What the hell happened to Stone?

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by Dansac, Oct 3, 2021.

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  1. PerfectPorter

    PerfectPorter Zealot (571) Jul 30, 2010 Oregon

    Stone IPA converted me to WCIPAs from Porters and Stouts. I've had Stone IPA 2.0. Stone IPA was my staple in Tucson until Firestone Walker Union Jack showed up.

    I think Scorpion Bowl IPA was the first offering I lost interest in seeking out. I've still never had one.

    I haven't had anything from Stone since 2011. Last FW I had was Agrestic in 2014.
     
    #41 PerfectPorter, Oct 4, 2021
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  2. moodenba

    moodenba Pooh-Bah (2,502) Feb 2, 2015 New York
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Stone is OK with me as long as they don't monkey around too much with Stone IPA. (They did some adjustment of the hop bill a few years ago, but wasn't fatal.)
     
    #42 moodenba, Oct 5, 2021
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  3. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,518) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    STAFF Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    Stone's presence at this past weekend's Untappd Beer Festival at Petco Park in San Diego said a lot about a 25-year-old brewery that once crushed beer fests (at least ours).
    • They brought Stone Hazy IPA, Stone Grapefruit Slam IPA, Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager, and some of their hard seltzers. 100% shelf offerings from a national brewery, on their home turf, isn't going to get many excited. Especially at a beer fest where many are looking to explore something new.
    • Speaking of which, I walked by the Stone booth dozens of times and didn't see a single attendee getting a sample.
    • Despite having a tent, the rep never put it up and they were the only untented booth. He stood in the hot sun all day on Saturday. It looked painful (and very red) and uninviting.
    • Their booth was literally facing Stone's J Street taproom (maybe a 75 feet away and highly visible at the fest), which was "temporarily closed." I'm not sure why it's still closed, but quite a few people made comments about it.
    Just some observations...
     
    #43 Todd, Oct 5, 2021
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  4. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (5,822) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This.

    It’s been a long time since I’ve attended a beer festival, but I never could understand why anyone would just bring what you could find at the grocery store.
     
    #44 elNopalero, Oct 5, 2021
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  5. Dansac

    Dansac Pundit (912) Dec 6, 2014 California
    Trader

    I just had their hazy IPA and thought it was not only mediocre, but actually a mess.

    Overly sweet with a gnarly metallic finish. The bitterness collided with the sweetness. It was trying to do too many things at once, trying to be a Stone aggressive beer while playing to the Milkshake sweet end of the hazy spectrum. Confused beer. No aromatic profile other than sugar and some underwhelming generic tropical notes.

    I had an Enjoy By a few days ago: it was mediocre by any accounts, despite being fresh, and unrecognizable in relation to their prime time. Solid bitter backbone, malty, crisp, but without the pungent aromatics that the beer was known for. It was just dull, and dead. And for $17-18 it's a ridiculously bad value, considering there are beers like Amalgamator out there for 12.99, Mayberry, or B. West Bounce.

    The 25th Anniversary TIPA was just boring, all the aggression without the aromatic depth that characterized them... Tangerine Express is about as generic and forgettable as they come. Buenaveza and Xocoveza are still very good. Scorpion Bowl is meh.

    I could keep going. Are they 'ok'? Sure. But I would call them mediocre to underwhelming, not a 'quality' brewery anymore.
     
    #45 Dansac, Oct 5, 2021
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  6. bcm119

    bcm119 Savant (1,195) Feb 17, 2001 California
    Society

    I think they failed to maintain a sustainable size. Scope creep. Now they answer to the masses.

    Someone mentioned Anderson Valley. I was in Booneville last week, and I was pleasantly surprised: the Boont amber, oatmeal stout, and Hop Ottin tasted as good as ever. Granted, the Hop Ottin is a malt bomb relative to modern WCIPAs, but the quality was still there. Seems like a good example of a medium sized brewery that's maintained a consistent focus, even through a couple changes in ownership.
     
    #46 bcm119, Oct 5, 2021
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  7. Dansac

    Dansac Pundit (912) Dec 6, 2014 California
    Trader

    There's several solid examples of growth with quality control: Firestone Walker, Bells, Founders, even Lagunitas.

    Stone has degraded, bad.
     
    #47 Dansac, Oct 5, 2021
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  8. UnknownKoger

    UnknownKoger Pooh-Bah (1,895) Jul 9, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Sierra Nevada is an interesting study in growth. They've made some definitely questionable decisions (I'm still mad they pulled kellerweis, nooner, Rustic Rye and others), but then they go and completely redeem themselves by announcing Celebration in cans
     
    #48 UnknownKoger, Oct 5, 2021
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  9. gregoryG

    gregoryG Zealot (602) Sep 8, 2009 California
    Trader

    Could never abandon Sierra as long as they keep making Celebration, Torpedo and classic Pale ale
     
    #49 gregoryG, Oct 6, 2021
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  10. UnknownKoger

    UnknownKoger Pooh-Bah (1,895) Jul 9, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah

    which is funny because most of my friends don't understand my love of Sierra Nevada, and they point to those beers and my love for them as the exact problem.

