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

Pahn

New York

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Free pour yields a two inch fluffy tan head that dissipates steadily leaving a tight lacing ring. Pours jet black and leaves short lasting spots of lacing.

Smell: From the bottle: cutting grapefruit in a greenhouse. In the glass: Potent citrus, pine, and general damp forest freshness. Bit of sweet malt underneath, but not much getting past these huge hops. I didn't know what late boil Citra additions or Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Jade dry hopping would do (never even heard of Pacific Jade), but the answer is apparently: big fucking hop aroma. This thing is more pungent than most top DIPAs, and intoxicating and satisfying enough for the price of admission all on its own.

With time, more cookie and marzipan malt notes come out, and mindbendingly seem to show similarities with the dank pine, citrus, and marijuana hops. Really don't see how a black IPA is supposed to smell better than this one does.

Taste: Beautiful hops, identical to the nose but somehow blending perfectly with the cookies and roasted flavors underneath. Starts with straight, pungent hops, then melds naturally (!?) to cookie dough and roast, finishing pricklingly bitter with a roasted and boozy aftertaste (some bitterness lingers on the tongue as well).

After just the first sip, I'm stunned by how well thought out this beer is. It takes skill and knowledge to deliver hop flavor this good, but to somehow prove that it matches with malt flavors this far on the side of decadent/dessert-- that takes genius.

Further into the glass, the heavy, oily but refreshing and bright hops just refuse to quit. If you've come to this beer for your hop fix, you're going to get it and then some. The malt is quieter than the hops, but it grows in complexity; dark chocolate, coffee, and more cookies come with warmth and time.

I'm only keeping this from a 5 because it's perhaps a bit too bitter (trying to be objective--the heavy bitterness is just right for me, but it's pretty aggressive), and I think the malt could be just a bit more prominent.

Mouthfeel: Light side of full bodied, sufficiently but invisibly (ie perfectly) carbonated. Silky smooth up front, then intensely bitter (mainly hop bitterness), finishing semi-dry, hot, and long. Very good.

Overall: Easy 5.0 from me... not only is this delicious, but it's one of those educational beers (like great food) that expands your conceptions of where certain flavors can go and how well they can work in different contexts. It also has awakened my inner hop head (I usually swing toward malt bombs), reminding me that I can't get enough of any beer that can skillfully turn the hop flavor up to eleven.

I've mentioned in several reviews that I think Stone is the best brewery in the world at taking extremely bold flavors and putting them in balance. This beer continues the trend, and stands as a very fitting 15th anniversary beer. I will be buying and drinking as many bottles of this as I can before this amazing hop flavor fades.

In short, this beer is a homerun.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 01:25:48 | More by Pahn

bravejoejoe

Montana

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz Bomber bottle.
A - Poured a pitch black beer with a thick creamy head.
S - I smell citrus hops with a burt/ roasted malts.
T - This is a punch in the mouth. There is an explosion of citrus hops, huge malt profile, and is still sweet. the after taste is bitter with roasty-ness.
M - This is very heavy in the mouth, very viscous. To me it seems light on the carbonation.

I would drink this again, but definitely not more then one in a setting. This is a good beer to drink for several hours or with a couple friends.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 00:19:02 | More by bravejoejoe

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark brown, appearing black. One finger fine medium brown head with good retention and excellent lacing. Attractive. Aroma of critrus and aromatic hops. Flavor starts as a stout, dark and roasted malts followed quickly by aromatic hops and roast, burnt coffee. Finishes hoppy and somewhat dry. Taste goes through a rapid and complex series of flavors. Very different and interesting. Surprisingly smooth and mellow while presenting interesting components. The finish skates on the edge of being too dry and burnt, but somehow pulls off the whole thing. I really enjoyed this unusual ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 03:37:32 | More by LiquidAmber

mullenite

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a nice black color with a khaki colored head that settles to a thin cap. Very solid lacing left on the glass.

Aroma is hop forward and almost sweet from the tropical fruit and pine. Basically, every flavor you can get from hops is here.

Not super bitter in the taste but a nicebalance between the intense hop flavor and a bit of roast and dark fruit coming through in the after taste.

Light bodied and moderately, but nicely, carbonated. Sticky and resinous finish like a hop bomb should be.

This is like SSR on steroids and tastes fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 21:54:14 | More by mullenite

hiku7

California

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had no idea what to expect with this beer. I really, really liked it. The nose is all DIPA, but the taste is all RIS, thereby combining two of my favorite styles. A big winner in my book. I will be buying it again before it's gone.

