16th Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Smells beautiful, simply beautiful. Nice tan head, bronzed body, smells of ripe citrus and old forest pines. The lemon peal and lemon verbena mesh so perfectly with the citrusy american hops, Vienna(?) malt backs it up to be full yet fairly dry for 10 points of booze. No burn, no booze, just a bitter, citrus bite with a solid malt body and complex aroma.

Splendid, one of the best new beers I have had in a long time.

Stone- You're doing it right.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 21:02:55 | More by olympuszymurgus

djjacobsen

4.85/5  rDev +27%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

WOW! This one was brewed with me in mind. I'm a hop-head and this one, with the slight rye characteristics along with a vibrant lemon accord made my summer. The nose is of over-exaggerrated lemon, which is the verbena. The mouthfeel is oily and pine/green tasting. At 10.00 ABV this beer is two glasses into a wonderful and flavorful IIPA experience. The nose is great, the body is great, color is great, bottle is great...catch my drift? One of my favs.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 22:41:11 | More by djjacobsen

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.78/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nose is resinous pine, bitter hops, grapefruit, spicy notes, mango, orange, lemon and a slight hint of bready malts. Its a little boozy in the taste. Its spicy, malts are kind of roasted, hop bitterness, pine, some acidic citrus notes, lemon, tangerine, tart grapefruit. The bitterness coats your tongue and leaves a warm feeling behind. Its almost like a layer of hop oils coating the tongue. Its definitely a Stone double IPA but it also has a very nice roasted, slightly spicy malt backbone to provide balance. I mean, its an IPA from Stone so you can pretty much assume it'll be awesome and it doesn't disappoint. Very good, high quality, some unique blends of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 08:36:29 | More by DonDirkA

Focusf111

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer really was all I expected from stone! A lot of spice and lemon on the nose with a tab bit of warm alcohol and of course there is some rye in there. At 10% I feel that the ABV is hidden well.
On the tongue you'll get spice, lemon, a fruity malt character and a certain amount of sweetness that is not cloyingly so. Overall very nice. Like Ruination 10th this is a monster of a beer! Happy aniversary and thanks for the amazing brew!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 17:07:33 | More by Focusf111

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another year, another anniversary ale from Stone!

Pours out a nice amber color with orange hues and 1 1/2 fingers of fluffy head.

The aroma is instantly a blend of tropical hop notes; mango, grapefruit, papaya, peach, orange and a nice amount of lemon followed with a hint of the rye spiciness.

The taste starts off with the intense tropical hop notes and then goes into the bright burst of lemon that even adds a very slight hint of tartness. This is followed by the spiciness of the rye and some sweetness coming from the malt.

The mouthfeel is slightly creamy and dry and for being such a big beer this is actually pretty balanced and not too bitter either. Another great beer from Stone and I can't wait until the 17th!

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 23:36:02 | More by JohnnyMc

acevenom

Louisiana

4.6/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a large brandy snifter. Pours clear dark copper with a large, eggshell colored head that dissipates very slowly. I can see a moderate amount of tiny bubbles in the beer and some sticky lacing being left along the side of the glass as the head dissipates. I pick up some of those resinous hop aromas that are typical of Stone with the citrus that could come from the Amarillo hops and the lemon verbena. It's like a nice blend of lemon and orange. I can pick up some of those floral aromas as well. There's some spiciness from the rye malt as well as some very mild sweetness.

The first sip betrays a nice, complex IPA. The citrus and floral flavors from the lemon verbena and the hops. I also pick up some tropical fruit flavors. The resinous piney flavors blend well in the sip before they really hit you in the aftertaste. There's the mild spiciness that I would expect from the rye malt and there's definitely some mild sweetness from the malts. The alcohol doesn't come through very much in the flavor. The flavors are extremely well balanced and delicious. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The beer is smooth and has a dry finish. The drinkability is high. This is a most excellent beer from Stone and one I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 23:58:48 | More by acevenom

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a honey amber color, with a half finger of white head that laces slowly, held aloft by light amounts of carbonation

S - citrus pops into my nose first, quickly tailed by some piney hops, some lemony hints at the end separate from the typical grapefruitiness of the hops profile

T - the hops don't hold back, a sweet pine flavor that is the bitter hops with a wash of lemon sweetness, I was worried that the lemon flavor would be like Pledge, like the lemon flavor in the Lemon infused Coca-Cola.

