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16th Anniversary IPA
Stone Brewing
- From:
- Stone Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.81 | pDev: 13.91%
- Reviews:
- 393
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 27, 2022
- Added:
- Aug 10, 2012
- Wants:
- 12
- Gots:
- 55
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.
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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by HarrySTruman:
Reviewed by HarrySTruman from Michigan
3.53/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured goldish orange, A tyical IPA/DIPA look.
Smelled of hops in a big way. Grassy and floral. Some citrus popped out as well. As many others have mentions, the citrus was close to a lemon smell. It wasn't really that appealing as a smell, a bit to big, and if the nose were the flavor I would call in unbalanced.
The taste was goood. It had a citrus flavor, but the alcohol and the malt backbone did a good job of balancing the flavor. I thought the flavor made this 10% abv very drinkable. A bit much on the citrus flavors, but it did a good job in balancing some of the more mudane flavors.
Medium with a moderate amount of carbonation. Not thin, not thick, just right on a DIPA.
This beer will get you drunk, plain and simple. It's easy to drink, it has a high ABV, and it tastes pretty good. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to try this on draft, but it isn't one of the best examples of the style. I think Stone had big dreams for this beverage and they fell just a bit short, but it was still a high quality drink and one that I would certainly drink again if I found it on tap.
Nov 13, 2012Smelled of hops in a big way. Grassy and floral. Some citrus popped out as well. As many others have mentions, the citrus was close to a lemon smell. It wasn't really that appealing as a smell, a bit to big, and if the nose were the flavor I would call in unbalanced.
The taste was goood. It had a citrus flavor, but the alcohol and the malt backbone did a good job of balancing the flavor. I thought the flavor made this 10% abv very drinkable. A bit much on the citrus flavors, but it did a good job in balancing some of the more mudane flavors.
Medium with a moderate amount of carbonation. Not thin, not thick, just right on a DIPA.
This beer will get you drunk, plain and simple. It's easy to drink, it has a high ABV, and it tastes pretty good. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to try this on draft, but it isn't one of the best examples of the style. I think Stone had big dreams for this beverage and they fell just a bit short, but it was still a high quality drink and one that I would certainly drink again if I found it on tap.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.75/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Orange pour, strong head, big foam. A ton of lemon hops. Like that is the grand sum total of the aroma.
Taste was nice, again, lot of lemon. Hid the alcohol well. Rye is hidden too. Caramel minimal. Unique anniversary beer, and good too.
Dec 24, 2015Taste was nice, again, lot of lemon. Hid the alcohol well. Rye is hidden too. Caramel minimal. Unique anniversary beer, and good too.
16th Anniversary IPA from Stone Brewing
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
1398 ratings
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