16th Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle: Poured a slight hazy amber color ale with a large foamy head with great retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of citrus floral hoppy notes with some good notes of lemon. Taste is dominated by citrus and resinous hops notes with clear lemon notes without any tart flavours. Fruity notes from the Amarillo with light residual sugar form the malt backbone bring out a good balanced mix overall. Body was quite full with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very good and one beer that Stone should keep producing as a regular instead on an Anniversary one.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 19:06:34 | More by Phyl21ca

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"This year our brewing team was inspired by some exotic-ish additions of the lemony persuasion. Yes, it's a Double IPA (can you really say you're surprised?), but as we strive to do with all our Stone Anniversary Ales of the let's-take-this-IPA-in-a-new-direction variety, we've brewed up a Stone-worthy divergence from tradition. The amount of rye malt we used isn't quite enough to warrant the appellation "Rye IPA," but it still adds hints of spiciness that contrast deliciously with the tropical fruit flavors and aromas of the Amarillo and Calypso hops. Add a few European specialty malts, some lemon verbena, and three more hop varieties to the mix, and you have a highly complex brew melding both bitter and fruity hop notes with rich toasted malt character punctuated by nuances of spicy rye and subtle lemon." Brewed in the style of an American Double IPA. Brewed as a one time anniversary release in August 2012. Drink fresh? Whoops.

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber to a snifter glass. Served north of 50º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a copper cream-tone head of a crisp frothy consistency. Body color is a bold orange amber with high clarity aside from minute specks of sediment. Carbonation in this beer is almost nonexistent, but little relaxed bubbles inform me that it hasn't gone flat. Retention is average- the head settles quicker than expected for one of Stone's brews, but the surface cover is frothy and the lacing is thin and streaked. A decent appearance. 3.5

(Smell) Faint traces of verbena, a sprig of lemongrass, a mild grassy hop note and a sweet, clean pale malt base make for a straight forward aroma. Potency is very low, and warming does little to reveal the aroma better. This is surprisingly tepid for a DIPA on almost all accounts of malt and hop brilliance. What's here isn't offensive or out of balance, but it may leave a lot to be desired. 3.25

(Taste) Light tea-like pale malt body, lemongrass, mellow citrus and aggressive piney, mildly spicy hop bitterness with a lingering dry, resinous finish. The malt diversity and flavor is straight-up simple- just shy of absent, with the combined efforts of the hop bitterness and the lemongrass leading the flavor almost entirely. It goes for mild in flavor despite a strong bitter front, even though I would have suggested a slightly bolder malt profile to pair, the drinkability is high and the beer is simple, yet refreshing and bitter in that Stone-grade of expected bitterness intensity. It's not my favorite of the Stone Anniversary Ale series, but it's not too shabby for what it had going in. Probably not a winning recipe for many, but those who want a DIPA that drinks light yet packs a bitter punch (and alcohol boost), this may be your dead ringer. For the rest, you may find this a rather weak and unbalanced brew. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Slickness is moderate, and carbonation is mildly airy. Balance is medium/sharp in regards to bitter over sweet. Body is light+ for the style and medium amongst all beer. A sneaky alcohol presence is medium/high, difficult to conceal behind the simplicity of the malts or lemongrass. It's especially well presented amongst the hop bitterness. The carbonation is decent in regards to exposing the simplicity of the recipe, but the malt body would be more enjoyable if it were a touch sweeter or more complex to better balance the beer out. 3.5

(Overall) I appreciated the simplicity of this beer, and the ingredients used to go with it, as few of them are used regularly in Double IPAs, let alone standard IPAs. The lemongrass led a subtle lemony character and paired with grassy and faint citrus hops, it starts light and drinkable, but ends in typical stone IPA fashion with an intense bitterness, seemingly magnified in intensity by the subtle qualities of the other ingredients. I didn't find the verbena all that well utilized in the flavor and also may have found the alcohol a bit unnecessarily high for this beer altogether. The malt base suggested a tea-like thinness and drinkability for the character- did it really need to be 10% with all the simplicity and drinkability enhanced? Not everybody is going to enjoy this DIPA, but only if you come up to the plate with the expectation that all DIPAs are bold, flavorful and exciting, only then may you be disappointed. Aside from the ABV, I'd sooner classify this a standard IPA. 3.5

