Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

Brewery Name and Location: Stone Brewing Co of Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA

Name of Brew: 13th Anniversary Ale

Style of Brew: Strong Ale, Imperial Red Ale

Purchase Info: $5.99 for 22oz bottle

ABV: 9.5%

Ingredient Info: Pale, Crystal, Amber and Chocolate malts. Chinook, Simcoe and Centennial hops.

Nutritional Info:

Vessel Used for Tasting: Big Glass Mug

Aroma/Olfactory: Black cherry, toffee, alcohol, grapefruit and pine notes. A roasty or burnt aroma permeated as well. Very pungent.

Visuals/Appearance: Dark reddish brown with a huge, fluffy, tan head and lots of lacing.

Taste/Flavor: Flavorful with the same notes as the nose. A strong malt profile that finishes with an even stronger hop bite.

Palate/Tactile: Full bodied and sticky/ syrupy.

Tasting Backstory: Stone always makes big ales and this definately qualifies. I gave my buddy a sip and he said, without knowing what it was, “Tastes like a Stone Brew.” It is unique and I enjoyed that. However, the flavors did not mesh well in this. It had an excellent hop profile that would have made an amazing DIPA. The malt profile would also stand up by it self. Combined, however, the flavors do not work. It is supposed to be an Imperial Red Ale according to Stone. I think that style is incredibly difficult to nail proper. A good red ale has balance and interplay of flavors. This has a wobbly balance and conflict between flavors. I had huge expectations for this and was a bit let down.

Rating: 6.5/10

Value Rating: 5/10