Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Cloudy golden yellow topped with an large off white head. Head is sticky and leaves lots of lace on the glass.

S- Floral hops and a hint of pineapple, aroma is subtle in nature.

T- Bitter hops that slowly builds to a crescendo of hop bitterness, somewhat balanced out by a quick note of sweet pineapple. The finish is dry, clean and with a lingering bitter hop note.

M- Medium in body and with decent carbonation, the body has a slightly viscous feel to it, not unpleasant but noticeable.

O- Solid effort, could use a little more balance to make it more interesting though. The 8.6% ABV shows up a little as it warms in the form of some heat in the finish,

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 03:28:50 | More by ToddT

Dmann

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another winner from Stone. Even after a year of aging, this IPA This beer poured a nice lightly cloudy golden color with a nice white head. Smell was quite fruity with lots of nice grapefruit and strawberry notes. Flavor was nice with peppery hops right off the bat followed by a nice semi sweet malt backbone and another dose of dry bitterness on the back end that begged you to take another sip. Match this with a nice light mouthfeel and this is a very enjoyable beer. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 06:20:31 | More by Dmann

emmasdad

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of this one somewhere in Denver (I cannot remember where). Poured a dark hazy yellow color with a decent white head. Aromas of pine, citrus and caramel. On the palate, this one was medium bodied, with flavors of pine, citrus and caramel.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 00:19:20 | More by emmasdad

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours a hazy yellow laced with snowy white flakes and settles into a burnt orange capped by a foamy white head. There is a lot of sediment near the bottom.

S: Smells very yeasty, almost moldy, with hints of something unpleasant like mildew. This is uncharacteristic of Stone so I’m fairly certain this is an ill preserved bottle. It doesn’t smell very hoppy, but does have hints of orange and lemon as well as bready, biscuit malts.

T/M: Taste throws you for a loop after the aroma; it’s a heavy texture right away, hops are prominent up front and are thick but not very bitter, some oranges sneak through followed by bready malts. It feels very heavy on the tongue.

All around, this is a good IPA but I may have received a poorly preserved bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 22:10:22 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

KYBrewgrass

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - 3.5 Dark golden orange, hazy color. Minimal whitish head on the pour. There's yeast sediment present that slowly nestles to the bottom of the glass. Relatively sticky lacing.

S - 4 The aroma is nice. There is a definite citrus and hop presence, and it also smells a little strong (boozy). It's not overbearing by any means.

T - 4 The flavors really open up as this one warms. A hoppiness up front turns to a citrus/grapefruit bomb in the middle of the drink. There's a malty syrup-like taste to balance this fairly well, and I get a bit of yeast in there also.

M - 3.5 This is medium in body, maybe just above, but is somewhat syrupy and leaves a dry finish. Carbonation is sufficient.

D - 3.5 This is more of a sipper than a drinker for me. It is a nice, tasty brew, but not one that I could pound. One of the bombers would be perfect for a slow, easy-going afternoon or evening out on the deck. It sits heavy for me, so that is why I'd leave it at that. Very nice effort all-around, though. I'd probably be just as happy, if not happier, with Ruination for example... Glad I picked it up nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 14:18:37 | More by KYBrewgrass

FARGO619

California

5/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a clean golden yellow with flashes of orange and lively bubbles of carbonation that dance below the foamy, feather white head that very patiently leaves a hearty lacing behind.

Citrus and floral hops traditional of an American IPA as well as the citrus yeast more traditional of an English style as advertised. There is also some sweetness hidden in there as well as citrus zest.

The flavor offers similar citrus hop bite accompanied by the same yeast as the aroma, with even more citrus character and floral hops with hints of spice.

Medium bodied that went down smooth. Definately a good summer beer that I had on a nice cool day with an ocean breeze. Perfect beer to chill to.

Serving type: bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 00:29:36 | More by FARGO619

buschbeer

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 6oz bottle
Served in a tulip glass

A - It is orange with golden highlights. It is hazy. Three inches of off white head are perched on top.