Stone Brewing Co.'s
Stone 16th Anniversary IPA
3.45/5.00

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2013 01:27:30 | More by Jadjunk

MisSigsFan

California

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated August 2012. Pours a golden amber with a finger and a half thick head. Smells sweet with lemon and booze. Taste is mostly citrus with some sweetness and boozey sting at the end. Good amount of bitterness, but not overwhelming. Mouth is pretty smooth with medium body. Carbonation is average to above average average. Overall I really like this brew. Probably the only IPA I've had from Stone that didn't have a strong piney hop character.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:40:08 | More by MisSigsFan

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Ironically its my 16th Anniversary and I'm drinking the 16th Anniversary from Stone...un planned I swear!! Nevertheless, the beer pours a cloudy copper with big finger thick head that is lacing nicely. The smell is fresh pine mixed with sweet malt and a tinge of citrus. The taste is starts bitter with pine and bitter citrus, then a smoothing malt comes in then followed by a bitter finish that is left on the pallet. The mouthfeel is full body with good carbonaiton. Overall this is a big beer and is more of a sipping type. At 10% ABV it is a knockout punch.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 03:14:00 | More by WoodBrew

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.99/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy, harvest gold color with a sudsy white head. A moderate amount of lacing occurs when this initially large head recedes to a thin coating. The aroma is magnificent, with pineapple and other tropical fruits, lemon balm, and rye whiskey. There is also a 'baked goods' aspect with cinnamon, like fresh sugar cookies of some kind. The taste consists mostly of very resinous hops, flowery tea, and a bit of lemon extract. There is something medicinal about this, like eucalyptus. The finish is where the rye comes in, and it's a bit boozy. Very full mouthfeel. Overall, the smell is the best part of the beer. The taste is good, but a little bit of a let down. I will make note that this was bottled in August 2012 and reviewed April 2013. Technically there may have been some fade from the original intended flavor. I typically would not purchase an IPA more than 6 months old, but due to the bottle conditioning I thought this would be alright.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:03:00 | More by Neorebel

dbossman

Nebraska

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Light orange-amber hue with a large, foamy head; lacing is decent

S: So much citrus: lemon, lemon rind, grapefruit but also so much floral and herbal qualities that I feel like I'm sucking on a lemon while walking through a botanical garden; also a sweet bready presence underneath

T: Holy crap that has a bizarre but awesome kick: so bitter and citrusy and floral and oily: lemons and flowers; there is a bready malt base but it's hard to get past the peppery floral and citrus flavors--so much lemon

F: This is sticky and oily and pretty darn awesome

O: What a bizarre and jolting IPA; this beer is big and extreme and a sipper but I sure enjoyed it

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:47:07 | More by dbossman

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 750bl bottle into a Portsmouth brewery stemmed glass.

The color is a golden orange with two fingers of foamy white head and some thick lacing left on the glass.

The smell is full lemon aroma with a tangerine and a touch of grass that comes out in the back end of the nose.

The taste is sweet malts at first that gives to a citrus flavor that brings in the bitter hops toward the end. More lemon and tangerine like a lot of west coast IPAs that bring the hops. There is a slight candy sugar flavor like a Belgian triple that leaves a nice sweetness before that bitterness hooks up with it but does not push the sweetness completely away.

The feel of this beer is smooth going down with a push here in there with some bitterness but seems to be less spikey feel in back end. Things seem to meld together well and contributes to the nice drinkable feel of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 05:17:07 | More by Duhast500

ItsTheLimit

Florida

3.14/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

This beer appears as a cloudy, hazy orange/copper color that very little light shows through. Almost looks like a lighter apple cider. Thick, three finger head of off-white foam.

