Stone 13th Anniversary Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The last of my southsound gathering notes.

A Pours a nice reddish amber color that had a pretty good head on it.

S Lots of a grapefruit like citrus. Still pretty strong despite being a few years old.

T Lots of citrus hops still present with a good bit of grapefruit like bitterness.

M medium body with good carbonation.

Overall this was an excellent beer despite being past it's prime. It would have been amazing to have had some fresh.

Serving type: growler

01-16-2012 17:31:12 | More by beerandcycling88

grittybrews

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From South Sound tasting notes:

Poured a very dark amber with a small tannish head. Despite being several years old, this still had a pretty big pine/grapefruit hop aroma mixed with some toffee.

Moderate carbonation and a creamy, not-too-heavy mouthfeel. Plenty of grapefruit up front mixed with biscuity toffee, slight roast, and a lingering pine finish.

Never had it fresh, but this was drinking pretty darn well even after a few years.

Serving type: growler

01-15-2012 02:10:59 | More by grittybrews

kcreming

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Filled a up a growler a few weeks ago at Greene's on Piney Grove here in Columbia, SC...

A: Looks great, nearly black...

S: The smell on this one is awesome, in my opinion... bursting with scents, caramel, maybe some blackberry... the smell really caught my attention here

T: I';m not a big fan of most higher gravity offerings, and the alcohol burn on this one bothered me a bit upon my initial try, but after a few more sips, the complexity of the flavors came through and started to grow on me

M: The feel here is good, somewhat creamy, right amount of carbonation...

D: Not exceptionally drinkable, IMO, but this is due largely to the higher ABV and thickness of the brew... still, a great sipping beer that I'm glad I tried...

Serving type: growler

09-21-2009 21:12:16 | More by kcreming

davexisxrabid

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A fresh 2 liter growler fill compliments my buddy Cesar for my birthday present. We brought the growler back and cracked it open the next night to share with some guests...

Dark mahogony red/brown color even when held up to the light. Opaque. Poured into my Sam Adams sensory glass with a lively tan head about 2 inches thick. Great retention and lacing during the drinking period.

Very piney hop notes with a burnt caramel afterthought floating around in the aroma.

Smooth caramel flavor with a grassy hop bite but not overpowering or palate wrecking as it transitions into a citrus flavor on the tounge. Interesting that this isn't a hop bomb as I was expecting from the aroma. Pretty good balance from the complex flavor.

Full bodied with decent carbonation. A light citrus flavor remains on the palate for a while after each drink.

Good drinkability but this brew might put you on your ass if you're not careful. I had about two glasses worth of the stuff in a short period of time and started feeling that familiar alcohol warmth creep up on me. Good beer!

Serving type: growler

08-24-2009 21:13:46 | More by davexisxrabid

movingtrain

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler pour into a Stone Levitation glass.

Dark, dark amber/brown...lingering on black. A good two finger head formed at first, but has since receded to a very light bit hanging out on top.

Smells hoppy...to be expected from Stone...but it's not overly hoppy in the nose. Some cinnamon, apple, ginger spice, peppercorn.

Taste is not what I expected...some very strong cinnamon taste...man, I can't put my finger on the flavors here. It's pretty bitter. There are some fruited notes, pineapple, apple, plum, maybe? Some clove flavor...hops are becoming more and more present throughout the drink as the beer continues to warm. Bitter grapefruit coming through now...again, hops are beginning to overpower some of the initial underlying flavors.

This beer is good...but I'm not super impressed. It's very hoppy, which continues to build in the flavor. An interesting color and body. I am interested to see this one with a bit of age on it, to see if the hops will settle down and bring out some of the other tasty flavors that seem to be in this beer, but are not fully present right now. At the end of the drink, the only thing remaining on the palate is hop devastation.

Serving type: growler

07-12-2009 22:43:32 | More by movingtrain

gory4d

New York

3.05/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours deep russet with a one-finger head. The smell is caramel, juniper, rubbing alcohol, witch hazel. The taste is astringent juniper, sweet toffee, and the numbing bitterness of grapefruit peel. The body is thinner than you'd expect, with low carbonation. It's just way too much work to drink this one. Why do we need Levitation times 2.1590?

Serving type: growler

07-12-2009 15:21:35 | More by gory4d

womencantsail

California

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The color is more brown than anything, but it does have a definite reddish tint. Not much head, but off-white in color, and excellent lacing.

S: Hops, a lot of them. Tons of citrus, and it just smells bitter. A few extra sniffs gives a bit of a malt finish to the nose.

T: A lot more balanced than the scent would indicate. Of course, there are tons of hops in this bad boy, lots of citrus (again) and bitterness on the front with a nice smooth, malty finish. A bit of lingering bitterness and a bit of heat.

