Stone 16 Anniversary IPA released August 13

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (August 13, 2012) -- Yet another year has passed, and Stone Brewing Co. is yet another year older – 16 to be exact. And what better way to celebrate the company's anniversary than with the release of a deliciously hoppy beer and a two-day festival? Today, Stone is releasing Stone 16th Anniversary IPA, a pale amber IPA with lemon verbena, lemon oil, and a variety of unique hops that give the beer a bitter and citrusy finish. Stone's anniversary bash, the Stone 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival, is August 17 and 18 at the California State University San Marcos grounds.

"Each year we strive to create a uniquely tasty and hoppy beer that allows us to use an assortment of ingredients, and the Stone 16th Anniversary IPA is certainly a testament to our brewing team's goals," says Brewmaster Mitch Steele. "We used a variety of malts, hops and botanicals to create an intense, bitter and refreshing IPA perfect for long summer nights."

Stone 16th Anniversary IPA: www.stonebrewing.com/16/ale/
Blog Post: http://blog.stonebrew.com/index.php/stone-16th-anniversary-ipa

• Stats: 10% abv, 85 IBUs
• Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning August 13
• Malt bill: Pale, Rye, Vienna, Light Munich and Dark Munich
• Hops bill: Magnum for bittering, Delta and Target in the whirlpool, and Calypso and Amarillo in the dry hop
• Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA

Tasting Notes, provided by Brewmaster Mitch Steele

• Appearance: Beautiful light amber with a thick creamy tan head.
• Aroma: An incredible blend of fruits: citrus, lemon, and peaches, with hints of mint and dry-roasted nutty malt flavors.
• Taste: A very clean maltiness, intense peach/mango Amarillo hops, hints of apples and berries, finishing in a burst of fresh lemon, hop bitterness, and herbal spiciness.
• Palate: Medium body with smooth and complex malt flavors and the very slightest hint of alcohol heat, with a refreshingly bitter and citrusy finish.
• Overall: From the first time I smelled a broken leaf from a lemon verbena bush at Stone Farms, I thought its intense lemon character would be a great addition to an IPA. It truly is "more lemon than lemon." The lemon flavors combine wonderfully with the peach and tropical mango flavors from the Amarillo, and the apple and berry notes from the Calypso hops. The result is an intense and bitter take on a double IPA.

Suggested food pairings, provided by "Dr." Bill Sysak

• Appetizers: Coconut shrimp, ceviche, Thai spring rolls, deviled eggs
• Salads: Grilled peach and feta salad, kimchee, Chinese chicken salad
• Main course: Grilled cheddar cheese sandwich, fried chicken, Camarones a La Diabla, pepper steak
• Dessert: Lemon meringue pie, carrot cake, peach cobbler
• Cheeses: Grafton Tavern Aged Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola Dolce, Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue
• Cigars: Camacho Corojo Churchill, La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Matatan, Crowned Heads Four Kicks Corona Gorda

ABOUT STONE BREWING CO.
Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 11th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named "All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth" by BeerAdvocate magazine - TWICE! The brewery recently announced more than $50 million in expansion plans that include Stone Packaging Hall, Stone World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, and the future Stone Hotel among other lofty ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.stonebrewing.com.

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