15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
94
exceptional
-
1,328 Ratings

rAvg: 4.23
pDev: 12.77%
Reviews: 705
Hads: 623

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Brewed by:
Stone Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Black Ale | 10.80% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once). bottle (620), on-tap (76), growler (8), cask (1).

Notes:
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.

No notes at this time.

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Reviews

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Reviews by nhindian:

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.53/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Stone Imperial Russian Stout tulip.

A - Pours a midnight black with a bit of dark chocolate brown creeping in around the edges. Completely opaque with no hint of any activity within the glass. A huge, 3-finger head begins forming slowly at first, but then quickly gains steam before finally ending in a mushroom-shaped cloud, with a multitude of small bubbles giving it some additional creaminess. Some pretty nice retention and when it's gone, it leaves a little circular cap of foam in the middle of the glass. Great lacing as well, draping the sides with thick slabs of foam.

S - My first smell is full of hops and almost only hops. It is much more bright and vibrant than I was expecting given the style and color, but it is also quite refreshing. A decent amount of citrus, but for the most part the hops are mainly giving off wet, sticky pine resin. I don't think I've ever had a Black IPA that was as fresh as this and imparts so much hop presence. In fact, I'm getting very little malt in the form of roast, and just a touch of chocolate that belays the hops. Is that brown sugar as well?

T - After the impressive nose, I have myself pumped for the taste. I'm going to say right away that it is definitely a few notches lower than the aroma. In fact, at first, I wasn't a fan at all. It was too muddled, too frantic and didn't have any personality to it. It jumped from malt to hop and back again constantly and didn't allow the palate to get a firm grip on it. It does, however, settle down a bit as it rests. When it's a bit colder, the malts steal the show, bringing bold roast, rich cocoa, and again, I'm getting that sweet brown sugar characteristic from the nose. The hops start coming through in the mid-palate, here in the form of more earthy, spicy hops rather than the pine sap in the aroma. It's kind of a two-headed monster in that regard; I would've loved for the pine to continue in the taste, but I feel that these more gritty, earthy hops complement the malts and roast. The grapefruit and pine do resurge late, but even when it warms, it still doesn't seem to be entirely cohesive, unfortunately.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with high carbonation. The finish is doubly bitter, both because of the roast and the hops, and it's a bit on the drier side. The head lends it some creaminess.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. I can't say I wasn't expecting a bit more from this, especially after the amazing appearance and nose. But it definitely does have a unique flavor that is worth experiencing. Thankfully as it warms it does come together more succinctly, so if you have this, plan on drinking it over an extended session.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 01:55:27 | More by nhindian

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Smurf2055

Washington

3.68/5 rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed Dec 2011

Poured from bottle into a pint glass.

Pours like a stout, with a nice tan head about a finger thick. Good lacing.

It’s got some coffee and licorice, but the pine and hops smell as well. Maybe a bit of caramel. An interesting mix.

Taste really confused me. It’s a light body, very smokey, almost ashy. Greets you with light coffee and finishes with a hop kick near the end. I couldn’t tell it was over 10%. Very powerful. Leaves a nice aftertaste.

Overall, it’s a very interesting beer to say the least. Very complex and very bold. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 20:11:28 | More by Smurf2055