The Drunken Polack

First off congrats to Stone.  14 years in any business is just amazing.  I can blame them along with Dogfish Head for really getting me into craft beer.  3 years later, I’m about 15 pounds heavier and a ton less richer.  Thanks you bastards.  Anyway, so Stone decided on making an English IPA for their 14th anniversary beer. 

They took ingredients from over the pond and came up with this brew.  They took hops that are usually used in English beers.  Target, East Kent, Goldings, and Boadicea.  They imported White Malt and brought in a “Rare” yeast strain.  But of course they made the beer their own by amping up everything.  Think English IPA that is “Stonebastardized”

The picture you see to the right is a pic of when me and my buddy Jeff shared a bottle this past weekend.  But I actually got to try the brew for the first time a few weeks ago at a beer tasting at my local beer place.  Honestly I couldn’t stand it and I walked out saying it was the worst Stone brew I have ever had.  But when I tried it past weekend I ended up really liking it.  Don’t exactly know why.  Maybe it was the different atmosphere or maybe because I was sharing it with a friend.  Who knows!

First off I love the look of this beer.  You don’t see this color in a beer often.  It’s like a radioactive glow.  Cloudy, orange, and glowing.  Small white head.

Smell is not your typical IPA.  It’s spicy and earthy.  Small amounts of citrus and lemon peak through but the earthiness came through mostly for me. 

In the taste the fruits come through more.  Citrus and lemon zest.  The earthiness and spiciness still come through big here though and are the main components.  There is a nice bready malt character holding everything together.  The finish on this beer is very bitter and it just sticks around.  Small amounts of alcohol peak through.

The mouthfeel is light, crisp, and dry from start to finish.   I really enjoyed the mouthfeel on this one.

Like I said above, at first I could not stand this beer.  I wish I would of taken notes on my earlier tasting but the second time around I actually really enjoyed it.  Maybe it’s because I got to try more of it this time around. By far this is my least favorite Anniversary beer from these guys but still I like what they did here.  They took a style that a lot of the American breweries don’t touch much and made it their own.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
ABV%: 8.90%
Price: I believe this ran about 7 dollars a bottle
Website: http://stonebrewing.com/
What the company says: You can read all about it right here
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone IPA, Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Other beers to try within the same style:St. George India Pale Ale, Three Floyds Blackheart
Rating: B+

Another month and more Stone collaborations.  Stone sure does like to pump these beers out.  I will admit it’s a cool idea to get with some of the best breweries out there to create one off brews.  Sometimes they really work out well.  Sometimes they miss.  I kinda felt that way about the two below.  One I really loved and one I couldn’t really get into.  Read on!

First off is the one I really couldn’t get into.  What we have her is a brew between Stone, Firestone Walker, and 21st Amendment.  I really don’t know to much about the lineup from 21st Amendment.  They hit Virginia a few months ago and all I’ve tried from them is their Watermelon wheat beer which really did nothing for me.  But Firestone on the other hand makes some really good stuff.  Union Jack is a lovely IPA and their anniversary beers are always fantastic.  And well you know Stone.  The bottom line is with this beer though is that it bored the hell out of me.  I could of totally done without even trying it. 

El Camino pours a lot like a stout.  It’s almost pitch black.  A two finger tan head pours and leaves a line of lacing around the glass. 

The issue with this beer for me at least is that nothing really stands out.  I had to put my nose into the beer a few times to really pick something up.  What I did pick up was roasted malt, slight aroma of coffee and chocolate, and some spice kick.  It stated on the bottle that the brew was made with peppercorn and fennel.  So that would explain that. 

The taste is just more of the same.  Not bad at all but just not fantastic.  Once again nothing really stands out here.  Up front the spices come in and are washed away by the roasted malt.  I also picked up some dark fruits.  Some figs mixed in with licorice.  In the end your left with the taste of some alcohol and spice.  

The mouthfeel is dry, smooth, and medium bodied.   

This really isn’t a bad beer.  I liked what they tried with the ingredients but it just didn’t mesh together well in my opinion.

