Stone - Vertical epic 09

Stone - Vertical epic 09

OMG, this one is good. Dark sweetish portery belgian thing.

Some of the beers in this series have tasted "young" for lack of a better word. This one was good from the get go, I think it will be amazing in 2012!

By the way, I'm still looking for a bottle of '02

Stone: Levitation Ale

Mmm. Poured a deep amber color with a off white head. It is an interesting ale to describe. Compared to an IPA, this has a thicker body that's a bit malty like an irish red but with a bunch more hops. It's not as hoppy as their IPA's but it's a decent balance IMO between how malty it is. Definitely worth a try if you haven't had it before and are a fan Stone (which I am).

Stone: Russian Imperial Stout '07 to '08

2007

Wow, wasn't expecting this since I haven't had too much of it prior to this experience. This is a heavy thick beer hailing 10% abv with a maple'y thickness typical of a heavy imperial stout/porter/ipa. The head poured out a denser tan foam that dissappated quickly but left a smooth tingle. This beer coated my mouth and left a sharpe alcohol bite.

2008

This one had the same qualities as the 2007 but it was far less. I wouldn't say it was more drinkable in any way but it definetly was a little less. The carbonation was almost effervescent yet it maintained the same bite and head. Overall a decent couple of beers but I'd recommend letting it sit for a year or two.

Stone Russian Imperial Stout - 2007 VS. 2008

Stone Russian Imperial Stout - 2007 VS. 2008

'07 on the right, '08 on the left.

Both definatly pass our Stout Hole test.

Both excellent beers, I would have a hard time telling them apart, but I did like the '07 better. It smelled syrupier and the extra time the flavors had to blend added to the already excellent taste. I liked the body of the '07 better, slightly smoother and thicker. The head on the '07 was not quite as developed as the '08, but they both stuck around for most of the glass and both had a nice tan tinge. Carbonation was about the same between the two, on the low to moderate side like a good thick stout should be. I was kind of surprised the differences between the "standard" and "vintage" were not as pronounced as our test of '06 VS. '07 Double Bastard.

Now for the disclaimer...High alcohol content (over 10%) coupled with an affinity for stouts probably skewed the results, if we were really trying to be scientifice we would have used smaller "fun size" samplings. But really, who came up with the "fun size" crap anyway?

Bottom line - great stouts, get yourself some and try this experiment for yourself.

2008 Double Bastard

2008 Double Bastard

This year's seems thicker than I remember, but as always a good beer. Hoppy, malty, thick, with an alcohol hotness on the back. Not much else to review, stock up while you can.

Look for a 2007 vs. 2008 review. And possibly a 2006 vs. 2007 vs. 2008...

Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Tasty stout! Smells like beer mixed with that hot chocolate that has the marshmellows in it with a little bit of coffee thrown in for good measure. One bottle was plenty, the stuff is pretty thick. Alcolol hotness picks up mid glass but goes well with the bittersweetness of the brew. I've got a few more of these in my stash, go get yourself one!

Stone: Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

DARK heavy body, syrap chocolate tones, decent alcohol bite (not strong for 9.2%). When the beer warmed up a bit the alcohol tones really started to come out though. I haven't had a beer like this in a while though. Rich coffee tones seem to dominate this brew but if you reach for it you can feel the dark bitter chocolate. Dubbed a stout, it pours rich black with brown tones and light brown legging. The only time I could see the color was in the head and when poured from the bottle. Very good beer. This is up there with Deschutes Abyss (same kind of feel and body).

Vertical Epic 08.08.08

08 is out!

I feel special, I got a bottle before 8/8/08!

Stone: Double Bastard 2007 Release

Heavy, thick, good bite, heavy hop presence, and huge. Malty taste with little dark malts, it had a bit of spicy tang about it. Might be more of a super ESB than anything. Ya, that's where I'd put it. I had been saving this for, well, a year. Tonight for some reason the mood struck me and it needed to be drank. For a medium colored beer this one sure packs a whalop at 10% which contributes to some of the spiciness. If you ever find one of the limited release bottles (typically spring or fall?) try it out. But be prepared for a bottle that you might not finish all at once. Results may vary being I've had this one for a year. Fear not, though it may be my last 22oz bottle, I still have a 3L (thats right) 2007 Release Double Bastard on my fridge. Booya!