Pours opaque black with a towering mud-color head that dissipated slowly and left good lacing.

Smell is piney, resiny, grassy hops, with some citrus thrown in to boot. Everything there is to love in American west coast hops.

Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee, plus a grainy earthy hop backbone of moderate bitterness. Taste was surprising based on the DIPA nose.

Mouthfeel was full-bodied, somewhat viscous and grainy, a bit sweet with a sticky-lipped finish.

Yum.

Disclosure: I drank this bomber from 10am to noon outdoors in sunshine while brewing an oatmeal stout, which no doubt contributed to my overall enjoyment. One of those perfect beer experiences we long for.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 03:32:41 | More by hiku7

johnnysky16

Nevada

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle.

A - Fantastic looking beer. Could be mistaken for a stout with its thick head and midnight black color.

S - I definitely get a smell of hops. Great smell.

T - For the alcohol content this is a really smooth beer. Easy drinking. Has the hop flavor and malt in the background.

M - Mouthfeel is good as well. Very stout like in feel.

Overall I think this beer is exceptional. Very easy to drink even with the high alcohol. I think many people forget this is an imperial black ipa. As an imperial this is very, very good. Has stout like qualities with ipa qualities. Love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 04:19:50 | More by johnnysky16

byrdman16

Alabama

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Not a beer for the timid! Oh man I like this one. Big piney hops smack you in the face upon opening...this is a good thing in my opinion...pours BLACK as stone. This is the beer that I give my friends that think that they are living on the edge by drinking blue moon. Complete domination! Smells of BIG piney hops with bitterness to back it up. It taste like a Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale on steroids. Give it a shot if you cross paths.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:15:44 | More by byrdman16

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - A beautiful cascading pour that yeilds three plus fingers worth of densly packed medium brown colored froth with lots of big chunky bubbles mixed within... Excellent retention... Gobs of lacing clings to the glass...

S - A slightly muted but rather diverse hop profile... Mostly piney... A touch of grapefruit... Lots of roasted malts mixed in... Delicate, but rather complex...

T - Absolutely exquisite... The hops are at the forefront and are quite complex... Againt, mostly piney with some light citrus notes mixed in... Some chocolate notes... Cocoa... Roasted malts... A touch of licorice... An excellent brew that I didn't hesitate to give a "5" in the flavor category to (something that I rarely do)...

M - Medium to full bodied... Slightly syrupy... Dense... Sticky... Stick remarkably clean... A bit sludgy...

D - Having had many Stone offerings, this one stands at the forefront as the best Stone brew that I have ever had... Excels in every facet... I'll be making a trip tomorrow to see if I can get a couple more bottles or even a case... This is a must try for all self respecting BAs...

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:15:33 | More by philbe311

collinmeyer

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

One of the best beers I've ever had. I was browsing my local liquor store and snagged the last bottle they had since I hadn't heard of it. To my dismay after tasting it and researching, I realized that the chance of my having it again was very slim.

This beer combines the best of an IRS, a double IPA and a stout. It is perfectly balanced and has just enough boozeyness for my taste. Coffee, chocolate, pine, west coast hops... Great beer. GO, STONE!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 05:58:49 | More by collinmeyer

Merkur

Tennessee

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured, fittingly enough, into a Stone 15th Anniv snifter.

Beer pours an extremely dark black with a good amount of brown head (about a fingers worth) that persists throughout. Great amount of lacing throughout. Looks almost exactly like an Imperial Stout.

The beer smells very much of pine and hops, but also slightly roasty.

The beer tastes very hoppy initially, followed by a nice mellow bitterness with a taste of cocoa. Finsih is suprisingly smooth, especially after such a blast on the front end.

Very nice beer. High quality.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 00:38:04 | More by Merkur

iDrinknewglarus

Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours used motor oil black with a very dark tan head that actually sticks around for a little while and leaves some impressive lacing for the amount of alcohol.

S: Explosion of west coast hops right as you open the bottle. Big juicy IPA hops all the way. Pine, grapefruit, and very resinous. There is coffee and heavy roast from the heavy malt backbone. The little alcohol that you do get smells spicy and it complements the aroma more than anything. Smells really nice.

T: Wow, that is the first thing that came out of my mouth. The 10.8 is masked extremely well. The flavor is big time resinous hops with tons of pine. The heavily roasted malts carry this beer like a yacht on a sea of hops. Quite bitter. Coffee, chocolate, char. Like the smell, the alcohol that does come through is spicy, like rye bread and pepper. It is quite smooth as well, almost scary smooth.

M: Medium-thick and it sticks around for a while. Sticky. Light carbonation.