Smell is very strong up front with pine, resin, lemon and subtle mint. Not picking up muchin the way of the rye described on the label.

Upon first sip it's mostly slightly citrusy tang followed by some sweet malt and then finishes with a balanced hop finish. The lemon doesn't really work with the beer, for my tastes, and overpowers it, giving it an almost unnatural taste.

Mouthfeel is a little heavy and syrup-like, but not to a fault. Nicely carbonated and carries the depth of flavors well.

Overall, this is a slightly disappointing effort from a remarkably consistent brewery. This won't deter me from purchasing and consuming all of the other excellent Stone Brewery products, but I can't imagine going out of my way to drink the 16th anniversary brew again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:25:47 | More by ItsTheLimit

durwood64

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Just about the worst beer I can remember from such a usually great brewery. I was very disappointed with this one.Tastes like the an arrogant bastard mixed with a lemon furniture polish. I like IPAs and love double IPAs, but I think this one is trying too hard to push the envelope. Stick with a ruination.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 20:14:32 | More by durwood64

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.36/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Aroma is VERY hoppy - not quite evergreen, more woody than resiny, but seriously hoppy nonetheless, with an undertone of sour orange. It pours a beautiful clear coppery amber with a fairly thick pale copper head. Extremely hoppy flavor has strong evergreen and woody notes but minimal bitterness, as well as, undertones of citrus and rye and a hint of honey. Full body has plenty of tingle and life, leaving a fizzy, hoppy, slightly sweet finish. An excellent Imperial IPA - catch it before it flies away!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:13:36 | More by Cyberkedi

ajpadre

California

4.31/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I currently live in Pensacola after moving from San Marcos, CA. I'm very used to drinking the local SD beers however we tend to get them months after their production date.

The weather down here is very warm, and I have to say this beer is an excellent complement.

It has had some time to mellow and it comes through. The color is a lovely orange to a lighter color that resembles their ruination.

The nose is interesting because you're trying to find the lemon, but I honestly think that if this was a blind taste test you wouldn't be able to smell it over the typical hop nose.

The taste is what I would call very refreshing. I hesitate to use that terminology due to certain trademarked slogans. But it almost resembles a Thai tea lemon flavor that blends very well with the already bitter hop characteristic. And the flavor dissipates very quickly leaving a clean feeling on the pallet.

I'm a hop head myself, the bitter the better. This one kicks fairly well for aging this long, but the 10% ABV is completely undedectable.

All and all and awesome brew. I honestly thought I wasn't going to like it, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:38:32 | More by ajpadre

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Clear, golden-orange in color. This beer has a soapy, bright white head...it leaves the glass draped in lace. The aroma is flowery and fruity...citrus, and some peach like scents. Soft malt, spicy, earthy hops. The taste is complex and engaging. Lots of fruit and a solid hop bitterness and flavor. Semi sweet, spicy, herbal, and enjoyable. I get a lot of fruit, but I am not sure that I would call it 'lemony', despite the ingredients. The complexity, however, and the balance/flavor profile are well crafted. Firm body, lingering bitterness. Exceptionally good.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:32:27 | More by Suds

mactrail

California

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pleasant appearance with orange color in the tall Saxo tulip. Plenty of foam and quite spritzy in the mouth. Tends to attack the tongue after some sipping.

