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Spotlight Series: Imperial Mutt Brown Ale
Stone Brewing
- From:
- Stone Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 8.01%
- Reviews:
- 130
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 25, 2019
- Added:
- Apr 10, 2015
- Wants:
- 19
- Gots:
- 116
First Release: April 2015
Stone brewers Drew Neldon and Steve Via won this year’s annual in-house Stone Spotlight Series brewing competition with this hefty brown ale—an impressive result considering that one of them had never encountered a brown ale he liked before tasting this one. Given layers of flavor from Vienna, Victory and Chocolate Wheat malts, and warming, refined sweetness from Honey Malt and turbinado sugar, it’s a rich and soothing beer brewed with respect to traditional English methods and New World innovation. The British-American bulldog of the craft beer world? Perhaps. Best in Show? Absolutely.
Stone brewers Drew Neldon and Steve Via won this year’s annual in-house Stone Spotlight Series brewing competition with this hefty brown ale—an impressive result considering that one of them had never encountered a brown ale he liked before tasting this one. Given layers of flavor from Vienna, Victory and Chocolate Wheat malts, and warming, refined sweetness from Honey Malt and turbinado sugar, it’s a rich and soothing beer brewed with respect to traditional English methods and New World innovation. The British-American bulldog of the craft beer world? Perhaps. Best in Show? Absolutely.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by midlifec:
Rated by midlifec from Michigan
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Oct 11, 2015
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Oct 11, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama
3.5/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
2015 bottle.. never had this fresh, but we’ll see how it’s holding up.
Deep, opaque murky brown color. Still decent carb, with a thin ring of off-white head settling around the glass. No lingering lace.
The nose is sweet, oxidized. Hints of off tartness, but a predominance of toffee, caramel, and a chemical touch in the finish.
Flavors holding up better than the nose. Aside from the slight fruity tartness in the finish, a predominance of caramel, malt, bitter chocolate, and molasses round up a fairly balanced flavor profile.
Medium body, sharp carb and a warming finish. Not too viscous, and overall holding up well.
Feb 10, 2019Deep, opaque murky brown color. Still decent carb, with a thin ring of off-white head settling around the glass. No lingering lace.
The nose is sweet, oxidized. Hints of off tartness, but a predominance of toffee, caramel, and a chemical touch in the finish.
Flavors holding up better than the nose. Aside from the slight fruity tartness in the finish, a predominance of caramel, malt, bitter chocolate, and molasses round up a fairly balanced flavor profile.
Medium body, sharp carb and a warming finish. Not too viscous, and overall holding up well.
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota
4.24/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear deep dark brown with a thick tan head that leaves great lacing. Aroma is dark roasted malts and chocolate. Flavor follows the nose with some sweet honey flavor to boot. Feel is medium to full bodied with adequate carbonation. Overall a tremendous beer that someone left in my fridge downstairs after a Saturday night poker game for me to enjoy.
Sep 22, 2018Rated by pathman from Ohio
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3/3/18 bottle (2015 vintage)
Mar 04, 2018Reviewed by JJKBeerLvr from Pennsylvania
3.87/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.87/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Sampled January 2017 from 22 oz bottle in pint glass. Drank it about 8 months after the bottled date on the bottle.
Appearance: Very dark brown color, medium size dark tan head that lasted for a long time. Thick lacing and remnants on the side of the glass from the head.
Smell: Sweet & malty with strong toasted coffee aromas, also some hops. Some nut and caramel aroma as well.
Taste: Medium-bodied with nice balance of malt and hops and alcohol. Dominated by caramel, chocolate, coffee and burnt malt flavors, but with a little bitterness and kick from the hops. There are also sweet flavors like honey. Overall an interesting combination, but dominated by the sweet flavors.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, but very smooth. Matched 9.0% on the label.
Overall: Nice brown ale. Easy to drink, but still has some interesting flavors.
Jan 08, 2017Appearance: Very dark brown color, medium size dark tan head that lasted for a long time. Thick lacing and remnants on the side of the glass from the head.
Smell: Sweet & malty with strong toasted coffee aromas, also some hops. Some nut and caramel aroma as well.
Taste: Medium-bodied with nice balance of malt and hops and alcohol. Dominated by caramel, chocolate, coffee and burnt malt flavors, but with a little bitterness and kick from the hops. There are also sweet flavors like honey. Overall an interesting combination, but dominated by the sweet flavors.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, but very smooth. Matched 9.0% on the label.
Overall: Nice brown ale. Easy to drink, but still has some interesting flavors.
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
4.44/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottled bomber style
Pours a very dark body with full, thick tobacco stained head
Aroma is full on cocoa
Tastes like an irished up frappe, creamy l, chocolatey and a hint of coffee
Perfect mf
Big bold and beautiful
Dec 02, 2016Pours a very dark body with full, thick tobacco stained head
Aroma is full on cocoa
Tastes like an irished up frappe, creamy l, chocolatey and a hint of coffee
Perfect mf
Big bold and beautiful
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
4.04/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Belgian snifter.
Appearance: Pours with a clear dark brown body and a decent, off-white head. Limited lacing.
Aroma: Dominated by toasted grains with roasted nuts and caramelized sugar notes. Potency is moderate.
Flavor: Largely follows the aroma, with caramelized malts, roasted nuts, dark bread and chocolate malts.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is medium-light. Body is medium-full. Alcohol presence is very light for ABV.
Overall: A tasty, rich brown ale with good balance and well hidden alcohol.
Dec 01, 2016Appearance: Pours with a clear dark brown body and a decent, off-white head. Limited lacing.
Aroma: Dominated by toasted grains with roasted nuts and caramelized sugar notes. Potency is moderate.
Flavor: Largely follows the aroma, with caramelized malts, roasted nuts, dark bread and chocolate malts.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is medium-light. Body is medium-full. Alcohol presence is very light for ABV.
Overall: A tasty, rich brown ale with good balance and well hidden alcohol.
Spotlight Series: Imperial Mutt Brown Ale from Stone Brewing
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
501 ratings
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