hops i.e. grapefruit, pine and then adds some subtle chocolate and malty undertones

T: mostly bitter yet somewhat sweet as it warms a bit through the previously mentioned flavors

M: medium, semi-sessionable though the alcohol isn't really felt, somewhat creamy

O: big wow here, I wasn't expecting this American Black Ale to be as good as it was, I will definitely have this one again

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 00:30:09 | More by kangarooAdam59

dbossman

Nebraska

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

A: Black with a steady two-inch head; lacing is fantastic

S: Intensely hoppy: grapefruit, pineapple, pine cones, weed; so fruity and dank with subtle chocolate, anise, and malty undertones

T: Wow, that's good; not nearly as bitter as expected--all the hop forward flavors but also some semisweet chocolate and coffee to round things out

T: Pretty creamy, sticky viscous

O: This is a damn good black IPA: big but not boozy; hoppy as hell but not overpoweringly bitter; some maltiness and oh, so much mmm

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:35:01 | More by dbossman

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.69/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Black at the body, you get dark ruby hues around the edge. Great color and a bubbly yet firm, khaki head creates a very nice appearance.

Sweet candied fruits and dry fruitiness hit the nose. Hints of chocolatey sweetness and breadiness hide inside prune, raisin and must.

Strong hop flavor and dry pineyness assault the tongue. Dried fruit flavors such as prune or raisin are enveloped in strong pine and metallic tastes. No roast, no toast and no malt flavor can be found in a very dry to the palate feel. Strong metal after taste sits in the mouth and a harsh dryness stays for some time.

This resembles an IPA with little Black qualities in the taste. The scent got my hopes up but the taste and feel really let me down.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 20:51:18 | More by KYGunner

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a tulip at Stoddards

Appearance: The beer is black as night. It poured a minimal head, but left some nice lacing on the glass. No visibility or vision of bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: roasted coffee, chocolate, and pine.

Taste: Same as above with nice bitterness in the end.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, low to medium carbonation, tingly bitterness, and a little dry.

Overall: Where's the 8%? Drinkability and taste are awesome. More please.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 00:24:50 | More by Flounder57

Samuel906

California

3.89/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a super dark mahogany with a thick fluffy head that is plastered to the side of your glass. Very mild nose, some faint hops and malt but fairly underwhelming. Taste is great: lots of roasted grains and cereals, carmalized sugar, baking chocolate and a strong hoppy finish. Pretty complex, and a pleasure to drink. Smooth and full bodied with lots of carbonation. None of the 8+% comes through. Absolutely terrific beer, and one of my favorite black IPAs.

Great pizza beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:49:38 | More by Samuel906

BBQSteve

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a stem bubbly white head immediately.

Hop smell up front but not in taste.

Great mouthfeel medium heavy.

Early notes of molasses then malt and hops and a bit of sour.

Glad I tried it. It is readily available and it will be on my list again in the future but no hurries.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:23:32 | More by BBQSteve

FlemingVSKing

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Unless you just don't like dark ales, it's hard to call this one anything much less than perfect.

It has great complexity, ranging from a deep flavorful ale to a bright floral hop. Just simply put it offers a wide range of complementary flavors that really make each sip a different experience. I'm excited by drinking it.

The visual appeal is all there as well. A nice head from an average pour and great retention. The coloring is deep and black with some reddish tints near the edges of the glass.

My first reaction was "wow this is going to make a strong case for being my favorite beer." And that holds true. I had it on tap but can't wait to pick up a case.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 05:48:09 | More by FlemingVSKing

dar482

New York

3.38/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

It starts off in a very dark black color. The aroma isn’t very strong, but with a malty nose.

It tasted more like a strong ale than anything. It was a bit flat, with a bit of creaminess to the body. and then hits with a bit of roasted malty and peppery finish. It even has a slight licorice flavor to it and then hits with an alcohol bite. I’m surprised to not care for it. I didn’t hate it, but I had no reason to come back to it.