This doesn't seem so overly lemoned, in fact the nose is quite interesting. But it just seems to add to the general bitterness, which this doesn't need any more of. Rich and malty, but then the bitter blast blows through. Quite unpleasant aftertaste of bitter citrus rind and generally acidic. It doesn't taste so alcoholic, but it's a harsh mistress nonetheless.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at Ibis Market in San Diego for six bucks.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 05:47:24 | More by mactrail

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly clear gold with moderate thick off white head.
S: It smelled like bitter lemon zest and fresh grapefruit, with some floral hops and sweet wild honey.
T: It tasted like strong herbal and resinous hops, with some lemon zest and unripe grapefruit and peppercorn and light caramel. It had a strong and clean aftertaste of earthy bitterness, with some alcohol warming.
M: It was thick with moderate carbonation. Very nice full body.
D: This was a pretty powerful 2IPA with nice scent and bold taste. The body was immense, nearly chewy, and the finish was reasonably smooth. The alcohol wasn't too hot, so it wasn't difficult to drink, but I could see some age turning this into an entirely different but also good...and more mellow beer. Quite enjoyable fresh, and one of the better IPAs from Stone, but still not on the same level as some other modern IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 20:23:03 | More by Pencible

LittleDon

Texas

3.64/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Copper with a off white head. Lots of sticky lace and good head retention. Some haze. Aroma balances pineapple and malt with less tropical fruit that expected. Flavor is less complex than other Stone IPAs. Leans toward the dry side. Lots of bitterness in the finish and mild acidity. Some alcohol present middle to finish. Medium to medium heavy body and very rich. Medium plus carbonation.

Probably should have open it sooner. Aug 2012 date, consumed 19-Jan-13. Stored in refrigerator at a fairly cold temperature (~40-45).

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:26:23 | More by LittleDon

djjacobsen

4.85/5  rDev +26.6%
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

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -37.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.5

This beer was utterly awful. Drain pour to the extreme. Thanks to yourefragile for sharing. Served in a goblet. Pours inoffensively enough, but then it quickly fills the air with the disgusting scent of lemon household cleaner and...nothing else. I was hesitant to take a sip, thinking it couldn’t be safe. For my taste buds, it wasn’t. More lemon. At least some bitterness here, but that didn’t help anything. Memo to Stone: sometimes it’s okay not to go extreme.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 12:41:49 | More by Thorpe429

Gavage

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours an orange color with a 1" head that lasts. It slowly falls to a thick surface foam.

Smell: lemon, earthy hops, and some caramel come through to the nose.

Taste: caramel, lemon, spicy rye, earthy hop bitterness, and a mild fruitiness creates a well balanced flavors. Alcohol is noticeable and warming.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smoother at the finish. There is a bit of dryness arriving late.

Overall: a slower sipping big DIPA that has a nice spicy and earthy flavor. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:16:17 | More by Gavage

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a clear light copper body with a matrix of microbubbles supporting a sticky beige head that last for a good bit.

S- The woody rye note has some green lemon hops that finish the aroma. There is some caramel malt notes that come thru as the beer opens.

T- A mellow green hops flavor has dark juicy and woody qualities to it with some rye and dry toasted malt leading to a dry spice finish. There is a caramel malt flavor that grows as the beer opens. The aftertaste has a touch of sweetness with woody lemon hops flavor lingering.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a gentle fizz to it with no real alcohol heat.

O- This beer has a very nice blend of malts, hops and lemon herbs that surprisingly work well together. The hops are not huge and they let the other flavors come through nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 22:14:59 | More by rhoadsrage

buschbeer

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 6 ounce bottle
Served in a tulip glass

A - It has an amber body with golden highlights. An average pour yielded me a half glass of rocky, tan head that clung to the sides.

S - There is a lot of citrus. I immediately notice the lemon, but there is also a strong grapefruit presence. Once the head subsides, I get more of a caramel malt aroma.

T - I notice a lot of caramel malt in the taste. The lemon is muted, and the finish is Stone's typical hop bitterness with a kiss of rye.

M - It's thick for an IPA.

O - I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for some more lemon flavor. Instead I got a typical Stone hop bomb. If you are a fan of Stone you would like this beer. I prefer the mid-west IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 20:16:55 | More by buschbeer

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle, bottled on date says August 2012 printed on the side in cadmium ink.

A - Nice standard orange IPA looking appearance. Typical stuff. Non-aggressive pour yields virtually no head.

