The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone - More Brown Than Black IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

hreb

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As soon I as tear the top off the 12 oz bottle an intense aroma of fresh Cascadey hops fills the room. Faintly yeasty, but there's no mistaking that what's inside is IPA. And there's no surprise Stone was involved. Beer pours a very unusual opaque brown, fairly cloudy, with a thin but dense head of bronze. This promises to be a brewer's brew. No date on the bottle that I can see, but there are explicit instructions: "Drink fresh do not age"

stone.com reports not cascade but Citra and Galaxy for dry hops and two hops I've never heard of for bittering.

Flavor is like a high quality West coast IPA, with nothing to suggest its color. Nothing roasty, nothing heavy, just crisp IPA with a bright grapefruit edge. The BA notes for American Black Ale note that it is another name for a CDA Cascadian Dark Ale. And by that mark this label is exactly on target.

The appearance may be controversial, and maybe it should have been more finely filtered, but the taste is of a fantastic IPA, and the aroma is quite possibly the best bottled IPA I have ever smelled.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 21:21:33 | More by hreb

BeastLU

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 13:42:12 | More by BeastLU

vrbulldog22

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-13-2013 18:40:55 | More by vrbulldog22

Bill235

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-10-2013 00:00:29 | More by Bill235

Devilman

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-27-2013 22:54:31 | More by Devilman

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

04-27-2013 09:09:52 | More by Kelp

JoninVT

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-08-2013 22:04:52 | More by JoninVT

polopaul20

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-05-2013 19:32:08 | More by polopaul20

iparaez

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

04-01-2013 06:59:21 | More by iparaez

Beerbuddy21

California

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-17-2013 01:24:51 | More by Beerbuddy21

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

03-11-2013 21:13:36 | More by DaPan

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-09-2013 22:14:34 | More by spycow

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-07-2013 19:57:38 | More by orangesol

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-25-2013 01:59:50 | More by t0rin0

chugamugofsud

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-22-2013 16:22:35 | More by chugamugofsud

drummermattie02

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

02-19-2013 03:54:01 | More by drummermattie02

jeffhenders0n

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

02-16-2013 14:59:20 | More by jeffhenders0n

TXhomebrewer

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

02-10-2013 06:11:40 | More by TXhomebrewer

taospowder

New Mexico

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

02-07-2013 16:33:16 | More by taospowder

stone3187

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-06-2013 21:13:47 | More by stone3187

kingmaker

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-03-2013 07:12:07 | More by kingmaker

yossarian14

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

01-29-2013 01:33:48 | More by yossarian14

DiscGolfRobot

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10%

01-21-2013 15:12:44 | More by DiscGolfRobot

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

01-20-2013 05:02:57 | More by KiMiRaiK

Jspriest

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +10%

01-12-2013 04:03:26 | More by Jspriest