In the end, I might have had a late bottle, but it was still a few weeks before the “Enjyo By” date.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:40:07 | More by dar482

Oxymoron

Colorado

2.56/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a midnight black color with brown hues throughout. A soft brown head with limited retention but some lacing.

Hop forward in the aroma. Some pine and citrus notes. Some herbal and bit of cat pee. Some yeasty notes, esters, rose peddles and tropical fruits and a light fig. Some buytic notes, dirty feet.

The taste follows suit per the aroma. The hops come out at first and leave a balance taste. Mostly a pine earthy almost woody note. But a strong bitterness and astringency mute the finish. Again some off yeasty notes are a bit deterrent. Fruity esters and herbal floral. Some tar like tastes that were off setting and noticeable dirty feet finish. So much so I felt this was a drain poor.

The body was moderately light. Some drying finish and ashy. astringent finishes. Carbonation was light. Overall good hop presence but because of the off yeast notes I couldn't finish it.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 01:10:55 | More by Oxymoron

ajcormier

New Hampshire

3.86/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Serving: Small tulip tasting glasses, 2010 Vintage

A - Dark as ever, good lacing and medium head retention.

S - Still hoppy on the nose with chunks of chocolate and tobacco.

T - Subtle hops, amazed at how much hop flavor there was still even after the 2 1/2 years aging. I was actually pleasantly surprised at the deliciousness. Similar tasting notes to the aroma. Bigger chocolate on the palate and cleanly dry finish

M - As noted, dry finish but good carbonation remained.

O - Still a great beer. When I buy my yearly case I might start aging half of them as they were different yet delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 14:56:00 | More by ajcormier

mdcrouser

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I'ts a good day - EMAW pulled out a co-Big 12 championship in basketball. Sublimely Self-Righteous - this one's for KU.

Even with a slow pour, it brings up a nice tan head, resolving to nearly nothing, sitting upon a deep dark blackness.

Fresh, cool, minty, highly arromatic - oddly, on first impression, it reminds me of really, really great toothpaste. As it warms, I get a lot of big citrus - awesome on the nose.

Ridiculous - gigantic in the mouth, with an insurmountable mound of hops. Greenery, pine, licorice, grapefruit It's a darker, deeper version than traditional IPAs though, but without the malty backbone. I can't compare it to anything I've had before. Strange though, in that I like it, but can't quite put my finger on exactly how much I like it.

Carbonation pops, hitting the tongue like pine needles. Wraps the mouth in the depth of hops. Nice.

Really well done beer - amazingly big in the nose and mouth. Not my favorite version of the style, but still really good.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:28:36 | More by mdcrouser

sethmeister

New Hampshire

4.65/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a creamy tan head, Shrinks slowly, leaving panels of lace down the sides of the glass.

Scent is toasty and biscuity with a bright citrus note - grapefruit and orange - and a resiny pine scent. Yum.

Taste is citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon!), piney, earthy, oniony hops. That's a lot of hops. I forgot spicy hops. A satisfying roasty and toasted chocolate malt note peers out from the pile of oily cones.

Mouth is slick, soapy and on the slender side of medium.

Drinkability is excellent. 8.7% abv hidden well.

Fantastic beer. Hop flavors and scents are complex and intense and the malt presence is the perfect counterpart. This is the best beer I have had in quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:56:47 | More by sethmeister

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.01/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle, no date

Does a great job of combining the skunky dank hoppiness of their IPA with some toasty roasted molassesy goodness (the black). Maybe a touch of alcohol spice but otherwise its very drinkable for ~9%.

If more black IPAs were like this, they wouldn't beso much like the red-headed stepchild of beer styles

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 22:51:15 | More by jimmah120

TheCondor

Missouri

4.19/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Went over to my brother in laws house to drink beer while the women folk conversed about whatever. Talked about football, I bought two craft beers, he bought two, we drank all of it. Awesome. This was one of those beers. Side poured with standard vigor into a pint glass.

Appearance - Of course Stone has cool packaging on their beers. That is a given. Pours a jet black color with a small half finger head that recedes quickly but leaves nice lacing throughout the drink. Not sure if it is a stout, a black ale, or what. I didn't read the package, I just bought it.

