Stone R&R Coconut IPA

ISO in Va. Hoping next week too

 

If I remember correctly, Ryan told me that Stone wasn't able to get enough coconuts to match the original recipe. That's why it's super light on the coconut.

 

Supposed to have distribution in NV but still no sign at my usual haunts. Any idea when, where, or if it will hit in or around Vegas?

 

I can't get on board with this...I think they are a little marketing heavy vs. just focusing on beer but they are quite good at making beer IMO.

 

Coconut shortage going on that I didn't hear about?

 

I was wanting to do a post about how dissapointing it was having this and not getting any coconut. Looks like I don't have to now. Nobody in my tasting group got any in the smell or taste. Solid bitter, agressive IPA with tropical notes, but not a coconut IPA at all! I would not recommend having this with alot of other brews you want to really taste either as the bitter hops stay on the back of you tongue.

 

Maybe they should have used dried/shredded coconut...

 

A multi, multi million dollar company like stone could not get enough coconut? Are we supposed to take this seriously? They have made a bunch of great brews and will in the future, but they failed at this. Plain and simple.

 

I believe it wasn't that they couldn't literally BUY enough coconut, but it was a logistical issue in brewing at that scale in terms of dealing with the sheer quantities, plus they couldn't let the beer sit on the coconut for as many days as they would've liked without disrupting the rest of their production line.

Another problem might've been that it's filtered super clean compared to the homebrew. Here's a pic from last night comparing the two (homebrew on the left):

 

WHATS Really annoying about this is that both the CEO of stone and Ryan went on YouTube and talked about how good this beer is and how happy they are with it. And how much the Coconut goes so good with it. Fully knowing it is not there.... But if I had a business to run who knows if I would do the same....

 

I got just a hint of coconut when I had it on tap at Stone. I have not had one of my bottles yet, so can't compare those.

I also had a pint of Stone Coconut IPA with Thai Chili's a couple of days ago at Tustin Brewing — I can only assume it was a side project to the R&R brew — and I got absolutely no coconut whatsoever in that one.

This was a definite miss by Stone. Too bad they could not match or come close to the delicious home brew ... though it is still a good IPA.

 

Love your avatar! Can't wait for some new material.

 

There are a lot of issues with cost and logistics involved with perfectly scaling up a homebrew to a commercial scale. Can they match the malt? What if they have a grain silo for 2 row but not pilsner and your recipe calls for a blend of both? Will they really load up the mill with 1000 lbs of grain 55lbs at a time? What if they've never used Simcoe before and there is a shortage in effect?

Even then there are many nuances that just can't transfer

My buddy makes an incredible beer that has $100 dollars worth of secondary ingredients alone and that's only for a 5 gallon batch. Imagine the cost of scaling that to 120 bbls

 

Had this on tap at Stone Pasadena on release day. While subtle, the coconut was definitely present in both the nose and taste. It wasn't overblown but definitely took a back seat to the hop profile, which was more aggressive than it should have been. There was even some residual coconut aroma from the lacing on the glass after I finished my 4 oz pour. I got bottles along with a couple of growlers to take home and opened one of the growlers that same night. The coconut was hardly present at all at first and didn't really begin to pop until after about 45 minutes (i was drinking while cooking so I took my time with this pour).

I can see why some would be disappointed, especially after all the talk about the homebrew that won the competition. The coconut shouldn't dominate the palate, but it also shouldn't be lacking in character--after all, there are plenty of "regular" IPAs out there. If I buy a coconut IPA, it damn well better have solid coconut notes.

 

Anyone know if this is in FL yet?

 

And on that note...any spots in CT/NYC area? Would love to try this one out!

 

Maybe in mass

Here in Cali we have so many better beers then what stone produces. Their Vanilla bean porter was incredible other then that nothing special. The first enjoy by were delicious and fruity but the last scaled up releases have been a disappointment.

If only the beer matched the marketing

http://www.stonebrewing.com/enjoyby/

 

I had a small sample last night on tap. I got no coconut smell, but there was a fleeting coconut taste that quickly faded. I bought a bottle as well, so I am going to let it warm up after the pour to see if that helps things like others have mentioned.

 

Not that I've seen.