Stygian Descent
Stone Brewing

Stygian DescentStygian Descent
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
11.6%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 8.1%
Reviews:
44
Ratings:
148
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 07, 2023
Added:
Jan 08, 2014
Wants:
  33
Gots:
  24
Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BreweryRun:
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Rated by BreweryRun from California

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

Oct 29, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Draft at Stone RVA. Barrel aged CDA? Say what? Near black pour, wispy beige head. Aroma is woody and sweet, and then the booze hits. Taste brings the boozy strength up front, light roast, brown sugar, char, bitterness then alcohol heat. Nice!
Jun 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.28 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

May 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.99 by crobinso from Colorado

May 11, 2021
 
Rated: 4.29 by Boone757 from Virginia

Feb 28, 2021
Photo of Sellen
Rated by Sellen from Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4-15-19
Jun 29, 2020
Photo of titty_mcbitty
Reviewed by titty_mcbitty from Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Brewed May 3, 2016.

A: Pours black in color. Up to the light you can barely see some ruby-brown on the sides and bottom of the glass. Surprisingly there's about a finger-and-a-half of head after a relatively aggressive pour.

S: I get a citrus, almost sour aroma. I get the rye peaking in there too. Interesting.

T: This is really like the self-righteous ale that Stone used to brew, but more soft and with a little bit more going on. I didn't expect the hops to show up after 4 years, but here they are. The hops aren't stingy like a fresh IPA, but rather they linger throughout the flavor in subtlety. It's like a barleywine but with "darker" flavors, such as bitter cocoa, dark malt, and big oaky notes. The rye whiskey is subtle, as is the bourbon. But it's there. Finishes with hop bitterness, oak barrel, and bitter chocolate.

M: Very smooth and creamy after all these years in the bottle. Maybe a medium+.

O: This was on sale at my local liquor store, and overall I'm glad I bought it. It's an exceptional beer with a unique flavor. I think it could've used slightly stronger bourbon/rye tones, but at least those weren't gone completely, and they mended well with the other black ale flavors.
Mar 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by Birdlegs from Washington

Mar 04, 2020
Photo of micada
Reviewed by micada from New York

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
October 2016 batch 2 cork-n-cage bottle cracked a Christmas Eve 2019. Poured cellar temp, hard to IPA glass made no real head, only a bubbly ring. Dark but clear black color. Nose is a bit subdued, with leathery notes and some hint of dankness, maybe from the rye. First sips were rather surprising: front end starts very dry, making me think this is going to be wine-like, but turned quickly to a mouth full of blended fresh pink and regular grapefruit IPA...loads of grapefruit. The rye is very mild, making me really taste for it, but it’s there. The bourbon is also mild, but upholds the dry rye and citrus interplay. Alcohol never bites, and hides well. I bought it on a whim about a year ago when I saw the lone bottle. Might not be a go-to style for me, but definitely very interesting offering from Stone.
Dec 26, 2019
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.19/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A 500ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 Series, Batch No.02, bottled in October 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.

Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a two finger tanned head that had great retention and left lots of nice lacing.

Aroma: Hoppy with some light roast, pine, chocolate, coffee and a touch boozy.

Taste: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, oak, bourbon, hoppy, pine, orange zest.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Despite the high ABV%, this was pretty easy to drink as there was good balance between the roast and hops, and although there was some booziness in the aroma, it was well hidden in the taste.
Dec 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by RMW66 from Australia

Nov 22, 2019
Photo of WildHopHead
Reviewed by WildHopHead from Virginia

4.37/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Stone does some bodacious stouts. This has big malty and vanilla notes, with slight dark chocolate, and very light tannins. There is an almost a milky sweet note, lots of vanilla, overall a well done barrell aged dark beer. No hops are detectable which is a bit disappointing, but that's barrel aging. Overall delicious, and reminds me of Goose Island Bourbon County, but a bit boozier and not as smooth, still excellent, would definitely have again
Sep 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by user785335 from Florida

Jul 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Apr 16, 2019
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.17/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
500ml bottle, caged and corked. Label says 'BOTTLED October 2016'. Aged in Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels and Kentucky Bourbon barrels (oak barrels).
Ruby brown colored body, with garnet and mahogany colored back lit highlights. Two fingers of tan head with the first pour, and this stays around as a dense, creamy cap, quite an impressive appearance. Leaves behind scattered strings of lacing.
Aroma of roasted malts, oak barrel, whiskey, and dark fruit (prune).
Taste is a lively combination of roasted malts, caramel, brown sugar, piney hops, and dark fruit (prune and raisin). There is also the oak barrel, vanilla, and the spicy rye. A little sweet, a little sour, with a dry aftertaste that is close to char and black licorice.
Medium plus mouth feel, with a thicker texture. Good carbonation.
Well put together black beer that allows the hops to play well with the roasted malts and barrel aged notes. I like the spicy rye component.
Mar 18, 2019
Photo of monkist
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary

4.64/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This was from the 2016 Series, Batch 2. A very intense and remarkably flavored beer. It boasts to be a "sublimely self-righteous black IPA" and yes, at times it does taste quite IPA-like. Otherwise it feels almost like an Arrogant Bastard on turbo with awesome dry hopping that you can't escape from in the aroma. Sweet but balanced, just to the extent that it's still drinkable and not overwhelming. Boozy but in an unnoticeable way. And last but not least, has a very complex mixture of unique hop & malt balance with a remarkable taste.
I enjoyed this beer, greatly because of its smell but it went very well with the taste and the body too. A truly unique experience, loved it!
Oct 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Sep 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by krome from Illinois

Sep 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.47 by weareallfalafel from Virginia

Sep 03, 2018
Photo of jakecattleco
Reviewed by jakecattleco from California

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottle from 2016 Series Batch No. 2 into a snifter.

L: Pours jet black with nearly 2 fingers of variable density tan head with good retention and left mixed lacing.

S: I get more barrel than the base beer on the nose. Lots of oak, char, vanilla, and whiskey, and then surprisingly subtle stone fruit. Very little hops or roasted malt on the nose, became more noticeable once the beer warmed (but this seems to run counterintuitive to my normal experience).

T: Brings much better balance of the base beer and the barrel. Definitely reminds me why this was one of my favorite Cascadian Dark Ales. Resiny/piney hops play well with the roasted malt, the barrel aging adds nice dimension and complexity, definitely some spiciness from the rye once it warms up. Finishes with moderate bitterness (less than I remember from the base beer), clears palate fairly quickly.

F: Low-medium bodied, medium carbonation, feels a bit thin on the tongue with a slick finish. Definitely thinner bodied than I remember from the base beer.

O: It's a nice BA offering of one of my favorite Cascadian Dark Ales. Was it worth the coin, perhaps to try. But I wouldn't buy again. I'd much rather spend that money on a 6er of the base beer (if Stone every brings it back into rotation).
Jun 24, 2018
Stygian Descent from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 148 ratings