S - I can smell this beer from a distance. Very strong scent of a grapefruit citrus hop assault.

T - Bitter and hoppy. There is a vague hint of spiciness, and a nice hot alcohol burn in the finish. The lemon slowly creeps out as you sip on this beer, but for me it's not very distinct in the sense that the Dogfish Head Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Ale was. Although, I think it's good, there is more citrus alcohol burn than there is genuine lemon flavor.

M - Sticky, bitter, hot, hoppy, tangy, citrus mouthfeel.

Overall, this beer feels good, but I feel like it is missing some floral aspects to tone it down a bit and make it not so spicy. However, it was a very good brew and I recommend picking it up before it disappears.

Stone 16th Anniversary IPA --- 4/5.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 09:54:57 | More by mfnmbvp

MaineBrewing

Maine

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - poured into pint glass a light copper color with slight haze, nice creamy two finger head.

S - nose is dominated by citrus and orange hop character. Bright and floral, almost like potpourri our cleaning supplies.

T - first thoughts very herbal almost mint character, spicey. A very sweet caramel malt is there but plays a secondary role to the fruity almost juice like grapefruit and orange flavor. Hop bitterness doesn't quell the over the top sweet and citrus character. This is an extremely unique flavor, but it does wear on me with the mint character and cloying sweetness.

M - thick and syrupy, sticky, slow sipping, light carbonation.

Overall - mixed emotions... I wasn't blown away but it's certainly unique. I think it's a great beer but I find the herbal flavor weird. Too sweet and not enough bitter for an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:59:54 | More by MaineBrewing

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Drank this fresh on September 3 before leaving the country and had to get a IPA in my system beforehand.

Poured into a tulip producing a great looking beer with a semi-transparent effervescent deep orange body and a voluminous slightly off-white head that dissipates slowly.

The lemon smell seems to hit juts a bit more above the sweet peach, grapefruit, and mango. Slight bit of spicy rye characteristic. Kind of melds with the lemon and isn't there too much.

The interplay between the lemon and malts in this beer is great to me. The lemon is prominent and pops out again over everything for a second. Sweet caramel and bready maltiness is there. The rye malt provides a nice little spice. The great hop aromas seem a little muddled in the taste. There is mostly juts grapefruit underneath the lemon.

The body is medium. The beer goes down smooth with a slight oiliness. After the initial pour the carbonation settled nicely.

The added lemon character seems a touch too much and overpowers some of the aspects of the beer which is unfortunate but makes for an interesting drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:01:11 | More by MattSweatshirt

russwbeck

Virginia

2.38/5  rDev -37.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: The beer pours out a hazy yellow red color with a big white head. Bubbles aerate the beer and hold up the head, which laces nicely.

S: The aroma is full of lemon and orange. The piny hops I had hoped to experience aren't there. The fruits almost make this smell like cleaner and need the other hop aromas for balance.

T: The taste has more of a balance, luckily. The lemons and orange are back, but this time they're paired with some pine. The orange is stronger than the lemon, but the hops still aren't strong enough to make this something I'd consider drinking again. It's just too much lemon for me. The booze comes out at the end, which really doesn't help.

MF: The body is light and full of carbonation. The booze at the end negatively impacts the nice hop finish that I considered one of the only plusses of the beer.

O: I haven't been all that impressed with the Stone Anniversary series, and this is another example of that. The lemon was just too much, perhaps it wasn't fresh enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 01:56:39 | More by russwbeck

MtnBiker

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great appearance with a deep orange color and a nice thick white head. Some thin spotty lacing down the glass. Smells of a lemon and pine. Tastes of a lemony, hoppy bomb, with a definite strong malt backbone. After that you get an herbal aftertaste that is pretty good in my book.

Overall, I liked this beer just to try it because I can not get it in my state. The lemon verbena flavor is outstanding and if you don't like this beer, keep it for a chicken marinade. I think it would be outstanding for that use.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:51:39 | More by MtnBiker