Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great imperial stout, very black with a Bubbly head and very lacey. Chocolate, coffee, hoppy. Alcohol well hidden. Great dangerous drinkability.Intense mouthfeel.
Radek's bottle, another great Stone hoppy production.Why this is my favourite style.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 04:22:23 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mahogany color with a finger of tan head. The nose is sticky and sickly sweet. Some decent hop notes, mostly pine with a little bit of citrus, but just an overwhelming maltiness. A mild chocolate note, too. The flavor is quite sweet, especially as it warms. Very muddled in terms of the flavors, just way too many different malt/sugar notes going on. Lightly phenolic, as well. Not really much in the way of the hops on the palate. Not sure why brewers continue to think this kitchen sink beer idea is a good one.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 18:56:47 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.1/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Big thanks to drabmuh for the chance to try this one. Served in a mini snifter. Pours a moderately-dark caramel brown color with a decent off-white/tan head. Nose carries some sweet malts and a cornucopia of hop character. This is just a mess. Flavor doesn’t go in any direction. What’s the point in having such a gimmicky ingredient list? No one cares and it doesn’t smell or taste very good. Nothing is defined and the best words to describe this beer are "hops" and "malt." Maybe alcohol too. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 16:44:51 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours with a massive head that just lays down on top of the coffee colored liquid; all kinds of lace splashes are left behind

Smell: Coffee, chocolate, smoke, fruitcake, pine and God knows what else - its like the kitchen sink of beer aromas

Taste: Gobs of malt flavor, up front, with caramel, chocolate, coffee, fruitcake and smoke; not as hoppy as expected, in the middle, but there is a piney aspect that balances out the malt; the finish pulls it all together, with the sweeter elements ultimately prevailing

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: Based on the rating, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did - just goes to show; love the kitcvhen sink element of this beer and it just works, to me

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 22:56:03 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Haven Gastropub in Pasadena, CA.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, smoke, cocoa, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with some citrus zest flavors and an alcohol kick. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that tastes better than it smells in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2012 01:36:38 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an imperial nonic a deep dark brown with a tinge of amber,a creamy one finger light colored head atop that left a few browken rings of lace as it settled slowly.Raisin and sweet cakey aromas with mild earthy hops,it smells like a big sweet alcohol bomb.I am glad to see that it's not a sweet alcohol bomb so much on the palate,there is a sweet dark fruit and cake-like flavors along with some chocolate and mild roast,a earthy almost woody finish to the beer makes it pretty well balanced.A full creamy feel to the beer makes it enjoyable with rich flavors and sticky aftermath,it's a good beer if a bit odd.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 22:31:53 | More by oberon

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle served in a Stone Old Guardian glass. Such an odd beer, I did enjoy it but I did not love it. Super weird. Beer is black and has a one finger tan head with some lacing, and some retention.

Aroma is sweet, a little smokey, a little hoppy, a little grassy. Odd aroma.

Beer tastes different every time I take a drink. First is like a hoppy porter, then the smoke creeps in, the earthiness and mild hop bitterness all play together OK but not great. I think it is just OK. Not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 15:22:16 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - This limited brew poured out a dark, dark brown color with a bubbly, tan head of foam. It left some sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled roasty with notes of pine and some tropical fruits.

T - The 13 malts really come dominate the flavor. Roasty with chocolate, toffee and molasses. It is almost like a big American stout. The is a touch of pine and citrus.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a great beer. I'm glad I was able to get to try some.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 01:18:46 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased the local store?! Didn't realize this was being distributed! Served in a Hill Farmstead tulip.

A - Tan foam settles to a thick collar, near-complete cap, and spotty lace. Very dark brown body.

S - The aroma is pretty much what you'd expect from the listed collection of hops - tons of pine, herbs, grassy, dandelion, earthiness, and touch of dank. There's a mild amount of dusted cocoa that lends some sweetness, but this smells quite bitter and astringent.

T - The taste has better balance, with more chocolate, toasted grains, and nebulous sugars mingling with the herbal and piney hop flavors and bitterness. Alcohol is pretty well-hidden, which is a positive.

M - Smooth, medium-full body, with pleasant, soft carbonation. Reasonably well-hidden alcohol, with mild lingering stickiness.

D - A strange beer. I'm puzzled by the emphasis on highly bitter and herbal hops, and the end result is a fairly middling aroma. Certainly gets better as it warms up, and may end up being more enjoyable on Bottleworks' 14th Anniversary. Still, a disappointment after an impressive four-year run.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 18:22:12 | More by MasterSki

Halcyondays

California

4.43/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle, missed this on the first release, but found some bottles now,

A: Pours a deep mahogany with a small light tan, leaves solid lace.