I'm sure glad I picked up this bomber, and at 7 bucks, it was a good value as well. Extreme, complex, big, and tasty. This is the epitome of an imperial black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 01:58:05 | More by iDrinknewglarus

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle poured into a DFH snifter.

Pours thick, viscous, pitch black with a huge billowing head of mocha foam. Aroma is rife with spicy, floral hops.

First sip... huge hop flavor explosion, trailed by a nice roasty/plum flavor. Lingering bitterness is minimal, or at least nicely balanced by the substantial body. This drinks very nice. Alcohol is masterfully disguised.

There is just so much going on here. There is more body than most IIPAs, but less sweetness and lingering bitterness. The roasted malts add a unique and balancing flavor to the sharp, spicy hop kick up front.

Stone has created another masterful hybrid of a beer that is a joy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 00:31:00 | More by FickleBeast

LordAdmNelson

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stone already holds the title for best available Black IPA out there, and they've gone and made another one of the best! I've had this on-tap and in the bottle, and both experiences were fantastic. Pours a thick opaque black with moderate chocolate milk-colored head, that forms some nice lacing and sticks around for a while. Nose is pretty good, some strong coffee and dark chocolate notes with a bit of piney hops. Flavor is exceptional--big roasted character with a huge hop presence. More on the hoppy stout side of things, whereas I think SSR is more toward the dark IPA side of things. Thick and oily, this is a great beer. Loved it.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 20:18:17 | More by LordAdmNelson

anyhoodle

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I like my dark beers thick and chewy, and boy does this one come through. Beyond a basic dislike for the use of the "Black IPA" label, I was anxious to try this years brew. Prop's to the guys @ D's II for saving this one for me!!

22 oz. bomber poured into a standard "pint" glass, so I actually got to try it twice.

A - Pours a deep opaque black, like many a RIS. I've had my share of Black Ales, but this is the first one that is actually pitch black! 2 finger dark tan head, leaves nice rings of lace as the level of the brew diminishes in the glass.

S - Citrus, pine, grass notes. Delivers all the good aromas expected from an imperial IPA.

T - This was the biggest surprise. The malt forward profile was totally unexpected, but VERY pleasant. Lots of unsweetened chocolate on the tongue, followed by a well balanced hop bitterness. Surprised by the ABV because I don't think it's boozy at all. Bottle conditioning helps blend the wealth of flavors into a complex yet tasty brew.

M - mmm...Creamy and chewy. I know of no other Black Ale that is this viscous. I tend to think "heavy" beers are improved on nitro, but this one is already so creamy that it might be too much. I'd love to try it tho.

O - Very much like this beer. Like others have said... this is the bar against which ALL other Black Ales/IPA's should be measured. Complex hop and malt mixture, yet well balanced and presented. Definitely worth seeking out. Since it's the anniversary release, I highly doubt we'll see it again, and that's too bad. I don't think I could ever get tired of this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 16:11:42 | More by anyhoodle

duckrabbitfan

North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark with appreciable head and nice lacing. This was a beauty to just look at.

Surprised by my first smell. More sweetness to it than I thought.

Incredibly balanced taste. Incredibly delicious. For something so dark and hoppy I was amazed at its personality.

If i could capture the aftertaste I would keep it forever. Made me say outloud to my drinking buddy, "hahahaha,... wow. this. this is good."

Had the pleasure of trying this black IPA a few months ago and I still talk about it with friends. The taste is just wonderful. Would try it again and again, for sure!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 02:41:56 | More by duckrabbitfan

harrymel

Washington

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

August 2011

Was looking for something to tear me up this morning to expedite nocturne.

A: Heavy pour produces two fingers of dark mocha head atop a black ale. The head falls rather slowly to a firm quilt of the same. Sheet lacing. Damn good looking beer.

S: Pine cones, grapefruit, cinnamon, coffee grounds, marzipan (?), hints of smoked oak. Really thoughtful as a ABA (much less Impy). When I smell this, I keep expected some molasses to come through, but much to my satisfaction, it does not - it would have tipped the scale too much one way. Right now, this beer is exceptionally balanced in my olfactory.

T: Sharp, dull, sweet and bitter all at once. Very complex flavor here. Coffee grounds, bitter cocoa, roasted almonds, hints of licorice, resin and piny hops, grapefruit rinds. Really nice battle for attention going on over the palate.

M: Creamy and heavy with velveteen carbonation. Finish is long and viscous. Really pleasant.