M: Full bodied, not much carbonation.

D: Despite the hoppiness and high ABV, it's quite drinkable. Not something you could drink all day, but very tasty.

Serving type: growler

07-12-2009 03:01:37 | More by womencantsail

SaCkErZ9

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in the growler from tap at the Charleston Beer Exchange in Charleston, SC.

Pours a dark, chocolate ruby color with a stout, taut white head. Generous lacing and great head retention.

As soon as the beer hits the glass, aromas of pine waft toward me and envelope me and tease me. Smell is overwhlemingly piney and gin-like. A solid caramel and slightly fruity maltiness also appears to keep this one in check.

More piney bitterness and pine flavors. The bitterness is almost perfectly balanced with the sweet caramel and fruitiness of the malt bill. So very well balanced.

This was a great beer, perhaps the best of its style; by style I mean hoppy reds. I was a bit timid and leary because I tend to shy away from "hoppy reds" because the hops seem to be lost in the malt, but this one has plenty of hop flavor, bitterness and aroma. The alcohol is so well hidden it seems like 5% abv. A real treat. Thankfully, my father bought this growler and shared with me or I would be missing one great treat. Hop lover, rejoice in the hoppiness of this red!

Serving type: growler

06-30-2009 23:59:16 | More by SaCkErZ9

katan

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lost this in the cellar when it explicitly says not to.

A - Big thick, brown, looks full bodied. Not much head formation, but when did appear was mocha in color with little lacing.

S - The age probably muted the hops here, as all I get are a strong malt backbone. Nutty, caramel, sweet. What hops are there are trademark stone, the dark dank and hefty type.

T - Starts off malty and sweet. . Caramel malts are in charge. Mid-stream gets more balanced, bitterness appears. Then a hint of citrus and resin from a unadulterated hit of hops appears. In the finish the bitterness becomes very strong. The oily texture comes through.

M - Full bodied, moderate to light carbonation. Sticky and clingy at times, and then oily at others. Alcohol warmth sneaks in.

O/D - A nice "strong ale" that tries to bring in all the attributes. Certainly the bitterness came through, while other parts perhaps lost it with age. It really reminds me of Arrogant bastard, which sadly to say in this day and age is more balanced than it used to be. This beer carries that design a little further.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 20:42:48 | More by katan

azdback

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Stone Imperial glass. Dark caramel color that is pretty hazy. Highlights are a bright ruby red. Head is a huge three fingers. Root beer colored and about as creamy. Lace is super sticky.

Smell is ultra sweet. Caramel, taffee, some wood and still quite a bit of alcohol.

Taste is sweet. Virgin white oak and caramel. Alcohol hard candy.

Mouth is quite creamy, carbonation is bright and the finish is long, wet with quite a bit of alcohol burn.

Overall I am reviewing this 3 years out but I do remember this one fresh and am going to review this with the memory of it fresh too. I think this is still drinking pretty good. More of a barleywine now. I really did enjoy this fresh and older.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 04:54:24 | More by azdback

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark red color, head was super creamy and frothy. The aroma is unique and beyond complex. Caramel up from, slight mint, spicy hop remnants, leather, chocolate, and earth. There's a big caramel, almost chocolaty note up front on the taste, some earthy, spicy bitterness still lingering from the hops, sweet malts, and a leathery finish. Full bodied on the feel, creamy.

"Do not cellar".

I never noticed that on my bottle until I decided to crack it...3+ years later.

I haven't had it fresh, which would have been nice, though I was just getting into beer at that time and Stone entered Louisiana the year after. But, this was a nice Strong Ale. Though the said "Don't cellar", I think they knew this would hold it'd own to father time.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 00:41:26 | More by EgadBananas

MasterChef

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a ton of these back when it hit shelves. Drank half then, took notes, drank some more now to compare.

Appearance- Thick, hazy brown/red. Looked almost like blood at first, until the carbonation settled. A nice, thick, fluffy head with a bone-ivory color capped off the pour. Nothing about the appearance changed over the three years.

Smell- (Fresh)Enough hops to punch you in the face. Aroma is ripe with cut grass, citrus hop, grain-alcohol(you can smell the booze on this one), and lighter notes of charcoal, peat, and tobacco. (3 years later) Much of the grassy hop is gone, leaving warm and spicy hop aromas, sour grapes, biscuit, and warm leather. The charcoal is still there, but muted.