S: Definitely some peatiness which is always fun, has the Scotch ale thing going. Some notes of fig, lots of malt.

T: The label lists all the malts, I really get a lot of peated malt and chocolate malt from this. Clear smoky flavour with molasses and dark bread, some grapefruit and pineapple on the back end.

M: Full-bodied, lush and creamy with a very mild tartness which I really liked.

O: A very nice big beer which is good now, but I think could be amazing in 2-3 years. A fun beer to delve into.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 04:02:28 | More by Halcyondays

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This seems like a lot of ingredients in one beer, 13 hops and 13 grains. Deep cola, brown a bit murky with ruby highlights. Big thicket of tan head, forms thick and resilient. Aroma has dark roasts, caramel, herbal, earthy, and pine hops flowing forth. Big dark roasted malt beer, with herbal/pine notes going on. Awesome well made big burly beer, roasted malts, hints of coffee, big hops all day, a very big beer, I figured it would have been one big clusterfuck with all of the ingredients tossed in, but each sip is tight cohesive well blended and just straight up flavorful and good. I can't believe how damn good this beer is, as it warms it becomes a bit more abrasive with hot alcohol. The hops really are unrelenting when you add in 13 varieties, hop burps galore, big mouthfeel slightly slick with hop oils...this is one big beer. Overall I'm a fan because it hits hard with flavor, hops wielding the power of big beer in a manageable fashion.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 00:11:11 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured like a infected or young gusher. Jet black with brown foam flowing like lava from the top and down the sides, literally half the bottle is flowing out. Into the glass it pours sordve thin for a beer this big, big brown cap whch dissipates fastleaving a small brown foam cap and minimal lacing

S: First whiff is dark chocolate, charred wood, burnts marshmellows, funk and light dark fruits with some booze

T: Immediate infected funk presence going on. The phenols in this beer really wreck it; band aids, rubber and medicine. Bitter dark chocolate, burnt marshmellows, caramelized sugar, charred wood. The finish is bitter cocoa, hops, charred and thin. This beer may be a bit to young. It was very gassy and left me belching. There is a very odd burning sensation, like unnatural solvent like burn

M: Big bodied, but it becomes thinner toward the back end of the beer. NOT nearly as hefty and complex as it should be. The gassy, young feel matched with a light funk is just to much to take

O: Either a seriously troubled beer or an infected 22oz hand grenade in the future.
///
A: Poured a deep, deep brown with a chocolate colored head. The beer gushed once again as I opened the bottle but stopped after a minute or so.

S: Dark bitter chocolates, wood, booze sting, some dark fruits

T: Upfront was an immediate bitter chocolate presence with some sugary sweetness, heat, roastiness. The back end of this beer is rather harsh. Lingering bitterness, sharp persistent booze and bitterness

M: Bigger bodied, harsh on the palate after about three seconds.

O: This beer needs some time to round out and hopefully lose that harshness on the backend

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 13:44:09 | More by barleywinefiend

Jason

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz brown bomber, vintage tied to anniversary date.

LOOK: Amazing head, lacing is spectacular, shade or two away form pitch black

SMELL: Toasty, fruitcake, alcohol, hop resin, papaya, broth, orange peel, spicy, biscuits, kumquats

TASTE: Creamy, silky, dank, bitter, alcohol, pungent, citrus rind, guava, cocoa powder, thick, fresh cut grass, earth, ripe dragonfruit, pulling finish

Some say it is a hot mess and others love it. My palate was tested and I survived. Did I cry? No. Did I have fun trying to figure out what the fuck I was sipping? Yes. To date ... the most fun / interesting brew I have had this year. Gratz BottleWorks on 13 years and a huge nod to Stone for brewing this with them.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 03:51:15 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle, w/o bottling date info.

Pours a dark shade of brown, approaching black. Long lasting mocha head, leaves nice fine, high webs of lacing.

Nose that I get is mostly malty with a back note of lite spice.

Large, heady and flavorful brew. Obvious candidate for aging as its 11%! But the alcohol is non existant, at least on my palate. ( But not to my senses, after about 1/2 of a glass)

Malty, with dark chocolate, dark malts, and cafe au lait notes. Densely flavorful and full of nuance and complexity.

Quality sipper/night capper

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 02:45:13 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer looks really interesting, an interesting beer from Bottleworks and thanks to Stone for doing the legwork that allowed it's distribution to me. A long hot day running around with my son all day, and then got really cold and rainy to finish seemed like a perfect day for this beer.

it pours a creamy darker colored 1+ finger head that fades fairly slowly with plenty of nice lacing, over a super dark murky brown-black colored beer with no real light coming through.