O: Greg and the boys are firing on all cylinders with this one. Damn fine beer which pushes the limits of a still young genre. They have had one of the longest running in the style, it's not surprising that they would spearhead the movement to imperialize on a national scale. Good shit. Seek out.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 13:18:10 | More by harrymel

Fulkrum78

Tennessee

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours black as night with a light brown head that fades to lacing along the glass pretty quick. Aroma is malty and rich. Taste is rich and malty. Hops and malt nicely blend with the alcohol content. Great beer. I'm gonna have to snag two or three of these to stick in the beer cooler to hold on to for later.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 06:10:34 | More by Fulkrum78

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I enjoyed this on tap at the Brewhouse Grille Stone/TRÖEGS tap takeover, served chilled in a pint.

A pitch black stout-like look with opaque clarity and medium beige cap w/ fine bead. The lace clings in rings. The smell has a huge hop aroma which is enhanced by simcoe scent which is slightly pine and has a mango tropical note with some mild citrus elements. The nose is mellow with grassy and has mild herbal sweet floral round scents w/ practically no malt aroma w/ just slight sweet element. The feel is incredible with the viscosity giving the impression of light body since it is so dry with a very resinous lush oily hoppy all joy on the palate. The juicy texture with ultra dry malt body w/ no roast the way I like a black IPA with lush green smooth body without any astringency.

The taste of wonderful hop flavors greet the palate w/ juicy and mildly bitter taste which is pineapple/mango w/ a splash of grapefruit . The taste is outstanding since the black malt flavor is absent , maybe a whisper of malt in the overall taste w/ slight toasted tinge and light fruity accent of sweetness to join the mellow pine elements w/ simcoe obviously giving a lush herbal/tropical contribution and the cattiness is mellow w/ slight wild coarse earthy accent that is huge and the taste of full w/ phenomenal taste w/ semidry juicy bitter finish - this is possibly the best of the style that I have had. Overall this was fantastic on tap showing Stone is true to the love of hops and a master of black IPA's they deserve to rename it according to their locale. This nails it or hits it out of the park whatever cliche you choose will fit. I loved it a great example of the Imperial Black ale style

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 18:42:21 | More by Slatetank

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a complete black hole color w/ a thin one finger chocolate head. Beer is so dark, I can't tell the carbonation, but the lacing is good. Really nice looking black IPA. Smell is amazing! Pineapple, malt, simcoe hops, pineapple. My words can't do the nose on this beer justice, so I'll simply say this is one of the best smelling brews I've ever had. Period. Taste is really excellent, although not quite up to the smell. Roasted malt, hops are evident, as well as a little alcohol, but the fruit only shows up in the aftertaste. Feel is very full bodied, w/ an extremely dry aftertaste. Somewhat smooth and silky too, although the hops bite wins in the end. Overall, this is a great black IPA, and a fantastic beer by the guys at Stone. The best Black IPA I've ever had to this point. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:52:02 | More by jayhawk73

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

BA Jayhawk73 just walked up to me and handed me this brew out of the blue. How bout them apples? Thanks Jeff!

A: Abysmally dark, with a small mocha head that became nothing more than a ring around the brew within seconds of the pour.

S: In mid-bottle pop, I started to smell grapefruit and pineapple right away. Uh-oh... Hop bomz R' us! Huge hop profile. Grassy, fruity, and hoppy all at the same time.

T: One would have to have a microscope to detect dark malt on this sucker! Well, after a few sips.... not really. It's there in essence (sort of a porter-like afterthought), but the hops are the star here and I'm guessing this is 100 IBUs at least. Pineapple, grapefruit, peach (ala-Sculpin), and maybe a tinge of bitter cacao on the end.

M: Okay, the bitterness is there, and I credit the dark malt with doing the most damage to my palate on the back end. Masochistic for sure, as well as clinging on the lacing (and palate) side of the house.

O: The best thing Stone has ever produced, hands down! I liken drinking this brew to being gang raped, but I really dug it!

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:36:10 | More by Chaney

begforme4484

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours dark! I, and my brothers, were taken aback at how black this came out. It's dark, good luck seeing light through it. It poured with a finger and a half of tan caramel head. Nice thorough lacing on the glass.

The smell is DANK. It piney, fruity, weed-ish hops. The hop aroma on this beer is immense, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Taste? Let's talk about SSRA on steroids. Not exactly, but I wanted to say that before I tasted it. It's much more fruity than it's close brethren SSRA. Still nicely bitter and slightly astringent(in a good way.) Nice roasted barley too. Mmmm.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and slightly warm. 10.8% will do that to ya! But they do hide the ABV VERY well.