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA
Price: Around 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://stonebrewing.com/collab/default.asp#camino
What the company says: You can read all about the collaboration here
ABV%: 9.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone IPA, 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood, Firestone Walker Union Jack
Other beers to try within the same style: The Lost Abbey The Angel’s Share, New Holland Dragons Milk
Rating: B

Now here’s a beer I totally got into.  I bought 3 bottles of this stuff and before I knew it they were gone.  It takes a traditional saison and amps it up a bit with some interesting additions.  Clove, sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.  It also doesn’t hurt to have 3 of my favorite breweries making this beer.  After all, I can blame Dogfish Head for getting me into this whole craft beer scene. 

Saison Du Buff pours a hazy golden color with a 2 finger white fluffy head.  Great retention and lacing throughout the glass.  The smell on this one is big.  Up front your definitely going to notice all the herbs and spices just here.  It hits you first.  I also picked up a nice bit of grassy hops and lemon. 

Taste is more of the same for the most part but the grassy hops sit up front a bit.  Of course the herbs just plow through all that and attack the palette.  For me the rosemary came through the most followed by the sage.  But all ingredients are very noticeable and are pretty damn big.  It makes for the most interesting saison I’ve ever had.  Wouldn’t expect anything else from these boys.  The taste ends with the usually yeasty taste you get from a saison.

The mouthfeel is light with a nice amount of carbonation.  Goes down easy and quick.

This beer just did it for me.  I loved the twist on the style.  So sad to see my local beer place run out of it.  Good news is that the two other breweries will also be brewing this beer down the line.  I can’t wait to see the differences between the version brewed at Stone.  What will Sam do?  What will Bill do?  It’s why I love beer.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: Around 3.50 a bottle
Website: http://stonebrewing.com/collab/default.asp#dvs
What the company says: You read about it here
ABV%: 6.8%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Old Guardian, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Victory Storm King
Other beers to try within the same style:Boulevard Brewing Saison-Brett, The Bruery Saison Rue
Rating: A

Stone to open a Brewery in Europe? from stonebrew on Vimeo.

Stone/Maui/Ken Schmidt Aloha Plenty – Stone just loves to collaborate with people and I have to say, so far so good.  I loved the Winter Warmer they made with Nogne-0 and Jolly Pumpkin and I also really liked the Tripel they did with Mikkeller and Alesmith.  But this one trumps them all.  This easily one of the best porters I’ve ever had.  Yes and the taste and aroma on this beer is really good but honestly the star of the show has to be the mouthfeel.  I’ll stop right there so I don’t ruin this little review.

Aloha Plenty pours a deep dark brown.  Almost black.  A huge tan head is poured but disappears to what you see above.  The aroma on this porter is fantastic.  Espresso up front with a nice sweet chocolate presence.  As you let the beer warm up a little you’ll notice some of the coconut.  This beer is also brewed with macadamia nuts.  The nutty aroma comes out just a little bit in the end.  It’s not huge and is barely noticeable.  The mixture of the espresso and sweetness is what makes the beer smell so damn good.

The taste is out of this world too.  Just like in the smell, at the beginning of this beer you are going to get the coffee/espresso taste.  As the beer hits the back of your throat, the chocolate pops in.  As it warms up the coconut plays more of a roll.  It sits back there with the chocolate to make a great combination.  The beer is definitely more balanced as it gets warmer.  Now I said above, the mouthfeel might just steal the show here.  It’s thick, very thick, and creamy.  It just coats the mouth and throat.  Easily the best mouthfeel in any porter I’ve ever had.

This beer is a big winner.  Stone, make this an all around beer please.

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: 8-9 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com, http://mauibrewingco.com
What the company says: Here’s a link to the beers page http://www.stonebrew.com/collab/index.htm#coconut
ABV%: 8.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Russian Imperial Stout, Maui Coconut Porter
Other beers to try within the same style: Deschutes Black Butte, Founders Porter
Rating: A

Stone/Brewdog/Cambridge Juxtaposition – This beer is a Pilsner.  No your eyes are not deceiving you.  Yes it’s a pilsner.  A black one.  That’s not where the weirdness ends.  Because this beer really doesn’t smell or taste like a pilsner to me.  I actually liked everything about this beer.  Why is that weird you ask?  Because I’m not really fan of the style.  Yeah I know, as a beer reviewer you have to put the hate for certain styles away and I always do but it still doesn’t mean I can’t like the style that much.  There are some pils I like.  Hi Prima Pils.  Now on to why this is such a weird beer.