Nose has a lot of the typical stone hops at first, plenty of spicy earthy hops, chewy hops and a bit of pine as well, with hints of citrus, smells like a typical stone American Black Ale (Black IPA), all that merges well with the dark malts, a bit of roast with some creamy coffee, a bit of dark chocolate and mocha, a light caramel and molasses, and even a hint of booze trickling out.

Taste brings malts at first this time, quite creamy, with a milk chocolate and mocha java , light roast with hints of coffee, caramel and toasted oats, light oatmeal, with some light sweetness and some warming toasty booze. The complex layers of creamy and dark malts give way to hops galore, plenty of spicy hops fairly dominant, with some earthiness, a bit of citrus and orange zest but not much, and even a bit of pine. The hops add a pretty decent bitterness that is accentuated by the roasty malts, but not overly bitter or astringent. As it moves towards the finish, a nice creamy coffee takes over, with some oats and bit of creamy cocoa before becoming completely hops, with a long somewhat bitter spicy and chewy hop flavor lingering for a while. It's fairly dry on the finish without much sticky feel.

Mouth is fuller bodied and fairly creamy, somewhat rich, with decent carb, and some warming booze.

Overall a pretty nice beer, a cross between creamy porter and cascadian dark ale (or black IPA whatever its called), with typical Stone like hops and malts for their black IPAs, with nice malt characteristics, decent hops that get slightly nagging as they build but not overpowering, and a nice overall drinkable beer especially for 11% abv.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 22:30:07 | More by jlindros

Zorro

California

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Viscous pour this really looks like motor oil when you first pour it.

Clear dark brown colored beer with a tall brown colored head.

Smells strongly of patent malt and medicinal hops there is a distinct carrot aroma to it. Chocolate and toasted bread. Scents of mint and menthol.

Starts out sweet and thick with a chocolate and mint taste. Chocolate is really strong in this mildly bittersweet the malt really keeps the bitterness in check. Warming in the chest from the alcohol but there is the cooling effect of the mint. This probably needs aging to bring out more flavors, as it is it is this is a monster of a beer.

Mouthfeel is milkshake.

Overall a big beer that needs to age a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:09:26 | More by Zorro

DoubleJ

California

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

You have to be a special beer store in order to be able to convince Stone to brew a beer for....your 13th? 13th Anniversary?! That's an unusual year to celebrate, but at least there's a theme going on; 13 different grains and 13 different hops. 22 ounces coming my way. On to the beer:

If you like your beer to look dark, you are sure to like the appearance. The beer is, well, dark, polished obsidian, topped with a short head with solid retention. A creamy lace remains on top. The nose offers a soft hoppy fruitiness, malts that don't really lead to a straightforward note, and a few whisper of rubber (infection). I now apporach the beer with caution....

That infection thing is not found in the taste. The overall flavor is strong, not much of a surprise given the beer's 11% ABV. Passionfruit flavor is rampant throughout the beer. The sweetness from the malts yields some toasted sugar, fudge, and roast. The alcohol is hidden nicely, showing some appearances by warming the throat. What started up as a hop explosion has turned itself into a friendly duet of malt and hops.

What had the sign of infection turns out to be a beer that's fun to drink. If you like a bittersweet experience, now is the time to drink it.

On a side note, maybe Stone can brew Bottleworks' 17th Anniversary with a 17 theme. Monolith Ale anyone? http://www.stonebrew.com/cool/articles/pr/monolith/index.html

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 04:22:45 | More by DoubleJ

HopHead84

California

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

4/27/2012

A: Dark brown with an inch of beige foam. Solid retention with scattered lacing.

S: Piney and earthy with a smooth roasted malt profile. Caramel blends with chocolate and a light nuttiness.

T: Upper moderate piney bitterness with lighter notes of grapefruit and orange. Lots of earth and chocolate with a firm roasted malt presence. The finish is a bit astringent with an increased level of bitterness and evident booze.

M: Upper medium in body with matching carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth, creamy, and sticky.

Overall: A solid beer. Not particularly memorable. Comes across as an everything but the kitchen sink beer and somewhat unfocused. Props to Stone on pricing this at $6. That's very fair.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 19:59:45 | More by HopHead84

kojevergas

California

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a Leffe goblet at The Daily Pint in Santa Monica, California. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were average given the brewery, which I find to be rather overrated. Cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.00 USD plus tax and tip.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a two finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and great retention (~3 minutes or more) considering the high ABV. Colour is a nontransparent solid black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Cream, vanilla, roast, coffee, and chocolate. Well-rounded. Fairly subtle. A mild to moderate strength aroma.