M&D - hides the alcohol well, smoother than expected, I thought it would be a little more effervescent. It is complex and layered and flavored magnificently. Stone does it again!!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:03:55 | More by sinstaineddemon

MeneerBeerSnob

District of Columbia

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a tulip. Dated August 2012.

A-Deep red copper with one finger of quickly disappearing head

S-Smells of crisp pine and rye with a background of malt and citrus notes. Almost can smell fresh cut grass.

T-Tastes like it smells. Hits your taste buds with malt and citrus and leaves the crisp pine on your tongue.

M-Light body with some frothy texture

O-Great beer. Really refreshing with no alcohol bite. another flavor stands out with every drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 02:41:22 | More by MeneerBeerSnob

WesM63

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip.

A: Pours a golden amber with a nice 2finger head. Tons of lacing and retention.

S: Lots of citrus (grapefruit), some pine/resin a hint of malt and some funk or spice peaking in.

T: Sweet malts, huge hop bitterness with some pine/resin followed by a spice and lemon/citrus finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Overall, excellent and complex brew. Stone doesn't hold anything back.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 01:22:05 | More by WesM63

theycallmedugan

California

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So Just like most people who have reviewed this, I believe temperature does play a big roll in this beer. If you like citrus being the main component, then drink it cold, you like rye and spice more, warmer is when you wanna drink this beer. If you're like me though and like beers that have layer, that change during the time you're drinking it, start with it cold and drink the last of it warm. I'm a huge fan of this beer, way to go Stone!

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 02:06:26 | More by theycallmedugan

larryi86

Delaware

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- A clear copper color with a two finger white head.

S- Hoppy, pine, tropical fruits, citrus, rye, lemon, toasted malts, smells great.

T- Hoppy, pine, resin, citrus, lemon, spicy rye in the finish, nice malt backbone. Very tasty.

M- Smooth, medium body, kind of creamy.

O- A great beer that I will definitely be stocking up on. Love the rye and lemon combo. 10% ABV is unnoticeable.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 02:03:05 | More by larryi86

BucannonXC5

California

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft into a snifter at San Diego Brewing Co. on Aug. 17, 2012 (for $4.75), in San Diego. Poured a caramel, toffee with 1-2 fingers (when I got it) of whiteish, khaki head. Good and consistent retention all around on the way down.

Smelled citrus hops (grapefruit?), bitter and strong. Woody, pine (pine sap?) and lemon. Some floral notes as well. Bitter dominates here.

Tasted sharp bitterness up front. Citrus (lemon and grapefruit) and pine. A bit of rye spices, wood and lemon grass.

Medium body. Oily, slick texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter finish.

Was excited to try this beer and wasn’t disappointed. My slight cold may have hurt or helped this rating as well. Would love to try it again (and see if my ratings would change). Surprised at the lower rating by the fellow Beer Advocaters.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 07:18:15 | More by BucannonXC5

AdamHart22

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bomber. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance is typical of a craft double IPA. Amber colored with hints of red when held to the light. The head is excellent. A very light, off white, that has nice legs.

Smells of pine, grapefruit, and hints of lemon.

Taste is great. Comparable to the DFH Hellhound mentioned below but I like this lemon better. It is a featured flavor as opposed to a nice finish. The hop and malt balance is solid here. A surprise from Stone who usually beats you senseless with hops. Finish is clean and avoids the over-pine ending to other DIPAs from Stone. Would purchase again.

Mouthfeel is nice and clean.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:24:20 | More by AdamHart22

shand

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint.

This has a gorgeous pour, a brilliant orange-red body crested with three fingers of head. The aroma is intensely hoppy and lemony, with a hint of rye malts. The taste is interesting and ultimately very good. It doesn't have much in the way of subtleness, this one hits you right away with all it's got - Lemon, rye, tropical and floral hops, and a touch of booziness. Spice and floral aspects are the name of the game. The hops are very complex here, there's a lot of different hop flavor. The mouthfeel feels a little light and slick to me, but the drinkability is great. Another excellent anniversary beer from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 02:03:20 | More by shand

AaronHomoya

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a tulip glass. Looks like a pretty typical double IPA, with nice golden color.

I enjoyed the unusual aroma of this beer. Obviously lemony, but also floral and spicy. Different than the typical west coast grapefruit, etc. type. The flavor is also interesting, and nicely balanced, I thought. Very hoppy and lemony in flavor, still spicy and floral. The bit of rye in the grain bill is nicely subtle. It contributes to give the beer an almost spice-cookie malt character. Very creative and well executed. Mouthfeel is suitably carbonated and not too syrupy.