    IT'S THE DANG YOUTH WITH THEIR TIKKIN AND THEIR TOKKIN
     
    #50 UnknownKoger, Oct 6, 2021
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  11. QuakeAttack

    QuakeAttack Pooh-Bah (2,353) Mar 19, 2012 California
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I don't go looking for them anymore, but when I drink their beer, I still enjoy them. I had the latest WootStout last month. Dam good beer. Still have them on my SD list, just too many good breweries that I end up going to first when I'm down there.

    Times a change.

    That being said. I was in Michigan two weeks ago and went to Founders in Grand Rapid. Amazing beer and wonderful time at the brewery. So, it can still be done.
     
    #51 QuakeAttack, Oct 6, 2021
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  12. Dansac

    Dansac Pundit (912) Dec 6, 2014 California
    Trader

    Sierra Nevada is a great example of consistency throughout the years, while expanding their core offerings to cater to shifting market trends.

    Fremont is also a brewery that has kept high standards for their brews while reaching ever more expansive markets (you find them now in TD Joe's in Cali!).

    Sky Kraken is a wonderful example of an accessible hazy pale that is bright, drinkable, affordable, and doesn't fall into the vulgar demand for smoothie milkshake trends. Their Head Full of Dynomite series is a great exploratory journey, with many misses but also hits.

    Oh, and Pizza Port, God Bless. Though they haven't really branched much out into market trends like the others, they have kept their seasonal offerings great and keep an important sector of the beer niche well provided for. A relief, since few breweries, even those known for the style, are making these old school forward WC IPAS at a high level while keeping it affordable. Stone included.
     
    #52 Dansac, Oct 6, 2021
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  13. ChazMania

    ChazMania Savant (1,028) Jun 13, 2006 California

    Count me in with the lot of Stone being my favorite from 2003-2012ish. So many great beers from them over that horizon. I haven't enjoyed much for 2-4 years. However, I was at Stone Oceanside for the first time in maybe 16-18 months on Saturday and had a pint of Bitter Bastard WCIPA from the now 'Arrogant' brand, and it was great. Clear, clean uber bitter and crisp. If this was in 6pk, I'd buy it. (at least a few times....)
     
    #53 ChazMania, Oct 6, 2021
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  14. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    The last (newest) beer from Stone that I really dug was their Delicious IPA. Arrogant Bastard is still a staple on draught at one of the watering holes in town.
     
    #54 Bitterbill, Oct 6, 2021
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  15. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I love how bad people love to bash stone. All i hear wahh wahhh please waste money distributing beers absolutely none of the masses give a fuck about.
    If you love the 'Old Stone' VISIT THE DAMNED TAPROOMS!!!!
    Heres what i have had from stone THIS YEAR on tap: SSR,Smoked Porter,Pataskala,Old Guardian( various years), OG Ruination ,Go To, Double Bastard(various), IRS (various years). Will this go on forever? No.. kegs are running out. But they are there when it matters . From the looks of what o see on IG and taprooms when i am there They don't need us. This is what i have currently in my fridge :
    [​IMG]
    And I have had EVERYTHING mentioned here as well on tap and in crowlers.

    As i said ..if you miss them THAT much visit the IG and look for tapping days of the stuff you miss
     
    #55 Resistance88, Oct 6, 2021
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  16. bret27

    bret27 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,064) Mar 10, 2009 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Enjoy by IPA... bitter boozy mess.
     
    #56 bret27, Oct 6, 2021
  17. Brent212

    Brent212 Pundit (914) Jan 13, 2014 California
    Trader

    i used to buy their beer a lot, but that was when I bought 6 packs regularly and wasn't able to get great WC IPAs that are 2 weeks or less old regularly. If I saw fresh Stone beers at any of the bottle shops I go to, I'd buy the ones I've liked in the past or haven't had. But fresh Stone beers are never there, and I live in SD.
     
    #57 Brent212, Oct 6, 2021
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  18. thebeeremptor

    thebeeremptor Pundit (764) Aug 12, 2018 California
    BA4LYFE Society Trader

    I think a lot of people here who miss the "old" Stone would visit the taprooms if it were within their ability to visit. Most of the posters here are from CA, potentially on the other side of the state, but others are from out of state.
     
    #58 thebeeremptor, Oct 6, 2021
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  19. UnknownKoger

    UnknownKoger Pooh-Bah (1,895) Jul 9, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah

    I'll add Crime and Punishment. Holy shit those were bad
     
    #59 UnknownKoger, Oct 6, 2021
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  20. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'd love to, i think the nearest Stone taproom to me is more than 12 hours away.

    One thing I never understand is, they own a distributor, can they not leverage that to profitably distribute smaller batches of niche beers?
     
    #60 unlikelyspiderperson, Oct 6, 2021
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