Stone Brewing Co.: 13th Anniversary Ale

I finally got around to opening my bottle of Stone's 13th Anniversary Ale this past weekend. First, it is not what I was expecting at all. Second, it was far more than I ever imagined.

Why was it not what I was expecting? Well, I imagined stone coming out with a special IIPA for the anniversary ale. The first 'I' was correct in that the beer is an imperial, however, the second through fourth letters were wrong. In fact the 13th Anniversary Ale is a Double Red, or as I would prefer to call it, an Imperial Red. What a surprise. Never would I have expected this from Stone.

Why what is far more than I ever imagined? Let us start with the poor. The 13th Anniversary is a deep rich mahogany color with a thick head that came be compared to some of the best IIPAs on the market. Wow! And, it is filled with your typical IIPA notes, like citrus and flowers while still maintaining a malty richness.

According to stone, Chinook hops were used for bittering and then this bad boy was dry-hopped with a 50/50 blend of Simcoe and Centennial hops. Well, this explains the fullness of the aroma. To top that off, the folks at Stone dry-hopped the 13th Anniversary AGAIN before bottling. Brilliant, I tell you, pure brilliance. This is why Stone made it to its 13th Anniversary, and will be around for many more years to come. It is going out on a limb like this that makes a beer sensational.

Oh, and the taste. The 13th Anniversary is not for pansies, that is for sure. It is for a true beer connoisseurs to enjoy. The average beer drinker likely will not be able to appreciate the pure complexity of this beer. It is one of the most well balanced ales that I have every seen, rich yet bitter. But, the bitterness is not overdone and in fact just perfect for a red ale of this caliber. The 13th Anniversary is the kind of beer that you enjoy with friends (drinking the full 22 ounces alone might not be the best idea since it comes in at 9.5%) on a weekend afternoon (or after a tough day at work) over a nice conversation. This is not the beer to drink quickly. In fact, that slower the better . . . that way you can enjoy the complexity to its fullest as well as experience the beer in its entirety as it slowly warms. The maltiness prevails with time as you may expect.

The bottom line: The 13th Anniversary is a step in the right direction for Stone!

BridgePort Brewing Co.: India Pale Ale

I came upon this fine IPA this evening while restocking my beer supply at my local Bevmo. I had never heard of the brewery, but when I saw it was from Portland, Oregon, I figured it could not be bad. So I picked up a 6-pack and immediately threw one in the fridge when I got home.

Bridgeport is Oregon's oldest craft brewery and after tasting their IPA, I can see why they have made it so long.

The nose is full of citrus and floral notes, just as would be expected for an IPA, but is very well balanced. It is reminiscent of a spring day walking through a garden with flowers abloom. The pour is perfect, just the right carbonation. The taste complex, due in part to the blend of five varieties of hops used in the brewing process. However, it is well balanced such that the hops are not over-powering making the BridgePort IPA a beer capable of being consumed by even the non-hopheads. Due to the fermentation process, the beer is similar to champagne in that it is full of effervescence. This nice addition provides a nice tingle on the tongue.

The Bridgeport IPA comes in with 50 IBUs, putting it right in the middle of the range for a standard IPA. But, on the other hand, the alcohol content is 5.5%, which is a bit low for an IPA. But that is alright, given the magnificent taste of this well prepared, bottle conditioned IPA. With all of that said, I would rank this IPA somewhere below the 60 Minute IPA but far above the standards like Sierra Nevada . . . more on the lines of Flying Dog's IPA or Russian River's Blind Pig. I am glad that I have 5 more to enjoy.

The bottom line: It is not a 60 Minute, but it sure comes close.

Return to Civilization

The lack of posts in the recent weeks was a direct result of my summer vacation. Since I was unable to bring a computer on my trip (not much one can do with a computer in the wilderness of Colorado and nor was I about to carry any more weight on my back), I was unable to make any posts. But, have no fear, I tried numerous beers from 5 different brewpubs in Durango, Dillon, and Frisco, Colorado and will be making posts in the coming days with all the details.

Stay tuned . . .

North Coast Brewing Co.: Old Plowshare

The Old Plowshare is an organic stout brewed by the folks at North Coast Brewing Co. in Fort Bragg, California. It is one of two organic beers produced at their facility (the other being the Cru D'Or, an organic Belgian style ale). I picked this one up on a short trip to Sin City back in March and finally had the privilege to enjoy it last night. Why did it take so long? Well, as you are likely already aware, hops are my thing . . . the Old Plowshare is far from the hoppy IPAs and IIPAs. But, that does not mean that we don't have a fantastic beer on our hands here.

The Old Plowshare is a Celtic-style stout. Immediately upon pouring, one notices the rich color that arises from the intensely roasted malts. These malts also provide the beer with a fantastic aroma . . . one comprised of soft nutty notes and overall roasted malt. The color is intense and that is only complimented by the intense aroma.