Overall, I really liked this beer and I appreciated the unique character it brings to the double IPA scene, while still being pretty balanced and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 22:38:56 | More by AaronHomoya

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Off white head, moderate retention. Soapy, sticky lacing. Light amber in color, high clarity. Aroma is very unique. Yes, its lemony. Sweet, sugary lemons. Kinda delicious smelling. Taste is mild, not overly hoppy, touch of lemons, low alcohol, mild malt sweetness. I suppose the most impressive part of this brew is that Stone has removed ALL of the alcohol taste with these unique flavors and made the beer dangerously drinkable in the process.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 06:12:35 | More by KickbacksSteve

nickfl

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A.- Pours with a large head of white foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The head settles at a moderate pace and leaves excellent lace other glass.

S - Lemon and juniper notes with some of the promised rye spiciness.

T - Thick, sweet malt up front with spicy notes. Lots of bitter slices in the middle with notes of juniper, lemon pith, and pepper. Finishes with lemongrass, juniper, clove, and lingering grapefruit.

M - Medium thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - This is a very different take on a DIPA. The hops are distinctly gin like in both flavor and aroma and the citrus pith bitterness adds to this perception. I like this one quite a lot, though I can imagine that it might not be something everyone would enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 06:32:24 | More by nickfl

mwrecording

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was SO excited to get this all the way in MD the week or two after it was released. This is an AMAZING DIPA. May be the best one I've ever had...

Appearance: A really pretty dark gold, thick yet small head that fades real quick

Smell: Citrus, bubble gum, pepper/rye, floral notes with a touch of booze on the nose. Wondeful.

Taste: Wow, wow, wow. A lot going on and a lot working amazingly well together. Lemon zest is pretty forward with a nice blast of hops surprisingly in the backround. The rye is there but its just a touch, really as much as I'd want it to be an any of my beers - especially the DIPA's

Mouthfeel: light carbonation with a really sticky off-dry sort of finish.

Overall: Thoroughly impressed, I didn't get to try the 10th anny Ruination unfortunately but this easily makes up for it. I've got 2 more bottles of this and will make an effort to snag another from my shop. This is one of the better beers and DIPA's I've had in my young BA life. Drank a Pliny last night and while I'm never been too huge on Pliny, this simply puts it to shame for me. This is an amazing beer...try hard to get it.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 23:53:13 | More by mwrecording

Rizalini

Nevada

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into my Stone tulip...

A - Pours a crystal clear golden color with 1 finger of off-white head. Nice lacing left behind as I sip.

S - The smell is of juicy lemons and citrusy hops. Mouth watering.

T/M - More lemon in the flavor than the nose leads onto. Slightly piney in the middle of the taste. Great bitterness in this one, with a residual hoppy aftertaste. Medium slightly syrupy mouthfeel.

O - I don't think I've ever had a bad IPA from Stone, and this one's no different. I love their straight forward, bold approach to their IPAs. Their 16th Anniversary is everything that it claims to be; a bold DIPA with lemon. Great brew, cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 05:14:13 | More by Rizalini

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a fairly clear amber-orange color with a finger of frothy slightly off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice laicing.

S - Aroma is a mix of lemon, orange, grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops with some sweet caramel and lightly bready malts with a touch of booze.

T - Starts out with some lightly tart lemon with grapefruit and other citrus hops, some bitterness, and some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some pine hops and some more bitterness come through alongside some biscuit malts. The finish is a mix of lemon, grapefruit, and pine hops with some bitterness, sweet caramel malts, and a hint of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry and bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice hop profile with the lemon adding some great flavor to compliment. Great overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 05:39:25 | More by ngeunit1

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I looked up lemon verbena, and I found out about this new herb offering a lemon presence from brush.

I poured this into a open mouth, IPA designed glass from DFH. The coloring is darker orange, and I get about two fingers of head on top. This foam leaves some nice lacing on the sides of my glass.

Off the top I get some really good citrus presence. I like the lemon from the oil and verbena. This plays off well with the grapefruit from the generous hops.

The flavor is a little different than your typical IPA. I like how the lemony plays in this. The balance is still really good.

The oily feel to this beer works really works well across the pallatte.

Overall this is another great anniversary beer by Stone. I'd tell you to get it, but this should be sold out by now.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:48:04 | More by ummswimmin

bstave

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into retro Olympia glass.

