El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale
Stone Brewing

El Camino (Un)Real Black AleEl Camino (Un)Real Black Ale
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 12.53%
Reviews:
167
Ratings:
285
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 07, 2023
Added:
Mar 27, 2010
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  33
Collaboration with 21st Amendment Brewery & Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Our collaboration beer project between 21A Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan and our friends Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing Company and Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker. This beer takes its name from the historical mission trail El Camino Real (the Royal Trail, now highway 101) that linked the 21 Spanish Missions throughout California and also links the three breweries together. A dark strong ale that floats between a stout and an IPA, it incorporates indigenous ingredients from along the Camino (un)Real. The addition of dried mission figs, pink peppercorns, fennel and chia seeds brings a slight herbal, fruit and spice note built to pair with the malt and hop complexity to this 9.5% ABV beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Gueuzedude:
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled August 2010
A vigorous pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a four-finger thick, richly browned, dark tan colored head. The beer is quite dark in color, near black but with some dark chocolate notes to it. The beer shows quite opaque when held up to the light, but does show a touch of a concentrated amber hue around the edges. The aroma smells quite interesting; fruity, a sort of anise like character, a bit of herbal notes, some definite prune, green peppercorn and something a bit like herbal coriander. A touch of dark malt adds a hint of roast towards the end; it gets wrapped up in the fruit character and comes off as burnt prune and perhaps burnt caramel more than anything. Other dark malt notes that are more sweet make the entirety that is this beers aroma remind me of a rich, black, dense, very sweet, spice cake / bread.

Smooth tasting, creamy and viscous up front, the beer finishes with some roast grain bitterness, some spicy notes and a lingering, almost chalk-like, cocoa and toasted malt character. This is fairly sweet (though it finishes dry because of the previously mentioned character), which accentuates notes of prunes and dried figs. A soft, but firm bitterness helps the spices in the finish balance out the up front sweetness and fruit character, though the latter is definitely the dominant note in this beer. This is most definitely a sipping beer, what with the sweetness, the spices and the medium body; it is not overly heavy for its strength though.

Wow, I am quite a bit more impressed with this beer than I was expecting. To be honest, when I purchased this beer I figured it would be another hoppy, dark beer. I really like the interplay of spices and dark malt character here; this ended up pretty darn tasty and the whole thing really reminds me of a rich, black, dense, very sweet, spice cake / bread. The spices can be a little strong here (though so can the rest of the beer) and I am glad that I am splitting this bottle of beer (the alcohol contributes to this as well). And the smaller portions make this a great dessert beer (I bet you it would be quite tasty as a vanilla ice cream beer float).
Oct 15, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.99/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can from my brother. Wow! How’s that for a description. Inky black pour, soft ring of head. Malty, roasty, halfway between a CDA and a stout. Bitter and welcoming, smooth and slick.Tasty, doesn’t fit neatly in any other category, but great nonetheless.
Jun 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by gobuccos from Ohio

Apr 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by shelby415 from Oregon

Feb 11, 2018
Photo of FBGordon
Reviewed by FBGordon from Oregon

3.79/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a room temperature snifter.

A: Pours completely opaque with a milk chocolate head that settles into a thin ring that laces nicely and maintains throughout.

S: Peppery roast, caramel, molasses and fennel on the nose. More sniffs bring sweet fig smells into the fray with a little hops.

T: Roast and molasses, a tingle of peppercorns and hops. An earthy dark chocolate settles on the palate with the barest hint of dark fruit.

M: A thick-waisted ale that slides across the palate with a slight tingle, which stays in motion with the synergistic peppery flavors.

O: A big, sticky ale that tricks your palate because you want it to be a stout, but has lots of tricks up its sleeve. I waited for my palate to settle in, but the peppery flavors ended up dominating and I was having a hard time picking up the fennel and fig. It became a little ponderous.
Dec 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4.13 by stadmo1 from Michigan

Dec 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by delgotit99 from Indiana

Nov 23, 2017
Photo of DrMindbender
Reviewed by DrMindbender from South Carolina

2.53/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
Don't know if I got a bad can, but this beer was extremely awful to me and my wife...ended up being the first drain pour in a really long time.

-Poured thick and almost a little ropey, with little to no head...we only drank 1/4 of the pour, but there was little to no lacing on the glass
-Smelled like prune juice more than figs, a little soy sauce and high fusels/boozey
-Tasted like a burning tire doused in fermented prune juice spirit with a distracting bitterness that only makes it worse
-Way too many IBUs for this beer...obnoxious bitterness follows the burning tire aftertaste and coats the mouth generously so you don't forget your mistake in swallowing this garbage
-Overall, a hot mess of a beer that should be neutered and destroyed so it can't breed and show up again on the store shelves
Oct 10, 2017
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
12 oz can at Soulshine Farm Music Festival.
This strong ale has an exceptionally complex and rich flavor. Not harmonious however, with some sense of clashing flavors. Mild-moderate bitterness. Full body with near medium carbonation.
Aug 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by OtisCampbell007 from Tennessee

Aug 06, 2017
 
Rated: 1.18 by BergBeer from Hawaii

Aug 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by NickThePyro from Washington

Jun 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by Amedlin18 from North Carolina

May 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Maillard from Ohio

Apr 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by MrJuengling from Pennsylvania

Apr 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by 6thstreetbrewpub from District of Columbia

Mar 21, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brewed by 21st Amendment. From a can: pours a dark reddish brown color with tan colored head. Spices, roasted malt, and lots of earth tones on the nose; follows onto the palate. Very earthy in flavor. Medium to full bodied. Finishes with spice.
Mar 14, 2017
Photo of jwilcox767
Reviewed by jwilcox767 from Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours dark as expected with heavy head and thick lacing.

S: Definitely bold. Heavy on the burnt/earthy smell. Not too much of the advertised fennel or chia though.

T: Like it's smell, you get a bold chocolate/malty/lightly creamy taste, while still having a lot of other pleasant notes. The booziness is pretty mild even for 9.5%, but again, not too much fennel or chia came through. Dried fruit is another immediately identifiable element that stays in the aftertaste.

M: Nice smooth carbonation that adds to the creamy texture.

O: With this being a collaboration btwn 21A, Firestone, and Stone, I was looking for this beer to be something "special" with their use of fennel and chia, but those weren't really picked up. While it was pleasing to drink with the chocolate/malty/smoky elements, it doesn't really stand out. I'll get it again but won't seek it out specifically.
Mar 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by atrocity from Virginia

Mar 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by TheBeerdedCharmer from Pennsylvania

Feb 24, 2017
El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 285 ratings