S - I get a balance of malt and citrus hops. I get an orange/peach aroma as well.

T - I get a fleeting taste of citrus and am bombarded with bitterness. Very bitter and dry.

M - My mouth is left with a chalky feel.

O - I was left wincing from the bitterness a few times on this one. I'm a pussy that likes midwest IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 19:16:50 | More by buschbeer

chicagoabbot

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

from notes...22 oz. chug into a pint glass...aroma is definitely different than the regular "Stone IPA" wheel (a great wheel nonetheless). Big malt tempered by hops, but as they say on the bottle, it's more of an English type of bitterness than a classic West Coast IPA like many of their brews. Strong beer...the alcohol isn't masked quite as well as it could be. It's its own beer though, and I dig it. Great mouthfeel. Unique beer. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 05:38:42 | More by chicagoabbot

colts9016

Idaho

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured the beer into a pint glass at 44 degrees.

Appearance: A frothy creamy ivory head that is one in half fingers thick. The head left some lacing on the glass and it has good retention. The color of the beer is coppery orange with amber highlights. The clarity of the beer is hazy wit yeast partials and there is a fair amount of carbonation bubbles too.

Nose: A very floral, fruity, grapefruit, and pine nose; however, it is way different from American hops. The malt is lightly toasted and his a biscuit notes. Other aromas are musty dank, yeast, phenols, and a touch of solvent.

Taste: A full body hop profile with only English hops, wow. The hops is fruity esters and floral for the main component and a hint of pine. Other flavors are dank basement, yeast, phenols, and a touch of solvent.

Overall: The mouth feel of the beer is astringent, carbonated, and warming. The body of the beer is medium and the finish is medium full. This beer is really different, the use of English hops is done well; however when the beer gets warmer it take on a musty cheese flavor. Good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 00:41:20 | More by colts9016

dhartogs

Virginia

2.23/5  rDev -42.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured a nice orangish color, with a decent head. Nice smell, not too hoppy, well balanced citruis smell.

Now the taste. The first sip was OK, but then I let it linger and the after taste of strong grapfruit rind lingered and lingered to the point where it was un appealing. The more I drank the more bitter and dry my mouth got. I like hops but this was a bit too much, to the point where I could not finish this beer. Seems like it needed a litte more malt to balance this attack of grapefruit rind.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 17:11:21 | More by dhartogs

BrewCrew2010

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cloudy orange body with a fast receding white head that leaves some light lacing.

S: A nice hoppy aroma balanced with some pale malts, tropical fruit, and spices.

T: For some reason, I felt like I am drinking hoppy orange juice. Lots of bitter citrus hops in the flavor balanced with some sweet malts. Also getting some grapefruit and spices. Finishes slightly boozy and dry.

M: Creamy texture; appropriate carbonation; medium body.

O: I enjoyed this beer a lot. Really refreshing, but nothing too interesting. Although very balanced, this isn't one of those "complex" DIPAs. Glad I tried it, but wouldn't go out of my way to get more... not that I could because it's a limited brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 18:00:57 | More by BrewCrew2010

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour was very nice. Rich dark amber in color with lots of orange highlights. This was a beer drinkers DIPA for sure. Big head of white towered over the top and only settled down slightly into a thin film across the top. The aroma was loaded with piney hops. Huge notes here of deep resin and hints at a buttery, biscuit like mid palate were prominant. Full medium body here with a lots of carbonation and a smooth mellow like coating on the tongue. Long drawn out finish here with the most mellow of touches on the final taste.

Overall a very solid and very big IPA. I would have no issue at all with serving this one all the time. Rich, full and loaded with flavor we have a winner here.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 02:54:39 | More by mikesgroove

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky light orange/yellow with a big 3 inch white head that fades to a small cap. Nice rings of puffy lacing on the drink down. Smells of sweet malts, extreme pine/citrus zest hops, and nail polish remover. The chemical nail polish smell is really throwing me off. Taste is all up in your face with the pine/citrus zest hops, almost like chewing on pine needles and grapefruit rinds at the same time. There is a sweet malt finish and surprisingly the bitterness on the palate after each sip is quite mild. Mouthfeel is weird because there is carbonation but the beer is still somehow flat and thick. Overall, this is a good DIPA from Stone. They really know how to pack in the hops and this anniversary beer is just another example of their love for the green stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 07:10:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

Spiekerbox

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Hazy orange with a decent sized orange-ish head, Decent lacing with big bubbles as head dissipates.