First off, look at the picture above.  Yes it’s black.  Not like any Pilsner I’ve ever seen.  My pour left me with a huge fluffy, crater filled head.  Great retention and lacing.  Now the first time I had this beer, I was sitting at a bar with Joey from South Bay Drugs.  He split a bottle of this stuff with me.  It was his first time trying the brew also.  We both took a whiff and he asked me what I smelled.  The day earlier I went to Stone for a tour, I responded by saying “This smells like their brewery”  Meaning this smelled just like the hops I smelled at their brewery.  Strong aroma of citrus, grassy, piney hops.  Matching those hops was a rather large dose of alcohol.  Sitting behind that is some lemon, chocolate, and roasted malt.  Folks this is not a Pilsner.  At least this is not a Pilsner like I’ve ever had.

Once again the taste is hoppy.  Not as hoppy as it’s nose though.  The alcohol once again plays a big part in this beer.  I won’t say it got in the way but I will say it’s in there nicely.  Roasted malt and chocolate are more up front here.  Mouthfeel sits more on the medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

This is a strange brew that I ended up liking in the end.

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: Around 8 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com, http://www.brewdog.com, http://cambridgebrewing.com
What the company says: Here’s a link to the beers page http://stonebrewing.com/collab/index.htm#juxtaposition
ABV%: 10.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone IPA, Brewdog Punk IPA, Cambridge Tall Tale Pale Ale
Other beers to try within the same style: Port Brewing Panzer Imperial Pilsner, Clipper City Small Craft Warning.
Rating: B+

Summer is over and wow did I drink a ton of great beers during my second favorite season (fall being my favorite)  Along the way some of those beers were just forgotten about or well I was to lazy to write about them.  So here’s some quick thoughts on some of those forgotten beers.

Stone Vertical Epic 07/07/07 Aged in Red Wine Barrels – When I visited Stone,  it was my goal to bring back some one off brews that I could enjoy in the hotel room.  I came back with two growlers.  One of them was the beer you see above.  I love their Vertical Epic line.  I enjoyed what the Red Wine barrels gave to this beer.  It added a bit of a sweet taste with a mixture of a smokey aroma.  Very nice to try something that you can’t buy in the stores

Rating: B+

Stone Old Guardian Aged in Red Wine Barrels -This beer was a little bit of a disappointment.  But it was still really nice to try.  The Red Wine gave the beer kind of an off taste.  I enjoyed the Vertical Epic just a tad bit more. Old Guardian is one of my favorite Barleywines ever.  I don’t think the Red Wine made it any better.

Rating: B

Alpine Exponential Hoppiness -This is one of the beers I came to San Diego to get.  The girlfriend and I took the 35 minute drive to Alpine on  one of our last days there.  I plan on posting some pics of the actual brewery soon but let me just say that it’s small.  Very very small.  If you blink, you miss it.  But size matters not as Yoda says.  In my opinion, Alpine makes the best bunch of IPAs on this Earth.  Duet, Nelson, Pure Hoppiness, Bad Boy, O’Briens and well this beer right here.  Let me have Alpine explain this beer because well, it’s right on.  It’s amazing and it belongs on the top 100 of Beer Advocates best beers in the world.

Very popular. A complex hopping method where each hop addition is double the previous amount. More hops in the hopback and then two dry-hop sessions. The second dry-hop session is with whole hops and oak chips. 1.093 OG 10.75%ABV

It’s a mixture of hoppy goodness with a beautiful smokey flavor.  It’s dangerous.  It’s so easy to drink.  I was just estatic to try this brew.

Rating: A+

Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA -Ballast Point makes a ton of beers but this is there only Double IPA and its a really good one.  A great mixture of floral, citrus, and piney hops.  Easy to drink and crisp.  These guys are just amazing.  The one – two punch of Sculpin and Dorado is one of the best out there.

