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

SDtastentune

California

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

A - Pours deep dark black almost, creamy head is there but not too much maybe 1/4 inch when poured slow, descends fast into a haze over. Some lace but not crazy all over the place.

S - Smell is vibrant hops, pungent dank fresh nectarine hop thing, a little Vinegary mixed with some darker malts back in there.

T - Taste is great! Up front is the fresh dank hops, then quickly it turns malts and sorta chocolaty /toasty flavor. A little hidden alcohol in there... but not much for how much is in this brew. I can say its pretty complex but balanced out very well. Smooth resiny full fresh hop grapfruit'ish like.

M - Feel is great, larger bubbles for carbonation, but medium carbed. Not overly carbonated, goes down silky then with a little carbonation on the end. Great aftertaste feel, slightly hot in the throat.

O - Overall this has to be one of the best black ipa's, and certainly the strongest right now. Not too many imperial/double BIPA's around and this one is GREAT... I would say make this into a normal release along side sublimely self righteous single black ipa. THUMBS WAY UP!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 23:10:45 | More by SDtastentune

jmfc8237

Delaware

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

Had this on tap at the pickled pig in Rehoboth beach. Thanks 2.0 for getting your hands on this one! Poured jet black in my shifter with a mocha tan two finger head and really nice head retention and colorful lacing. Aromas are enormously huge filled with vibrant citrusy hops and earthy cocoa. The bitterness is awesome and reins true to a west coast ipa as well as a almost creepy stoutlike mouthfeel. Not overly alcoholic like one would expect from it's abc and finishes with a great chocolate and smoked malt finish followed by intense hops. I really enjoyed this and thank you stone for staying true to your roots.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 17:18:32 | More by jmfc8237

jvillefan

California

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

One of the best beers I've ever had. It is very dark and pours with a dark brown head that lingers. The high alcohol is compensated by the large hoppy and strong malty flavors. The beer also has subtle citrus and roasty undertones. Slightly less carbonated then a typical beer but allows for a smoother mouth-feel.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 23:31:26 | More by jvillefan

PhiloPsych

California

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

This is the most snifferific beer ever! The smell is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely lovely! Cocoa, lots of vanilla (wow!), molasses, licorice, smokey malt, and plenty of hops. The color and viscosity are also beautiful--the espresso crema head puffs up and leaves a layer on top that never goes away. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy and becomes whipped--chocolate mousse--in the mouth. The taste: are you kidding me?! Hops forward, imperial chocolate stout in the finish ... with a hoppy second finish! This is a great beer--a great, great, great, great beer. Terrific beer. Awesome beer. Lovely beer. Delicious beer. My new favorite beer. What a beer! Right?

If you loves stouts (I do) and you love hoppy IPAs (that's me, too), you're gonna love this beer--it's the perfect mix.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 06:26:47 | More by PhiloPsych

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

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

Appearance - pours black. Looks opaque at first but if held right up to a light, it has some deep and intense ruby hues. Two fingers of chocolatey mocha foam with nice stick as it melts down.

Aroma - spicy grapefruit, almost juniper-like. Some char to the roasty grain aroma.

Taste - the sweet malty grain has a roasty element to it, but you better find it and enjoy quickly. The hops hit heavy, hard, and with intent. Wow, a rush of pine and grapefruit rind, a total alpha wash but little if any medicinal factor for a hoppy brew that could easily go there. The swallow brings in some balancing roasty malt and some abv heat. Not much indication that this is double-digit strength. The finish is a palate scraping bitterness, dryness occurring from the hops and the black malts. Lots of lingering flavor here, no need to rush the bottle.

Mouthfeel - my first impression was smooth like a milk stout or RIS but this got modified as I progressed to a lighter but still smooth feel. The carbonation is about as big as it can be and still be complementary.

Drinkability - top notch, a special entry for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:13:31 | More by brewdlyhooked13