Overall, I love this beer. I hope they make it full time.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 00:54:21 | More by begforme4484

jsanford

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a Stone IRS tulip.

A - Poured a dark black with a huge mocha-colored head that has great retention. Another beautiful Stone offering!
S - Wonderfully hoppy nose, fresh and pungent, with notes of grapefruit, pine resin and "cat" with a chocolatey malt backbone.
T - Similar to the nose, the hop profile is incredibly pungent. The dark flavors of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee attempt to stand up to the hops, but can't quite make it. Hop-bomb all the way, and I'm loving it!
M - Smooth and creamy with a medium-full body and solid carbonation.
O - Really an amazing beer, just a touch better then Sublimely Self-Righteous. Maybe make THIS the year-round offering?

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 04:26:10 | More by jsanford

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

We pour a brew of the deepest ruby sheen, with highlights of dark browns. It holds a one and a half finger head of medium brown bubbles, and shows great retention. As it departs we are left with sheets of thick lacing. Carbonation is medium with the bubbles rising slowly, and no sediment is noted. The aroma boasts bright hops which are earthy and very organic seeming. We also detect cinnamon, dragon fruit, tart red apples, and strawberry preserves. There is also a light hint of raw ginger root. The malts are toasty and dark. With warmth comes booze and strong bubblegum esters. As we sip, the flavoring begins with robust citric hops. Those tropical fruits come in, riding on some more soapy hops. There is a sweetness of fusel booze, along with crisp and roasty malts. Raw coffee bean adds an additional dryness, and brings us to the middle where the malts are richer, charred, and salty. They battle more hops, which are now earthy, as they were in the nose. The fruit also remains, and helps provide a sweeter base for the esters to play against. We end with sugary sweetness, booze, organic hops and earthiness, and metallic malty roast. The aftertaste is bittered from the coffee and citric hop inclusions, with a heavy fusel booze to bind it all together. The body is medium to full and the carbonation is medium, but soft. There is great froth and slurp and creaminess, but the beer stills feels satisfyingly sticky. There is ultimate cooling and a twang of dryness. The abv is getting up there, but the beer has phenomenal drinkability.

Overall, what we found to be the best aspect of this beer was the crazy aroma and feel. The tropical fruit was totally unexpected, with beautiful hops and malts. The fruit and spice were seemingly unconventional for the style, but made for a unique twist and a really wonderful brew. At times the flavoring approached the upper limits of tolerance for booziness, but this beer is really over the top in almost every single way.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 06:09:22 | More by TheBrewo

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stone Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

Appearance: dark dark brown, medium-large head, and some good lacing.

Smell: roasted malts, hops, and molasses.

Taste: roasted malts, hops, brown sugar, and molasses.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy.

Overall:
This is a great brew. It is very smooth and well crafted, not to mention well balanced. Hops are prevalent like all Stone brews, but less intense than most.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:21:14 | More by megahurts4

Ego

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

crazy windy night here in jersey...
22oz bomber pulled from my cellar, august 2011 dated

eyes...
on a quick glimpse I thought I was pouring dimetap.. but then as it gathers it becomes more pitch, black with perhaps a little light shining through, head settles down to a tarp cover barely treading water above the blackness, plenty of legs on this one alright, the lacing is nice and consistent, a nice blanket of bubbles washing up and down the sides of the glass on a gentle swirl, a nice looking brew.

nose...
really hard to explain at first schnozz, vanilla glazed dark chocolate, molasses and faint coffee, brown sugar, darts of alcohol stab at the olfactory as well, really interesting mix, there is a clean consistency to it.

taste etc...
it is funny how you almost expect a black/dark beer to be hefty sometimes. I had to remind myself what style is afoot here... This drinks very smooth and leaves a rich flavor in its considerable wake. What looks like really used motor oil winds up as light as an IPA, perhaps with a shade less carbonation than the usual 'bright' american IPAs. Light molasses and vanilla on the front end of things with a nice deep bitter chocolate/ash back end that lingers (insert joke about people who linger here). The ABV is surprisingly mild in the mouth but definitely is letting my stomach (and soon my head I suppose) aware. This is consistent throughout the bomber. Just every sip is a wonderful experience, full of flavor and character delivering flavor upon every step of the sipping experience.

verdict?
One helluva beer. I tend to think Stone is over rated here sometimes but then they go and stick this in my craw... touche, well played my lads (hey, you watch game of thrones and try not to get all 'thee' and 'thus' my lady...)

in the player: Left Lane Cruiser - All You Can Eat

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 04:25:30 | More by Ego