Rating: A-

Ballast Point Victory at Sea -This is the second brew I tried at the brewery and wow it just blew me away.  Dorado was very good but this was just fantastic.  I wish I would of bought a bigger glass but I was already feeling a little buzzed and I had to drive around San Diego.  A place I really don’t know to well.  The mixture of coffee and vanilla in this porter is just spot on and the mouthfeel is amazing.  Easily my favorite porter.  See this somewhere, you make sure to buy a glass

Rating: A+

Stone Sawyer’s Triple – The reason this beer exists is a sad story.  You can read about it here http://blog.stonebrew.com/?p=149 But there is a happy ending.  100% of the sales of this beer go to fight ALD.  So if you are at the brewery, pick up this beer.  Not only are you helping a good cause but hey this is actually a pretty damn fine beer.  Taste is full of candied sugar, fruit, and honey.  A real treat.

Rating: A-

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Starr Hill Northern Lights – What you see here might be the worst beer I had all summer.  I had it while I was at the Dave Matthews Band concert.  It was a bitter mess.  I would of thrown it away if it didn’t cost me 12 dollars for the plastic cup you see above.  Maybe I’ll have to try this beer again in bottle.  I see it all the time around my area.

Rating: D

Dogfish Head Goser the Gosarian -Yes this is definitely a Ghostbusters reference.  I had this brew at the Rehoboth DFH Brewpub.  It’s a brewpub exclusive and I don’t know if they will ever brew it again so I’m really glad I got to try it.  Hey look it’s even smiling at me! Gozer is classified as a Gose.  Beer Advocate says this about the style:

An old German beer style from Leipzig, Gose is an unfiltered wheat beer made with 50-60% malted wheat, which creates a cloudy yellow color and provides a refreshing crispness and twang. A Gose will have a low hop bitterness and a complementary dryness and spice from the use of ground coriander seeds and a sharpness from the addition of salt. Like Berliner Weisse beers, a Gose will sometimes be laced with various flavored and colored syrups. This is to balance out the addition of lactic acid that is added to the boil.

Somewhat recently, Gose has seen a mini-revival with a handful of breweries bringing back the style in the Leipziger area and pubs like Gosenschenke “Ohne Bedenken” serving traditionally brewed Gose.

The writeup was pretty much right on.  It defintely had a little sour twang to it.  Not much, just right for me.  Mix that in with a decent amount of coriander, wheat, and lemon and you have a nice small tart brew.

Rating: B+

Stone 10th Anniversary and Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans (sitting right behind the glass of 10th =) – One of my first nights in San Diego the girlfriend and I went out to visit Joey from South Bay Drugs.  We met him at a bar that was holding a Stone night.  Joey also brought in some Stone brews.  I got to try Juxtaposition for the first time but the highlight was trying Stone 10th Anniversary.  I missed the 10th anniversary beer because I really only got into craft beer with the 11th anniversary beer came out.  Stone 10th was classified an American Double/Imperial IPA when it first came out.  But after all the years of aging this beer is tasting more like a Barleywine these days and wow was it just fantastic.  Thanks Joey!  Also I got to try an tap only Stone beer.  Their Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans.  Wow!!!  Smoked Porter is ok by itself but with the vanilla it’s just out of this world.

Stone 10th Anniversary Rating: A-
Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans Rating: A

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale – I had this beer on draft at Stone when I visited San Diego.  It was pretty damn good fresh.  But since I was lazy and didn’t write down anything, you’re getting the bottle review which most of you will be trying anyway.  Stone claims this is their hoppiest beer to date.  When I first took the first whiff of this beer I had to agree.  It was full of piney, grassy hops.  In the background lurked a earthy aroma and caramel malt.  I also noticed some dark fruits.  But the hops took the lead as far as the smell goes.