S- Sweet hoppyness, citrusy with a mix of other hops as well.

T- Hops, and hops. Citrusy hops are definately the biggest player but a good mix of hop flavors thoughout the drink. Nice bitter finish with a warmth of alcohol involved.

M- Sticky, medium body and low-moderate carbonation. Alcohol definately noticable in the finish (as mentioned above) not sure if the warmth helps the finish or not.

O- Decent DIPA but nothing spectacular, could probably only have one of these in a night but this 22 will take a while to finish as it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 01:05:42 | More by Spiekerbox

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a Stone pint glass. Why not celebrate the beer in a company glass?

I bought three bottles when this beautiful beer came out. I finally opened the third bottle of this incredibly hoppy beer.

On the pour I had a one and a half finger head. It retained the creaminess for a couple minutes.

The color is a deep yellow color. It has some nice haze to the shading to the beer.

I smell a nice bouquet of hops. There are a lot of different hops in the beer, but the cascade comes through. Your can smell the grapefruit coming through. Not a surprise with Stone. They throw lots of great hops into all their beers. This works for my hophead favortism.

I enjoy the flavors coming through from the first drink. I like how the hops come through in each drink. The hops have matured well with the additional aging. These extra years have added bitterness, but they mellow in each drink.

I am excited for the 15th to come.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 00:06:33 | More by ummswimmin

EkimGram

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: 22oz bottle poured into a large snifter. Pours an orange-yellow-amber colour. Rather hazy with a bubbly 1/2 inch thick head, visible lacing as it begins to dissipate.

Smell: Very hoppy, fruity, and sweet. A bit of spice lingers at the end.

Taste: Not as powerful as I would have expected. Very bitter and somewhat boozy upfront, some citrus, lots of pine. Finishes bitter and boozy. Overall, hoppy,.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, somewhat crisp yet a little sticky at the same time. Very nice.

Overall: As with many other imperial IPAs, it doesn't go down quite like water. The amount of bitter and alcohol is powerful and strong yet to be expected. It's nice to sit and sip but I can't imagine having more than one in a single night.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 05:01:30 | More by EkimGram

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is a hazy golden straw color with a dense white head on it.

S: The nose is quite inviting (at first). Initially there is plenty of fruitiness to it--pineapple and grapefruit, especially. Then some lightly floral and spicy hops come into the picture along with a very distinct grassiness.

T: Initially I really liked the flavor of this as it matched the nose nearly perfectly. As the beer warmed up a little bit, the hop flavor became grassy and very spicy. A good bitterness to it without much in the way of malt (typical Stone beer).

M: The body is perhaps on the light end of medium with a moderate and tingling carbonation.

D: I usually like Stone's anniversary beers, but this one just didn't quite do it for me. I guess if I'm going to have any more of these, I'll have to drink them quickly.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 23:50:35 | More by ExtraStout

philbertk

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Stone Brewing Company--Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA--India Pale Ale--2010 22 oz. Bottle. 8.90% ABV. 100 IBU's? (4.0 / 5.0) Dense lacy lasting rocky 1/2 inch head. Cloudy bright orange gold color. Fizzy! Sweet rich floral aromatic yet gentle hop front. Creamy rich resinous mild fruit citrus pine white malt dough hint body. Mellow smooth hop spice dangerously refreshing clean end. Sampled 3/20/2011. Purchased for $7.99 at The Ballard Market, Seattle on 6/1/2010.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 03:42:21 | More by philbertk

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes, 7-23-2010

A - medium cloudy yellow body, thin white dissipating head

S - strong citrus on the nose, not specifically very hoppy, a light maltiness

T - good creamy malt character, a unique bitterness, sharp flavors, not floral or fruity.

