Reason Be Damned
Stone Brewing
- From:
- Stone Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 8.2%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 9.82%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 13
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 03, 2016
- Added:
- Aug 06, 2013
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 10
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
A sour ale with 2 lbs. of Stone Farms Passion Fruit per Barrel. There is lots of red and rosé wine flavor here, as well as plenty of oak. Some acetic sharpness and lactic acid sourness in the flavor and on the nose. Tropical fruit flavors from the Passion Fruit, and a distinct guava and berry note from the two types of wine barrels make for a distinctive, intensely fruity beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois
3.79/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Tasted in a 12 oz snifter from draft at the Vine on March 3, 2016.
Mar 03, 2016
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at Pittsford Pub in Pittsford, NY.
This one pours a hazy reddish orange, with a small head, and basically no lacing.
Smells very fruity, lots of passionfruit, clearly, with some orange, and oak, but no real wine or sour character.
This felt like more of a straight up fruit beer with mild funkiness than a sour. It's not sour, really at all, with no red wine character, so it feels like a failure of what Stone was trying to do. However, it does taste pretty good as a fruity Belgian pale ale, so there's that.
This is medium bodied, pretty juicy, with a higher level of carbonation.
An interesting beer, but didn't really accomplish what it was trying to do.
Aug 27, 2015This one pours a hazy reddish orange, with a small head, and basically no lacing.
Smells very fruity, lots of passionfruit, clearly, with some orange, and oak, but no real wine or sour character.
This felt like more of a straight up fruit beer with mild funkiness than a sour. It's not sour, really at all, with no red wine character, so it feels like a failure of what Stone was trying to do. However, it does taste pretty good as a fruity Belgian pale ale, so there's that.
This is medium bodied, pretty juicy, with a higher level of carbonation.
An interesting beer, but didn't really accomplish what it was trying to do.
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado
3.52/5 rDev -9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
June 5th, 2015 - Double the damnation, half as much reason, this Stone brew is an abbey ale aged in red wine, and it shows. The nose is light and spicy with flowers and a clean, crisp mountain air feel. The flavor is markedly dry and a little tangy, with herbal and saffron touches, and even a hit of turmeric. It's a potent potable, and that red wine aging has cast its spells but I think a 5 oz pour of this is perfect.
September 30th, 2013 - Enjoyed at the Escondido location. Stone's Reason Be Damned is a curious brew. I didn't write the style here, but I am tempted to guess based on my notes. So, here goes. The aroma is bright and sour, with a miniature bouquet of tiny friuits: strawberry, raspberry, and the sweet tart touch of a Fuji apple. More acidic than fruity, it provides a nice excuse to pucker up and roll that flavor of tartaric acid around. The flavor is similarly bright, almost refulgent, with acidity, and again, more acidity than fruity. The aftertaste corrals some fleeing strawberry, apple and saccharine grape notes, but these appear only once the palate is flattened out. Is this a Belgian Strong Ale? Maybe, but highly San Dieganized. To me it gravitates more closely to Sour Ale's stylistic orbit, though not complex, just bright and flashing and almost a little distracting.
Jul 15, 2015September 30th, 2013 - Enjoyed at the Escondido location. Stone's Reason Be Damned is a curious brew. I didn't write the style here, but I am tempted to guess based on my notes. So, here goes. The aroma is bright and sour, with a miniature bouquet of tiny friuits: strawberry, raspberry, and the sweet tart touch of a Fuji apple. More acidic than fruity, it provides a nice excuse to pucker up and roll that flavor of tartaric acid around. The flavor is similarly bright, almost refulgent, with acidity, and again, more acidity than fruity. The aftertaste corrals some fleeing strawberry, apple and saccharine grape notes, but these appear only once the palate is flattened out. Is this a Belgian Strong Ale? Maybe, but highly San Dieganized. To me it gravitates more closely to Sour Ale's stylistic orbit, though not complex, just bright and flashing and almost a little distracting.
Reviewed by barczar from Kentucky
3.94/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Not my favorite style. Aroma reveals soft peach esters, pear, coriander, and must from the yeast, along with a little pepto funk. Hops are lightly citrusy and piney.
Flavor reveals similar characteristics, with lots of stone fruit skin, finishing fairly bitter and a bit grassy and earthy. Notes of lime and grapefruit provide a solid hop fruit base. I like the balance of esters and hops, though the bitterness is too much for my liking.
Jun 04, 2015Flavor reveals similar characteristics, with lots of stone fruit skin, finishing fairly bitter and a bit grassy and earthy. Notes of lime and grapefruit provide a solid hop fruit base. I like the balance of esters and hops, though the bitterness is too much for my liking.
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
3.35/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.35/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Vine and Barley Palm City. Served in a snifter.
Appearance - Hazy deep orange. Medium white head with good retention.
Smell - Very fruity. Lots of oak and red wine. Pale malt.
Taste - Not what I expected at all. Immediately oaky. The base Belgian beer lends some yestiness and spice. Passion fruit kicks in behind it. It gets sour and oaky. Lots of wine in the finishand a little bit of solvent lingers.
Mouthfeel - Medium heavy. All over the place and a little tough to drink.
Overall - Well it's a fascinating combination, but it's also a little off putting. Worth a try.
May 23, 2015Appearance - Hazy deep orange. Medium white head with good retention.
Smell - Very fruity. Lots of oak and red wine. Pale malt.
Taste - Not what I expected at all. Immediately oaky. The base Belgian beer lends some yestiness and spice. Passion fruit kicks in behind it. It gets sour and oaky. Lots of wine in the finishand a little bit of solvent lingers.
Mouthfeel - Medium heavy. All over the place and a little tough to drink.
Overall - Well it's a fascinating combination, but it's also a little off putting. Worth a try.
Rated by ThaJokerWild from Ohio
4.84/5 rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.84/5 rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
one of the best brews I've had this year
Jan 28, 2015
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