The taste gave me something a little bit different though.  Sure the hops are there.  They are bitter and piney.  But the malt plays a bigger role here.  It’s actually pretty damn big.  Caramel malt matches the bitterness of the hops.  Making for quite a good brew.  Mouthfeel is pretty damn nice.  It’s one of the more smoother beers I’ve in a while.  It just goes down the gullet.  Along with that though is the bitter hops.  They linger in your mouth.

I’ve seen some reviews bash the hell out of this beer.  I don’t agree really.  I’m glad they went with something different for their 13th Anniversary beer.  I wish I had another bottle on me.  If you get this try to drink it as fresh as you can.  I can see this one becoming even more of a malt monster if it sits for to long.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: I believe it was around 6 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/
What the company says: Nothing on the site about this one.
ABV%: 9.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Old Guardian, Stone IPA
Other beers to try within the same style: Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale, Rogue Brewers Ale 2008
Rating: B+

The Bruery Trade Winds Tripel – The Bruery out of Placentia, CA has only been around for over a year but they have quickly got my attention and have become one of the best breweries out there (well in my opinion anyway) They take styles and seem to kick it up a notch.  They recently brewed a huge Imperial Stout that I am dying to try.  Ahem guys would you mind me sending me a bottle.  Ok sorry to go off the beaten path.  Ok so I said that these guys like to take changes on certain styles of kick it up a bit.  In this brew instead of using Candi Sugar, they used rice in the mash, which they state lightened up the body and increased the gravity of the brew.  I don’t care what they do.  They just make great beer.  Oh and did I mention I can get their regular lineup in Virginia now.  Oh boy!!

Trade Winds pours a cloudy golden orangish color.  Huge fluffy head with good retention.  Spotty lacing throughout the glass.  The biggest thing I noticed from this beer was the spice.  It’s the king here.  Peppery.  Mixed in their is a nice amount of banana, citrus, and apple.  In the background is a nice yeasty aroma and flavor.  This brew is nicely carbonated.  Light and crisp but one of the more stronger tasting Tripels I’ve had.  It packs a lot of flavor.  Great stuff and a Tripel I most definitely go back to.  Oh and send me some Black Tuesday guys.  Seriously =)

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: Around 10 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.thebruery.com/
What the company says: Our Summer seasonal, Trade Winds Tripel is a Belgian-style Golden Ale with a Southeast Asian twist. Instead of using candi sugar (typical for such a beer), we use rice in the mash to lighten the body and increase the gravity, and spice with Thai Basil. The result is an aromatic, digestible and complex beer made for a lazy summer evening.
ABV%: 8.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery: The Bruery Saison Rue, The Bruery Orchard White
Other beers to try within the same style: Westmalle Trappist Tripel, Allagash Tripel
Rating: A-

First up is one of the better East Coast IPAs I’ve had in a while.  I spotted this beer when I was up in New Jersey a few months ago.  We don’t get any special Long Trail brews down here.  Actually I don’t think we get any Long Trail at all down in Virginia.  The brews I’ve had from these guys in the past have been mediocre but this beer was really good and I can’t wait to try the Brewmasters Coffee Stout I have in the fridge.

This brew pours a cloudy orange color.  The head pours thick and fluffy.  Leaves spotty lacing all throughout the glass.  The smell is primarily citrus and piney hops.  It’s a nice juicy fruity aroma.  Small amount of light sweet malt.  But the citrus blasts its way through everything else.

Taste is light with once again the citrus taking the front seat on this one.  I also noticed a little pineapple I didn’t get in the smell.  Malty sweetness.  Beer is clean, fresh, and has a little bit of a bitter kick to it.  Joy to drink.  Mouthfeel is really well done.  Nicely carbonated, juicy, and oily.  Goes down nice.  Very nice beer and I’m glad I got to try it.  Don’t pass it up if you see it.  It’s a lot better then their regular line of beers.