Taste- (Fresh) A metric ton of hops, maybe too much at once- Not bad or bitter-for-its-own-sake, just a LOT of different hop flavor. Caramel and raisins mask a lot of the strong alcohol, and the same smoky notes of charcoal and leather round out the finish. Aftertaste is a lingering combination of burnt biscuits and sour fruits. (3 years later) The hop punch is gone, leaving earthy, musty hop flavor without most of the bitterness. Cut wood, mushrooms, sour cherries,and lemon zest, with a streak of caramel sweetness straight down the middle of the tongue. Aftertaste is that of muted hops with pangs of zest and leather.

Mouth feel- Definitely carbonated, but not obnoxiously so. Thick, with enough residual sugars to keep the beer present long after the final sip. The higher alcohol warms the throat. Nice. Nothing about the mouth feel changed over the 3 years.

Overall- Wow. What a killer beer. I still have about a case left. At first, this beer was a little much- so much going on, and the wall of hops was almost too much to take in. This beer held up incredibly well to aging. 3 years later and it is an almost entirely different, yet equally wonderful beer. I save these for special occasions and get together- goes nicely with Cohiba Red Dots, late nights, and dimly lit poker games.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 02:55:24 | More by MasterChef

Hopstamon

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from past notes...

A - Poured a reddish mahogany color with nice head.

S - Citrus and fruits with definite hops presence.

T - Strong citrus, possibly grapefruit with some other fruits. Hop bitterness stays afterwards.

M - Full bodied, thick and smooth.

D - Very drinkable even with the high abv.
Would love to see them do this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 16:03:54 | More by Hopstamon

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beer served in a Stone 15th Anniversary snifter. Close enough. 

Beer is over carbonated but not too bad. Beer is dark amber and really hazy. Thick tan head of small bubbles. Tons of lacing, lots of carbonation, good retention. 

Aroma is malty and sweet. Strong alcohol. 

It is a good beer. Medium in body and sweet through. Strong alcohol and a great bitterness on the back end. I like Stone beers. I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 15:59:02 | More by drabmuh

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A 22oz bottle found at my local liquor store. Aged 2 years. Bottle says drink fresh, enjoy by 2009. Oops.

A - A cloudy, amber/brown color. 0 clarity. 1 finger of head, and sticky lace all over the place

S - A boozy smell of caramel, sweet aromas. Very, very boozy. Probably because the hops have faded, not leaving the alcohol much to hide behind

T - Sweet caramel, malty, boozy. The hops have faded, but it is fantastic. Definitely a sipper beer

M - Thick, full bodied, wow.

O - An amazing strong ale. I never had it fresh, but I can imagine what it was like, and I honestly think aging helped this beer. This is some sweet nectar from the gods...

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:05:33 | More by BeerDawgs

ikantspel

California

3.03/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into a pint glass

brewed in june, 2009. DO NOT CELLAR, ENJOY IN 2009 written on bottle

pours a gilded bronze with a rising 2 finger head.

you can smell this when it pours and it smells ridiculous
floral and earthy notes with some hops

hops, sweet taste that turns kinda bitter followed by a toasty malt and chocolate.

kinda thick and flavor thats left goes fast

this beer would have been great in 09. its seen better days, but still not shabby

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:33:58 | More by ikantspel

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this at Lord Hobo earlier in the week.

Poured from the tap into a tulip glass.

The color is a a cloudy dark maroon with a finger or two of foamy brownish head with some nice lacing left on the glass..

The smell is pretty darn malty. There is some slight hops in the back with some dark fruit aroma.

The taste is malty with some biscuit like flavor. There seems to be more dark fruit flavor like raisins and plumbs in the middle with some very light bitterness at the end.

The feel of this beer is medium bodied and is drinkable even more then before. There is quite a difference from a fresh bottle to now two years later. It is still drinkable and goes down easy with a smooth feel.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 04:59:06 | More by Duhast500

armock

New York

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Perry's Liquor in Livermore, Ca purchased summer 2011.

A - Poured a dark copper color with a tan head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of piney hops on top of sweet caramel malt at this point in time

T - Like the nose bitter citrus and piney hops on strong caramel malt

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

O - I'm sure this beer is well past its prime but its still a pretty good beer that I'm enjoying the hops aren't as fresh as they should be but they're still there making this almost barleywine like with the way it is I think this is still worth drinking if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 06:01:56 | More by armock

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got a bottle of this in August of 2010, so the brew was not fresh like the bottle says it should be enjoyed. However I wanted to have it and give it a try. The brew poured out as a brownish color with a pretty decent head on it. The smell of the beer is malty and had some nice hops in there also. The taste of the brew was similar to a Barley Wine to me. Sweet, hoppy and dry. The mouthfeel was on the thicker side. Overall not a bad brew, wish I could have had it sooner just to see the difference.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 03:35:50 | More by Knapp85

Dmann

California

4.88/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just came up on a couple bottles of this the other day and am I ever glad I did! Beer pours a dark amber/brownish color with a nice off white head that leaves a generous portion of lace behind. Smell is heavy on roasted malts, dark chocolate and an amaretto scents. Not much hops to speak of in the nose after 2+ years of aging. Flavor is incredible and has taken on kind of a twisted, barleywine like profile. Great roasted malt and dark chocolate up front with a tinge of the 9.5% abv sneaking in there as well, followed by a nice acidic bite on the back end. Couple that flavor with a nice, crisp mouthfeel and great carbonation level and you have yourself one great beer.