Smell - Hops hops and hops. Piney, earthy, really potent. Just what you would expect from a Stone beer. You gotta give them credit, they do what they want to do, and it is always unique. A little smoked malts or barley in there as well. Now I am holding a black beer with strong pine hops notes emanating from it, I'm all confused. A black IPA?

Taste - Just what I thought, the hops were the big dogs on this porch. Bitter, piney hops sweep the palate upon the drink, delicious. The malts make a cameo appearance as well, more so as the brew warms, but there is certainly a powerful hops presence.

Mouthfeel - Bitter finish, just a hint of alcohol, warm going down. Medium bodied and carbonated.

Overall - Once again, an excellent offering from Stone. Just like the last beer I reviewed, I was not sure what to classify it as until I got home and reviewed it. I see here BA has it as an American Black, which is fine. These hybrid beers are wicked good! Hats off to the brewers. Try this beer out ASAP, Condor recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:35:08 | More by TheCondor

Belgianbeerbunny

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

It's difficult to review a style that I don't enjoy. I tend to like Belgian anything (except Lambics and Geuzes), porters and stouts. Although this bottle didn't say "IPA", I suspected that anything coming out of Stone would be very hoppy.

A - It looks like something I'd want to drink - black as night with a 1/2 inch head leaving nice lacing.

T - Then I get a whiff of the hops and pine. It smells like I'm about to drink a Daisy Cutter. (Not that I mind a Daisy Cutter every once in a while, especially is I'm up at Half-Acre.) I don't taste the malt or yeast at the end. Just pine and hops.

M - Medium body. Someone else said "oily" and I'm going to go with that. Is it the pine oil?

O - If I was entertaining an IPA-lover, I would get them this. Usually I do buy Daisy Cutter or Dog Fish Head 90 Minute IPA, but this would be good in the IPA rotation.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:13:49 | More by Belgianbeerbunny

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

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

A- Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Pours pitch black with a big, 2 finger tan head. Pretty thick. Head lingers for a few minutes. Beautiful lacing that slowly trickles down the glass

S- Hops hit you strong at first, followed by some roasted barley notes. Strong pine and hop resin with some sweet, earthy aroma.

T- Another hop forward brew as usual from Stone. The hop level really took me by surprise at first since the bottle gave no indication that this was an IPA. But make no mistake...it most certainly is. A little citrus and a boatload of pine really popped me in the mouth. Resinous. Then the roasted flavor came through. A very solid malt base of roasted barley and a touch of chocolate at the end. Very good balance with some complexity. A touch of alcohol at the end that isn't overpowering, but does a nice job of warming you up.

M- mid body. Feels a little thin and oily, but very smooth and drinkable given the ABV. Mid carbonation with a dry finish.

O- Simply delicious. If it isn't a black IPA, it sure fooled me. Since the aroma wasn't powerful like i have come to expect from great IPAs, I couldn't tell until I tasted it that this was an IPA. To steal a quote from another beer advocate, "It's as if you were to cross an Old Rasputin with a Palate Wrecker". A strong dark beer with an intense hop level to go with a robust roasted, malty base. Black IPAs are one of my favorite style of beer, and this one is maybe the best i have ever had (also love El Cucuy by Marshall Brewing). My palate continues to be enchanted by the Stone brews.

$10.99 for 4 pk

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 23:16:00 | More by Bosoxfan20

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.19/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to rock art pint glass

A: Dark as night could qualify for a decent stout though not totally opaque it has a dark vanilla head with a thick lacing .

S: lots of fresh hops upfront especially for a black IPA there is also plenty of roasted malt to balance out the smell though there is a little bit of alcohol

T: follows the nose with lots of hops up from but again is balanced out by the malt though the roasted flavor is overpowered by the hop bitterness in the finish which is huge for a black ipa but does calm down and the malt starts to come out more as the beer warms up. All that being said the alcohol is no where to be found.

M: Somewhat thin but very oily and surprisingly resinous especially for a black ipa there is quite the sticky bite. It does go down really easily considering the abv which is impressive drinkable as can be.

