Why no Love for Stone?

People take their great stuff for granted. They make great IPAs and stouts.

 

Sorry 'bout that.

I didn't mean on site, just in the vicinity. I was also thinking more about renting an existing space, not building a new one, FWIW.

 

Stone was one of the first breweries i visited and I still enjoy their beers
Xocoveza
Woot Stout
RIS
Enjoy by
all get consumed on a fairly regular basis!

 

Well, I hope that you have a stock pile of this beer since it will not be brewed in 2017.

Cheers!

 

actually I do, and some of the beer shops I frequent still have bottles from 15 & 16 on the shelves

 

I have six bottles of IRS in my basement.

I was hoping to buy more this year but...

Cheers!

 

I had love for Stone, but I'm one of the many ticked by their decision to not brew RIS and Old Guardian this year, so I haven't bought more than a couple singles this year (although I won't be able to resist Xocoveza).

 

This.

 

Strange timing-my local Bottles store had Stone 12-paks for 10 bucks right after this thread came out...

 

I fell in love with that label on the Arrogant Bastard bottle the first time I saw it. It was the label, and the idea behind it that led to me trying that first bottle. For me though, I loved AB from the first sip. I guess I was just ready for it. It was a true revelation, and its still one of my favorite beers. And since its not available locally and I can only pick it up when traveling, that has probably helped insure that its always special when I have some on hand. I've never tired of it, and its a beer that I have never taken for granted. Whenever I see it in stores, I always pick up some to take home.

 

Just picked up the Stone 12-pack w/ Hop Revolver. Liked the Loral edition. REALLY liked the Mosiac one. This one's Ella. Never had a beer with that hop, so I'm anxious to see what it's all about. Here's a description of it:

http://www.hopslist.com/hops/aroma-hops/ella/

 

For me, here in San Diego, Stone is so accessible that it's easy to take for granted, for sure. I don't avoid them, but with so many new and smaller breweries putting out awesome beer around here, I definitely don't go looking for them anymore.

 

90% of Stone beers are great/excellent. They have such a large distribution range and everything is available. I believe that's why people aren't blown away by them. Xocoveza, for example, is stupid good.

 

I have all kinds of love for Stone. I always have room for them in my beer fridge.

 

Stone was one of my all time "never could brew anything wrong" breweries. Yet something about some of their IPAs now, mainly noticing it in this 7.4.17 Enjoy By can, is the all-too-familiar overpowering "flat pastel flower" is the only way I can describe it. It's a chalky oiliness (whatever that means, I'm just spewing the first words that come to mind). It almost tastes synthetic. I've tasted the same thing in Columbus' Creeper many times (although creeper changes with each batch).

I still love Ruination, the old and the new, but have a hard time understanding why RuinTen needed orange peel and vanilla...as if brewing a massive triple IPA doesn't suggest enough flavor already!

 

I love Stone, it basically turned me on to craft beer. But I honestly don't drink it as much as I use to. I've more into the drinking local thing lately. A few weeks ago I walked into my local Binny's looking for a pale ale or a session IPA to try. I saw Stone's Ripper and was going to buy it but the date on the box was from the beginning of March. I saw some Half Acre and Pipework's stuff (local for me) that was brewed the week before. Easy decision.

 

What's wrong with being an abomination to the style? That's what bore the entire American Craft movement. I feel like everyone into the whole BJCP thing misses the point. I don't have a problem with tradition, but even BJCP styles were defined by brewers who pushed beyond.

That being said... although Wussie does have some modern IPA qualities (more progressive than most of Stone's IPAs!), I completely disagree that it's "just another IPA". Or maybe to put it another way. If Wussie is just another IPA, then I would love to see more of those kinds of "IPAs".

(I still like traditional Czech/German pils too.)

 

I love Stone, but they seem to exploding in distribution. For me that shows they will lose out on quality. Majority of their beers are well over $10 in a 6pk. Had one on draft recently and it didn't taste like it had a few years back. Double Arrogant Bastard was tits. So good. But to me they have become an atypical hop approach to beer. Many west coast beers I feel followed their approach and I checked out. They're like Sierra Nevada for me in some regards. Even Oskar Blues. I get breweries wanna be everywhere, but that doesn't mean your beer will be good.

Personally a brewery has 5/7 beers they do solid every time. And then do single offs or limited runs. Take Harpoon for example.

 

I've been trying to drink local, but some of the local beer of Florida is blegh. Just crappy. And so I shoot for Michigan or Colorado or New England beers if I can find them.

Lucky enough I go to a bar where they have beers that come from solid breweries. Like smoked beers or trappists.

 

I am happy I can rely on Stone for some well crafted West Coast IPA in a place (NYC) where almost everything is juicy NE. Ruination 2.0 is still one of my favorite IPA ever. The Enjoy by series is great (some exception applies: the Black one). W00tstout is a pretty solid offering for a BA stout and the Bastard series provides good Strong ale. Always been a fan and try to grab a can every time I see some laying around