M - full and thick, highly palatable.

O (D) - pretty interesting, good tasting. Overall, quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 18:23:19 | More by ColdPoncho

vande

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A thick looking hazy gold....kinda looks like melted butter with about a half inch of foam floating on top...

S: some citrus, some hay?, a little dank something or other... Not to sure...

T: unAmericanized.. Not your typical Micro Hop bomb - which is fine..bit maltier, dryer.. but pleasant..I think my mouth though, is still trying to make up its mind on what's going on here...

M: buttery/creamy... Carbonation isp resent...

O: Interesting

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 01:20:03 | More by vande

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Review adapted from notes taken 8/19/10

Appearance: Cloudy, hazy orange/gold color with a white head

Smell: Loads of hops, an interesting profile - smells leafy, herbal, decidedly different than a West Coast hop bomb - some biscuity malts in the background

Taste: I've never encountered a hop profile like this before - very spicy, herbal, and leafy with some citrus in the background - super bitter and somewhat dry - the malts serve as a reminder that this is supposed to be slightly English in style - some biscuits here - ultimately this tastes like an English IPA tweaked to taste more American, if that makes sense - this works in theory, but the actual beer is only great, not excellent

Mouthfeel: Medium body, some weird syrupyness that I did not really enjoy

Overall: A fun experiment, but nothing to write home about

Stone's 14 Anniversary has some good aspects, but overall I felt a bit disappointed. I felt that it could have been better, or at least slightly more balanced. I grew tired of this about halfway through the bomber. I'd prefer an English pale followed by a ridiculous West Coast IPA rather than trying to put both styles into one beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 05:35:32 | More by angrybabboon

Mosstrooper

California

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial nonic pint glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden color with a large, creamy white head that dissipates slowly and leaves behind large, thick spots of lace.

Smell: Buttery malt with grapefruit and other citrus/fruit, but there's also a strong soapy aroma that takes a lot away.

Taste: Begins piney and spicy and remains so throughout. The middle shows some buttery malt character, but the finish is very pleasantly hoppy with a lot of herbal character- despite the intense hop profile, this beer is not a palate-destroyer but will leave you with hop-breath for a long time.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with natural carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: A very good brew that masks its alcohol content well. This is an IPA I would love having for special occasions.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 18:59:40 | More by Mosstrooper

pancho27

California

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just picked up a bottle of this beer for the first time and a new place I checked Mission Hills liquor and deli. I enjoyed it very typical of a Stone in my opinion. This is the 1st time I am reviewing so just trying get into it. It is a little more cloudy in appearance than I expected, has a piny taste, with a long aftertaste. For the most part a very enjoyable beer...

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 03:44:12 | More by pancho27

Johnnyfacelift

New York

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Even before pouring I noticed this brew had the appearance of a wheat beer; cloudy, unfiltered wheat style. Poured nice with sufficient head to release a nice hoppy aroma... not unique in any way but very nice nonetheless.

The taste was very pleasing. A bit of citrus and pine with a heavy bitterness. As with other IPA's, it left me with a want for more sweetness to balance out the bitter. The feel was light on the tongue with a full body experience... interesting balance.

Another solid edition to the IIPA family but with not much new going on here. I could have another, but I wouldn't dream about it after it was gone.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 07:25:24 | More by Johnnyfacelift

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean golden yellow with flashes of orange and lively bubbles of carbonation that dance below the foamy, feather white head that very patiently leaves a hearty lacing behind.

The aroma offers a very nice blend of citrus and floral hops traditional of an American IPA as well as the citrus yeast more traditional of an English style as advertised. There is also some sweetness hidden in there as well as citrus zest.

The flavor offers similar citrus hop bite accompanied by the same yeast as the aroma, with even more citrus character and floral hops with hints of spice.

This IPA offers very generous carbonation with a medium body and a drying finish.

Nice beer overall featuring a nice blend of IPA styles. Well brewed.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 02:52:05 | More by CHADMC3