I had this beer many times when it first came out and I always thought the hop profile was nice but overpowered many of the underlying characteristics. Now after a bit of aging this beer is truly stellar, do not hesitate to get it if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 01:11:00 | More by Dmann

ehammond1

California

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2009)

Stone 15th Anniversary Celebration
CSU, San Marcos
San Marcos, CA

(Aged 2 years at the brewery)

Dark auburn and near brown with ruby and red highlights near the edges. Khaki head and lots of lacing left on the glass. Very pretty.

The piney and pungent hops I remember this beer having when fresh have certainly faded, leaving lots of sweet toffee and caramel and a sweet and powerful tang from the yeast.

Little to no hop punch is left, leaving a dark, sticky caramel, yet delicious ale, letting the yeast and roast really shine far more than they did in the fresh version. Obviously, this will never happen with a beer only brewed once, but I'd love to drink this one next to a fresh bottle. If memory serves me correct, they seem to be vastly different beers two years apart from one another.

Medium to thick mouthfeel, though a touch still and heavy.

I enjoyed this beer I think more than the sum of its parts would indicate. Though the hops had certainly faded, this was actually one of my favorites of the Stone Anniversary Celebration.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 19:21:36 | More by ehammond1

Phocion

Minnesota

1.85/5  rDev -54.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Do not cellar. Enjoy in 2009.

Oops.

22 oz. bomber (mostly) poured into a 16 oz. shaker pint. Dark, dark amber with a tiny off-white frothy head and excellent lacing.

Aroma reminds me of a barleywine. Sweet caramel/brown sugar and roasted malts. Slight hint of citric/piney hoppiness despite the age. Also a strong whiff of the 10% ABV this thing is packing.

Flavor is...well, bad. It has an immense bitterness that overpowers everything else. It's not a hoppy bitterness, but more like a charred and downright unpleasant almost dark-chocolate flavor that utterly destroys the palette.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and decently carbonated, even after two years. But with the flavor of this thing, I just can't finish it.

I realize this is past its prime, but adding more hops to this thing would only make it worse. I'm also a huge and unapologetic Stone fanboy and have been for years (having had my first legal beer 20 minutes away from the brewery), but this one is downright bad. Good thing they're not brewing any more. First beer from these guys I've ever dumped... ugh.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 22:02:40 | More by Phocion

richkrull

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a darker amber brown color with a finger of tan head on it. Not much lacing to speak of.

Smell was full of caramel malts with a bit of citrus coming through as well.

Taste has a slightly bitter citrus flavor upfront with the malt thoughout. Bit of an alcohol taste in the finish.

Mouthfeel is light-medium. More of a sipping beer.

Overall a beer that I enjoyed trying. Definitely couldn't drink too many of these in an evening but a good nightcap or beer to share.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 19:37:30 | More by richkrull

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours a mahogany color with a tan head.

S: Smells strong like almonds and some hazelnut with some light hoppiness and, strange enough, garlic. It sounds disgusting, I know, but it’s not. The aroma is really inviting, if a garlic scent can do that without being in an Italian dish.

T/M: You can immediately taste chocolate in the back of your throat, light traces of hops and nuttiness throughout. Biscuity malts and marshmallow round out the finish. It’s very rich and very good.

I know this wasn’t their intention, but this beer must have gotten better with age. Either that, or I may have peed my pants in ecstasy if I tried it in 2009. Old beer won’t make you sick will it? I hope I don’t get collera or lupus or something. Eh, I don’t care, it’s worth it.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 02:00:16 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

warnerry

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"enjoy in 2009"; yeah, didn't get to it until 10/5/2010

Pours a deep amber with three fingers of head, leaving nice lacing behind.

Smell is mostly grapefruit rind and rind, followed by some caramel malt and some quite apparent alcohol.

Still a decent hop punch in the taste, mostly grapefruit and pine. Balanced with caramel malt, and a faint taste of bubblegum. Quite bitter on the aftertaste, and the alcohol makes no attempt to hide itself.

Medium, slightly oily mouthfeel.

Overall this is bitter with some obvious alcohol, but still enjoyable even if it was past it's prime.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 01:40:51 | More by warnerry