Found: Some store in New Jersey
Price: 6 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.longtrail.com
What the company says: Unable to cut and paste from the site.  They have a description on the site.
ABV%: 8.60%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Long Trail Hibernator
Other beers to try within the same style: Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA, Port Brewing 3rd Anniversary IPA
Rating: A-

So what we have here is a beer that only hit my area maybe 6 months ago.  It’s weird.  We get almost all Stone beers here but for some reason this one was a late arrival.  This is what you can call Stones session beer.  It sits at only 4.40% abv.  Now let’s face it.  I’m not trying to sound like a beer snob here but a lot of the lower abv beers out there lack a lot of taste.  This is not saying beers with a low abv can’t have great taste but put this up against beers it the same category and you get crap like Coors Light and Bud.  Heck this beer has a lower abv then Bud.  Basically what I’m saying is.  If you’re looking for a session beer put down the damn Bud or Coors and pick up one of these babies.  It’s just better and has a bigger and better taste.  Well in my mind anyway.

Levitation poured a dark amber color with a two finger frothy head.  The smell isn’t huge at all but it’s a very clean and pleasing aroma.  Bready and caramel malt with faint aroma of grassy, floral hops.

Heavier on the malt in the taste section.  Caramel malt.  Citrus and floral hops.  Has a little bit of a earthy taste to it.  Mouthfeel is medium, low carbonation, and finishes a tad bit dry.  Overall this is one of the better session beers I’ve ever had.  It won’t blow your socks off but it’s not supposed to.  It’s a beer to drink if you want to go out all night and not get drunk off the 3 8% beers you’ve just had.  Hey you can have 6 of these in their place =)  Nice job Stone.  Now put down that damn Coors Light.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 2 dollars a bottle
Website: http://stonebrewing.com/
What the company says: It’s been said that “Gravity Sucks.” Simple enough. Well, we at Stone have identified gravitational forces in the beer world. And we have come to the conclusion that they, well, see above. So we avoid these less-than-desirable gravitational forces. We avoid dumbed-down flavor profiles and the vigorous pursuit of the lowest common denominator. We avoid big dollar marketing mentalities. We avoid additives, cheap adjuncts, stabilizers and chemical preservatives. So in the defiance of gravity we bring you Stone Levitation Ale. This deep amber ale has rich malt flavors, a big hoppy character, citrus overtones (courtesy of the hops and our special brewers yeast) and modest alcohol.
ABV%: 4.40%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA
Other beers to try within the same style: New Belgium Fat Tire, Otto’s Red Mo Ale
Rating: B+

I bought this brew awhile ago from South Bay Drugs and like a lot of beer I buy, I let it sit.  I let the poor bottle sit in the fridge for a few months.  I know I’m a horrible person.  But I’m glad to report that this beer still tasted as fresh as it was a few months ago (at least I believe it did =) 

This is the first collaboration brew for Stone.  It was brewed at their brewery with guest brewers from Mikkeller and Alesmith.  They decided to give a Belgian Style Tripel a shot and they succeeded beautifully if you ask me.  This doesn’t reach the heights that Westmalle does with their Tripel (what does anyway?) but I still really enjoyed this brew.  I wanted another after my one 12 oz bottle was gone.  Sorry Dave but this was brewed once.  Sigh!

This beer poured a cloudy light orange color with a small fluffy head.  No lacing.  I really enjoyed the smell this beer gave off.  It was pretty big.  Aroma full of apples, candi sugar, Belgian yeast, mild spices and hops.  The apple was the highlight for me though.  Sadly the taste is a muted version of the smell.  The taste just didn’t have the punch the smell had.  Still it was a great taste.  Once again the apple and candi sugar up front fading into a good bit of yeast, spices, then alcohol at the end.  The mouthfeel was light and crisp.  It also had a bit of a tart taste in it.  Maybe from the apples.  Overall this is a highly enjoyable beer.  I would of loved to order more.   