Portland bbrew festival

Typo's abbound. Beware. One thumb email'ing.

Dicks brewery: ipa - good, overly dry hopped, not sweet. That's good. 90ibu

grand teton brewery: bitch creek esb - choclaty, medium body, dark color, I would brew my esb more like this. get yours!

Rogue beer crust pizza: lol, good stuff. Needs more toppings. Tomato sauce with cheese. Blah. It worked.

Lost Coast: Great white - um. Better than pbr? Its lagerish. Very light. No flavor in either the hop or malt variety. Still, better than most american lagers? I think there are some better. One in our crew got this and I tried it, I'm not gonna waste my tickets on this.

stone: levitation ale - mmmm. I like stone. This is more of a light bodied IPA. Its rated at half the IBU as Dicks IPa. What's going on here? Is BrewMunkey_A correct in his IBU rating? It is ppssible. This is a decent IPa. I recommend it. Better than Dicks? I'd say its on par.

Summit Brewery: Extra Pale Ale - hey, not a bad ale. Its got decemt flavor, mediaum/dark body
, good body. I like for what it is

BM_1 OUT.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Mmmmmmm, beeeeerrrrrrrr. And it came in a 6 pack!

The oaking adds an excellent depth to the Arrogant Bastard. Little bit heavier body, and a slightly milder, sweeter taste. It reminds me of a really good candied apple. I can't really smell the oak, but the color of the beer seems to be a little darker. Definatly give it a try if you're a fan of the origional Arrogant Bastard.

Stone Ruination IPA

Stone doesn't have great balance on this one but it has certaintly went ape poo with the hops! The body is medium, the white head eminates bitterness, and the alcohol was subdued (for 7.7 abv at least). Very clean, bubbly, and golden in color. I've had lagers that have looked similar. It was served around 47-50*. I thoroughly enjoyed this one with a steak. It never gave me a coated mouth feel and was good to the last drop. Very good for an IPA though I'd like it more if it had a thicker body.

Stone XI (11th) Anniversary Ale

www.stonebrew.com/anniv
Sept 2007 Release

Wow, the first beer I've ever had that comes close to our IPArter. Its flowery hoppy flavor has a strong bite. The dark, rich, almost porter like malt really hits a spot with me. Not to mention that the hops, followed up with a high alcohol content (8.7%), lend to its overall huge presence. I enjoyed a 22oz bottle with Nate and Eric. Highly recommended, however, they are no longer brewed. They are available on ebay, get yours now.

Stone IPA

http://www.stonebrew.com/ipa/
If you like IPA's, this one should either be on your favorite list or your next to buy. Staying pretty true to form, this beer is made well. It has a tad of its sweetness left, medium to light body, and pours leaving a pure white frothy head. Left to sit, it really looks good, letting its golden pale yellow color light up. It claims 77 IBU's but it sure tastes like a lot more, however, it is done tastefully and I enjoyed my pitcher without regret. A feat seldom attempted with any other IPA.

Old Guardian Barleywine

Mmmmm Smells sweet and malty like beer flavored cotton candy. Just a nibble of hop aroma. Medium lacing on the glass. Smooth viscous malty sweet first taste, hops linger on the back of my pallet. This is a good barleywine, I'm still waiting for a great one to pop up again, but for the moment I'm happy. Not quite as hoppy as the Bigfoot which I had last night, but still has a little bite, definitely an American style barleywine. Next sip, the hops and malts are in harmony. The brewers symphony of malts, barley and hops is playing out in my glass, the day fades away and only the moment I'm in right now matters. Thankfully it comes in a 22oz bottle!

Stone Brewing: Double Bastard '06 vs. '07

First off, both were excellent and I had a hard time in blind taste testing telling the difference between the two even though differences were larger and more apparent than I expected.

The 06 was noticeably darker in color and smelled more orangey than the 07. Head was about the same between the two. Taste was quite different, the 06 being much fuller and sweeter tasting with hints of raisins vs the 07 which had a more citrusy/hoppy taste with a lighter texture. The 06 also left a heavier lacing on the glass when swirled. Being surrounded by snow when I drank these two the 06 was the drink to relax in front of the fire with and the 07 was the drink to share with good friends after a snowball fight.

Overall, the 06 was the winner for me - aging toned down the sharp notes the Double Bastard typically has and gave it a port like desert beverage texture.