This pores a transparent golden with a half finger white head. Nice lacing too. Smell is citrusy and pine with the lemon shining through. Not as big of a hop blast in the nose as I was expecting even after letting it warm up. Taste is awesome with big bittering hops that bring a big citrus and pine punch. The lemon is big too. Mouthfeel is spot on and alcohol isn't too overwhelming. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. It was big on citrus with the lemon melding really nicely with the hops. Seek out this limited release.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:39:30 | More by bstave

fmccormi

New York

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Straight pour from 22oz pry-off bottle to a tall Ommegang flute. Only dating visible on the bottle is “August 2012” printed in red ink as part of the label artwork above the barcode, but this juuust came out and has barely gotten through distribution, so it’s damn fresh.

Appearance (4.0): Very nice, rich head on this beer, ivory-colored and rising to a good three or four fingers of moderately tight bubbles and fading slowly, atop a rich amber body, which is crystal-clear. Lacing is a bit underwhelming, but it leaves some spots as it recedes.

Smell (4.0): Classic, West Coast DIPA aroma, here: hop-dominated, with strong pineapple and passionfruit notes (hi, Amarillo!), with an undercurrent of pine coming from the glass. From the bottle, there’s a good lemon essence in the nose, at least as strong as the hop component and very refreshing.

Taste (4.5): The rye is noticeable on the palate, leaving a nice, rye bread spiciness to play with the hop profile, which comes off more resinous and dank in terms of flavor, but finishing with a strong pink grapefruit / citrus pith bitterness. The lemon verbena is half-citrusy, half-herbal in character and interestingly, kind of melds into that nice, dank character—very nice touch. The malt body, meanwhile, is well put-together: a bit of caramel sweetness, mixing with moderate-to-strong toasty and spicy notes, it’s got enough going on to hold its own, but doesn’t distract from the hops and adjuncts in this brew, either. Well-balanced. Finally, the alcohol heat is there, but it’s easy to miss because it folds into the bitter hop finish and resinous character so well—which is key for a hop-forward beer this big. As it warms, the lemony character, malt sweetness, and alcohol vapor all become more pronounced, but it makes for a nice effect, like boozy lemon icing.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Soft, lush carbonation that never gets prickly or sharp; the body is on the full side of medium-bodied, and very oily—really, really nice mouthfeel. The finish is on the dry side and just slightly chalky, but nice.

Overall (4.5): This is a really well put-together DIPA, with a great use of adjuncts. The rye malt is perfectly balanced, which is uncommon for a lot of beers featuring rye in my experience, and it’s full-flavored but not overdone in any respect. The lemon verbena is a really nice complement to the rye and hops both, and the ABV is well-hidden—just a really, really well-made beer all around. Great brew!

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 00:08:51 | More by fmccormi

TaySuth

California

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: I cannot find a single fault with the appearance of this beer. Beautiful amber-brown in color with a solid head that refuses to go away.

Smell: Everything you expect from the aroma of an IPA with well balanced blasts of lemongrass, citrus, and spice. Very inviting.

Taste: Very unique flavor. Strong hop flavor of course but within the taste is what the aroma promised; lemongrass, citrus, and spice. On top of that, there is a certain baked bread flavor that I cannot quite put my finger on.

Mouthfeel: Great balance of body to the flavor. Just the right amount of carbonation to the body. Well done.

Overall: I'm a big fan of this beer by Stone and of Stone in general. They never cease to impress me.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 03:39:22 | More by TaySuth

neenerzig

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bomber into my oversized wine glass. This beer pours a slightly cloudy/hazy, but mostly clear medium to dark amber/copper color. The creamy looking off-white head is about an inch thick when poured before settling to a nice thick surface coating with a thick ring lining the inside of the glass. Very nice lacing! Aromas of caramel and rye malt are noticeably present and gives way to citrus, earthy hops with hints of lemon. Flavor wise this beer is certainly complex, with the lemony citrus, earthy hop presence that gives way to sweet, biscuity caramel malt that is rounded out with a nice touch of rye. The hops aren't really very bitter at all here, which I guess I initially found to be odd being that this is a double IPA from Stone. But I like the fact that this is a unique take on a double IPA. Has a crisp, yet smooth and creamy, medium to full bodied mouth feel with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink in the way good beer like this should be! Another excellent beer from Stone!

Eric

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 05:01:36 | More by neenerzig