Found:South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, Californa (Mail Order)
Price: 3 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/, http://www.alesmith.com/. http://www.mikkeller.dk/
What the company says:From Mikkeller: A friendship brew brewed in collaboration with the amazing Alesmith and Stone Brewing Co. from California. Belgian Style Tripel Ale is a ‘classic tripel’ with a little extra hops. Sold from Stone Brewing Company and a few retailers in California and Europe.
ABV%: 8.70%
Other beers to try from this brewery:Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Milkkeller Stateside IPA, Alesmith Old Numbskull
Other beers to try within the same style: Westmalle Trappist Tripel, Allagash Tripel
Rating: B+

It just so happens this beer has already been reviewed on Drunken Polack.com.  But you might not remember it by the same name it’s brewed under today.  You see a couple of years ago, Stone came out with their 11th Anniversary Ale.  Which was classified as a Black IPA.  It just so happen I couldn’t find this beer anywhere near me.  I pretty much threw in the towel and chalked it up as one of the beers Id just never get to taste.  Until one day I said for the heck of it “Let’s check out Ebay”  Sure enough there it was.  Sure it was almost a year old.  But I wasn’t going to pass it up.  When I drank it, you can tell it might of lost some of it’s greatness.  It wasn’t the freshest beer ever.  But it was still damn good and I was ecstatic I had to chance to give it a try.  Fast forward to this year.  I spot a article that a certain beer was coming back under a different name.  The fans have spoken.  They loved the beer.  So Stone decided to make  it a year around choice in their lineup.  Now everyone can try it.  And believe me, you’ll want to.  

Self Righteous pours a black color with a good moderate sized fluffy head.  Nice lacing as you drink this wonderful brew.  The smell is full of grapefruit and piney hops.  I also sensed a bit of roasted malt and chocolate.  It’s a small aroma but it’s there.  The taste is just fantastic.  One of the best IPAs I’ve ever laid my lips on.  Just make sure of one thing.  Drink this baby as fresh as you can.  I had two of these.  I tried one about a month ago and I tried one just yesterday.  The one I had a month ago was just a bad bit better.  Not much difference at all but just enough.  It’s still fantastic.  The taste is huge on grapefruit and piney bitter hops.  As you get to the end of the taste, you get a little bit of molasses and chocolate.  It’s not huge.  But it adds to the fantastic ending this beer gives off.  All throughout the taste there is a warming alcohol mouthfeel.  This brew is also dry and crisp throughout. 

Now that I’ve got to try this beer fresh, I will say it’s one of my favorites.  Stone is just amazing. 

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/
What the company says: You can check out what they say about it here http://www.stonebrew.com/sublimely/
ABV%: 8.70%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA
Other beers to try within the same style:  Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, Alesmith IPA
Rating: A+

Let me first say that this beer is not your fathers Pilsner.   I got this brew sometime last year from South Bay Drugs.  It seems when I see a new Port Brewing offering that I must give it a try.  They make quality stuff and I haven’t had a bad Port product yet.  Including this bad boy.  When I first heard about this yet, I remember seeing that it was going to be a one time offering.  But according to BA this is a Fall Release.  So look for it again this year if you didn’t get to try it.  Also there’s a cool little story about this brew.  Stolen from Beernews.org

“Another week, another new beer for Tomme Arthur and Company at Port Brewing. Arthur revealed last night that he has brewed ‘Panzer Imperial Pilsner.’ The recipe comes from Southern Californian musician and
Long Beach Homebrewers Club President, Julian Shrago, who was there to help brew it on July 3rd. Considering that lagering time for an imperial pils can take several weeks, the beer is still in process. A search for recipes on the LBHB website came up empty. Arthur projects less than 200 cases total and little, if any distribution, outside of the SoCal area.”So how this beer?  Read on!

Panzer pours a cloudy dark straw color with a nice fluffy white head.  The aroma is sweet, almost sugary.  It’s also full of citrus and I sensed a little bit of lemon.  Grassy hops and biscuit like malt.  Weird combination of aromas but it all comes together decently.  Now for being Imperial, nothing really kicks you in the face when it comes to the taste.  Maybe this is imperial due to the ABV%?  Who knows but what you get here is sweet and sugary front end followed by grassy hops, a good amount of fruit, and the biscuit malt ending.  This beer threw me off a bit.  Wasn’t expecting what I got.  The mouthfeel is a little thick but smooth.  It leaves a tangy and bitter after taste. 

For me this beer was hard to review.  I didn’t know what to think of it. But I came to realize that I did enjoy it.  The main reason is because well it’s a different beer.  Never had anything quite like it and that’s why I commend Tomme and the guys from Port for making it and getting it out.  Would I try it again?  Yes.  Would I ship it all the way from California to try it again.  Probably not.