O: Pretty good black ipa a bit too hoppy for a black ipa I like hops so it wasn't bad just not to style in my opinion. It also does not have that great of a scent but this is a real solid beer and I would highly recommend it very drinkable for the abv and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 00:52:34 | More by Pinknuggets

Yokoono76

Colorado

1.61/5  rDev -62.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: beautiful rich dark brown in color. Nice head, 2-3 fingers worth.

S: hoppy, piney-tar

T: wow,it's really hoppy! Did not expect it to be so bitter. Notes of pine, tiny little aftertaste of chocolate, but overhwlemed by the bitter metallic flavor. So bitter and metallic. It doesn't mellow either. Yikes!

M: good carbonation, nice thickness

O: I was so excited when I first poured it, rich head, great color... I got excited. Then, I smelled it, hoppy, pine, tar. The taste was so bitter, it has some depth which might become more noticeable if it weren't so bitter. Overall, I am underwhelmed. Perhaps if you like bitter, hoppy, metallic beers you might like it. I am not impressed.

Note: I would be willing to try it at a warmer temp., perhaps it might mellow out or add some depth. I just don't get the bitter beer movement.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:34:19 | More by Yokoono76

Deigea

California

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into Stone Russian Imperial Stout snifter. Beer was allowed to warm for 30 minutes after pulling out of fridge.

Appearance: Brown on top to deep black. Flashlight cannot be seen through thicker parts of glass. Head is light brown, and medium, although fades pretty quickly. Remnants of head left after fading.

Aroma: Very hoppy with mostly pine or resin. There are hints of citrus after. Overall taste doesn't linger for long, and very pleasant. Deep and malty, not crisp like a normal IPA.

Taste: A strong beginning that quickly mutes compared to most Stone beers. The initial taste of pine and hops die off quick but leave a bit of bitter in the back of the throat. While hops are prevalent at first, malt shows up quickly after and fades leaving only a slight aftertaste. The pine is probably the strongest flavor, showing up just before the hops leave and staying with the malt and lingering after.

Mouth-feel: Obviously has the thickness of a dark IPA. Not nearly a porter or stout, but more obvious than others. Decent carbonation levels which are obvious with each sip, but not overwhelming by any means. Very pleasant beginning taste.

Overall Impression: A very pleasant dark IPA. I can't say I'd enjoy more than one bomber in a night due to it's complexity, but the taste is overall impressive. Definitely worth a try if you're looking for a dark IPA. I can see why this beer was brought back after being the Stone 11th Anniversary.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 05:46:15 | More by Deigea

pcguitarwzrd

Florida

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

A: Dark like a stout or porter, with a foamy khaki head.

S: Sweet, malty, hoppy, complex. Can detect semi-sweet chocolate notes and some hops.

T: Dark malt, espresso, baking chocolate, raisins, citrusy hops--it's like a chocolate covered fruit basket. There's a good amount of malt sweetness, and just enough hop and black malt bitterness to balance it out.

M: Creamy, medium-heavy, like a good porter, but with a lot of hops and alcohol drying it out at the end.

O: A very interesting beer, like a super-hoppy porter or a full-bodied black IPA. Stone's beers frequently defy categorization, but in this case that's a good thing. This one gets straight 4's from me because I was impressed (albeit not floored) in every field. Would certainly buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 21:37:07 | More by pcguitarwzrd

raynmoon

California

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Looks very dark brown with a creamy "mocha" head that sticks around. When heald to the light, a really nice ruby red can be seen.

Smells great. Not very potent though. I had to keep going in to try to pick out what I smell. I get a nice citrusy, tangerine smell. Smells like Stone.

It has a huge roasty, bitter presence with a bite of alcohol and goes down smooth. It is a bit harsh, but it is also very nice. No hop presence really in the taste, which is a little disappointing.

Overall, it drinks very solid. There is no offensive flavors to be found and is very expertly made. I just don't enjoy the taste enough to finish a 22 oz bottle. Definitely presents itself as a strong, alcohol forward beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 07:09:18 | More by raynmoon