Stone 16th Anniversary IPA
We've been loving creating Collaboration beers with great creative brewers from all over the world these last several years-unique beers that would never have existed without the free-flowing imagination and idea generation of the collaborative process. However, when it comes to the Stone Anniversary Ales, it's all us. Yet, it is indeed still a collaboration with great creative brewers (if we do say so ourselves). We're talking about our own brewing team, of course. And while some of our beers, anniversary and otherwise, have been designed by a single person, the Stone 16th Anniversary IPA was definitely a team effort.
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.
ABV: 10% IBUs: 85
Mitch's Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Beautiful light amber with a thick creamy tan head of foam.
Aroma:
An incredible blend of fruits: citrus, lemon, and peaches, with hints of mint and dry-roasted nutty malt flavors.
Taste:
A very clean maltiness, intense peachy/mango Amarillo hops, hints of apples and berries, finishing in a burst of fresh lemon, hop bitterness, and herbal spiciness.
Palate:
Smooth and complex malt flavors, medium body, the very slightest hint of alcohol heat, with a refreshingly bitter and citrusy finish.
Overall:
From the first time I smelled a broken leaf from a lemon verbena bush at Stone Farms, I thought its intense lemony character would be a great addition to an IPA. It truly is "more lemon than lemon." The lemon flavors combine wonderfully with the peach and tropical mango flavors from the Amarillo, and the apple and berry notes from the Calypso hops. The result is an intense, bitter and very refreshing take on a double IPA. Perfect for a Southern California summer.