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.portbrewing.com/
What the company says: Nothing on the site about this one.
ABV%: 9.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Port Brewing Hop-15, Port Brewing Old Viscocity
Other beers to try within the same style: Clipper City Small Craft Warning, Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner
Rating: B

What we have here folks are beer I probably should of drank a while ago.  Seasonal beers from around Halloween and Christmas.  But you know the old saying “Better Late Than Never!”  This is the bad thing about having a beer fridge full of beer.  Some stuff just gets forgotten and hidden in the back.  So here are some quick and dirty reviews.

Up first is the seasonal offering from Bell’s.  Their Marzen/Oktoberfest.  I’m not going to lie here, usually I can’t get into Octoberfest beers.  They just don’t do anything for me.  But I actually really enjoyed this one.  It pours a very clear light amber color with a small amount of head.  The head that pours quickly disappears into carbonation. 

The aroma on this one has sweet and toasted malt, caramel, a tad bit of spice, and a little bit of a hop smell.  Everything is small and muted.  What you usually get from a beer of this style.  The taste is more of the same.  Toasted malt and caramel.  Bread like taste.  Slight hop and spice tones. 

This beer does what it’s supposed to do.  It’s not supposed to be big, it’s supposed to allow you to drink a ton of it. It’s very easy to drink, Crisp and lighter bodied.  Great to pound down a six pack of.  One of the more enjoyable Marzens I’ve ever had.

Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 2 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.bellsbeer.com/
What the company says: A coppery amber lager that showcases a full bodied, malty flavor that is balanced by a refreshing bitterness derived from fine noble hops.
ABV%: 5.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery:Bell’s Hopslam, Bell’s Oberon Ale, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Other beers to try within the same style: Brooklyn Oktoberfest
Rating: C+

Now this is a beer I was looking forward to trying but for some reason I totally forgot I had.  Sad I know.  This is a collaboration beer from three great breweries.  Stone, Jolly Pumpkin, and Nøgne Ø.  The beer they brewed?  A Winter Warmer.  And I’m happy to say that folks this is my favorite Winter Warmer of all time.  Heck this might be my favorite holiday type beer I’ve ever tried. 

What I love about this beer is that they really didn’t try to do much with it.  They didn’t overload it with ingredients, they didn’t try to out spice every single other Winter Warmer out there.  What we have here might be the most perfectly spiced Winter Warmer I’ve ever had. 

This awesome beer pours a dark brown color with ruby red highlights that really shine through if you hold the glass up to the light.  It poured a medium sized head.  Nice amount of carbonation up front that dies down a bit after you let the brew sit for a bit.

The smell on this beer is just fantastic.  What you’ll notice first is the wonderful scent of sage and juniper.  It’s the highlight of this beer but like I said above it’s just right.  In the background you have a nice bready malt smell, like rye.  In the end there’s a slight bit of hops but it’s not really that noticeable.  The spices is what is key here.

The taste of this brew is something I can only describe as inviting   It just sucks you in and by the time your done you will want more and more of it.  This is something I would love to just sit down and have a six pack of.  The spice like I’ve said a million times, is perfect.  It doesn’t overwhelm.  It’s just right from start to finish.  The rye taste complements the spice and the beer ends with a little bit of citrus hops but it’s very small.  This beer is definitely full bodied but smooth as silk.  Goes down very very easy. 

Stone seems to be getting more and more into collaborating with different breweries and heck that’s totally fine with me.  You’ll soon see a review for their other collaboration beer.  Once I pull it from the back of the fridge that is =)

Found: South Bay Drugs, Imperial Beach, CA (Mail Order)
Price: Around 3 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.stonebrew.com/, http://www.jollypumpkin.com/, http://www.nogne-o.com/
What the company says: You can read all about the process for this beer from start to finish here http://blog.stonebrew.com/?p=249
ABV%: 9.0%
Other beers to try from these breweries:Stone IPA, Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 2.0, Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
Other beers to try within the same style: Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale, Casco Bay Winter Ale
Rating: A