The taste buds get what they are after with this stout (made solely from water, organic malt, hops, and yeast), that being a smooth, yet rich, malty stout. It is delightful. Interestingly enough, the Old Plowshare has only 27 IBUs, which is somewhat low in my opinion for a stout (for example, Guinness is more on the order of 35-40 IBUs). Don't let that fool you though because by having slightly less hops than the typical stout, you get a more full-bodied experience from the malts.

I chose to drink this one at about 40°F . . . I am willing to be that if you let it warm up a bit, the malty flavors will protrude even more. I will give this a try when I pick another one up (since it seems to be wildly available now, at least in California). Overall though, its a great beer to enjoy on a summer day, with your feet kicked up, and a book open in your lap.

The bottom line: The Old Plowshare is the new black.

Lagunitas Brewing Company: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

The much awaited release of Lagunitas' seasonal "A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale" has finally arrived. And, after a few weeks six-packs have finally arrived at my local beer outlet (i.e., BevMo in Pasadena, CA).

Let me begin with a disclaimer of sorts. The beer is good, maybe even better than good. But my expectations were beyond that, especially given that the brew comes to us from the fine folks at Lagunitas . . .

The pour reveals a clean, pale colored ale with next to no head whatsoever. In fact after drinking about half the glass, what little head there was at the start was all but gone and my glass resembled a child's glass of apple juice and not my adult beverage of choice. On the nose, you get what you expect . . . fruits and flowers, although I might go one step further as to narrow the "fruits" to that of "tropical fruits" alone; it is very nice.

The taste is crisp and clean (as one might expect given the translucency of the beer and lack of particulates suspended in the brew. The 64.20 IBUs pack quite a punch and add to that tropical fruit and floral aroma that I discussed above. Unfortunately, I could not lay my finger on one or two specific hop varieties. The punch is not like some other brews that I have reviewed and that I am sure you are familiar with. It is not a long drawn out battle of hops in your mouth (Hop Wallop) or a delayed battle followed by WWH (The World War of Hops, Big Daddy IPA), rather it is more like that knockout blow; it is brief but deadly. Alright, it is not going to kill you, but it is pungent and brief. For that, it is different . . . and I like diversity amongst my IPAs.

As I eluded to above, A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale seems to be missing a little sumpin': Carbonation! Since it appears as if this beer is not bottle conditioned, I doubt the carbonation problem could be solved by allowing the beer to sit for a few days/weeks. However, I will update the review if I notice any significant change in the near future.

The bottom line: An IPA of not-epic proportions . . . yet still an IPA of diverse qualities, a fantastic treat for a summer-time evening on the porch with the kids.

For a second opinion, check out the following:

Beer Rant

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Dogfish Head Beers in California

If you are reading this, you are probably already well aware that Dogfish Head is again distributing in southern California. However, the selection thus far is limited in quantity and geographic location. From personal experience, the latter can easily be resolved by simply requesting the beers at your local beer store. They would be foolish to not do everything in their power to get the Dogfish Head beers in their store if people are requesting them on a regular basis. I strongly believe this is how we finally got the beers distributed to the Pasadena, CA, area after almost a year of being solely distributed in a 10-15 mile radius of the distributor.

Being a transplant from the east coast, I grew up on Dogfish Head (well, I mean, it was my beer of choice in college . . . a case of 60 Minute was almost always on my shopping list). And, having been to Delaware countless times, I had the opportunity to taste the beers long before they made it on the truck and were shipped across the country. I also know that there are far more beers brewed than that which is currently available in SoCal. Currently, depending upon the season, the following ales are available in southern California:

• Palo Santo Marron
• Aprihop
• 60 Minute IPA
• 90 Minute IPA
• Punkin Ale
• Midas Touch
• Chicory Stout
• Festina Peach

although I have only seen the Palo Santo Marron, 60 and 90 Minutes, and Midas Touch in the stores. However, there are 21 year-round/seasonal brews . . . i.e., only 38% of the Dogfish Head delights are currently available in the Los Angeles area (or 19% if you only consider those that I have actually found). This is not a lot . . . and frankly quite saddening given the beers that should be on the list, e.g., 120 Minute IPA, Immort Ale, World Wide Stout, etc.

Have no fear though . . . there are two ways around this dilemma. The first being that you can easily purchase most of these brews online (Shoppers Vineyard, Sam's Wines and Spirits, etc.). The alternative is to wait. Yes, that is right, just be patient. According to a gentleman who's name will not be disclosed (however, I can tell you that he is an employee at the brewery in Delaware), within a year or so (by the end of 2010 . . . since some beers are only released at certain times of the year, it will take a little longer for them to all get to California), ALL 21 beers will be distributed in southern California!

So, if we all are patient, before too long we will have a wide selection of what are arguable the best, most well-crafted beers in the country (well, at least on the east coast). But, in the meantime, it might be worth having a six-pack or so shipped to your front door (if you live in a state that allows such activities, i.e., not Pennsylvania). Or, if you know someone in a state that sells the remaining 13 ales . . . you could always ask them to buy some for you and have them ship the beers to you.

And now, we just countdown until the day that 120 Minute IPA arrives . . .