T: Chocolate, roast, coffee, hints of vanilla, cream, and a dark malt foundation. The balance is okay, but far from ideal. The flavours ring rather distinct because they don't mesh well together. They compete for attention, to the flavour's detriment. Built okay. Complex but misguided. Not as subtle as the aroma suggests. Some layering is present, but still the notes can be found in isolation. Too bitter. Too much coffee, negatively impacting the balance.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Somewhat thick, but awkward. Adequately carbonated. Doesn't complement the flavour profile in any appreciable sense.

Dr: Drinkable but unremarkable. I wouldn't have it again. It's above average, yes, but it's quite overpriced. A disappointment in the style. It does hide its ABV well, to its credit. Another mundane brew from Stone.

C+

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 22:42:25 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

4.28/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'd like to think of 13 as my lucky number. Case in point, this beer has 13 hops and 13 malts.

Dark brown with a red hue and a frothy head. This should be interesting.

A smorgasboard of hops that project a flowery-citrusy juggernaut. They're not so apparent though. Malt has hints of rye, wheat and chocolate among others.

Whoa mama! An amazing cocktail of citrus and pine hop resin followed by chocolately, creamy malt underneath. The anti-stout because it's not as dark. Sweet, peppery and spicy all at once. Again, a melting pot of flavor!

Lingering alcohol heat followed by raisin, cocoa and citrus in the mouthfeel. Very diverse.

Be careful with this one as it's a definite palate wrecker! If you like to sample 13 different malts and hops in one beer, this is for you.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 02:00:05 | More by Brad007

mactrail

California

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As you might expect, this is rich and powerful, though not as bitter as the typical Stone brews. Dark brown in the tulip glass with a beige foam. Odd lack of lacing down the glass, but maybe this stuff is a solvent.

Dark bitter chocolate is the main flavor, and plenty of it. Deep roasted coffee and Raisinettes candy. Lots of sweetness, and a hint of date sugar or cactus candy. Huge mouthfeel of liqueur-like dimensions including the hot alchohol presence. Candy-like aftertaste with a long, lingering bitterness. I still taste chocolate-covered caramels at the very end.

Whatever you call it, this is a dessert in a glass. Maybe it's better on vanilla ice cream. Seriously.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 06:02:06 | More by mactrail

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

The beer is dark chestnut colored with a tan head. The aroma offers pine, hops, caramel, booze, malt, maple. The flavor is a balance of piney hops and rich, sweet, caramels and malt, with a nod toward the malty side. Double digit abv is masked pretty well for the most part. Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. A bit syrupy, coating the palate. Lingering flavors of caramel. Overall, this was pretty tasty. I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 02:54:26 | More by Huhzubendah

ccrida

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale is a dark brown with a small tan head that leaves very scattered, foamy lace.

Smell is sweet malt, caramel, mish-mash, touch of smoke, char, and fairly pungent over-ripe grapefruit hops.

Taste is better than I expected with the kitchen sink ingredient list. There's some sweetness to the malt, rich caramel as the main component, with a little chocolate, hint of smoke. Nice punch of hops. Not in CDA territory or anything, but it's a notable flavor component, some fruity, sweet and sour citrus, with a bit of fresh pine on the finish.

Mouthfeel is oily, medium-heavy bodied.

Drinkability is pretty good for a big, somewhat thick beer. I actually thought the alcohol was reasonably well masked behind the cacophony of flavors. Paired well a big Nicaraguan cigar (La Perla Habana Rojo perfecto).

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:38:32 | More by ccrida

avalon07

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a cloudy texture. There was an inch of creamy, off white, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing.

S: Definitely an interesting aroma here: Coffee, hops, citrus, and malt.

T: Tasted of hops (a fairly large amount), coffee, citrus, and a bit of caramel. A different kind of flavor to say the least. While not a home run, it's generally successful.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Certainly one of the odder beers I've tried recently. Probably wouldn't go back to this beer, but it was definitely worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 12:19:59 | More by avalon07

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle - bottleworks 13

appearance: served in my ale asylum chalice - dark body - ebony with garnet hues, 1/4" foamy tan head with minimal lace

smell: heavy roast, char, sweet dark fruits, booze

taste: layers of complexity - takes some detective work by the palate to find it all: smoke and charred malt are prevalent, disagree with other reviews and feel the alcohol is quite hot especially in the finish, heavy roasted malt, coffee, dark fruit, big cherry presence, a moderate bitterness, hops present but not a major factor. I dunno - really a bit charred and overpowering for me right now.

mouthfeel: creamy medium body, bitter, smoky, charred

overall: complex and layered, but pretty rough in the early stages

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:08:41 | More by dirtylou