Emperial IPA (aka Stone 14)-Stone Brewing
Brewer's notes from the back of the bottle:
"We went to England this past spring as self-styled “IPA Hunters” on a mission to learn more about the confusing and often contradictory history of India Pale Ale – to look for some certainty where those before us have found mostly mystery and mercantilism. While our success in this pursuit is open to debate, there can be no question that we returned home inspired by the ghosts of Burton and by the experience of poring over 150-year old brewer’s logs handwritten in (India?) ink. Stone Brewing Co., after all, traces its lineage back to the British Empire’s brewing history: we make ales, and all of our original offerings used traditional British styles as a jumping-off point. If this seems a roundabout way of letting you know that, yes, we are in fact brewing another IPA to mark our Anniversary, well, so be it.
This one however, promises to be different! From the imported white malt to the “Burtonised” water to the rare yeast strain to the most pungent hops Kent has to offer, we used all British ingredients to brew our “Emperial” IPA.* While we may have brewed Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA with our own distinctively modern, San Diego-style touch, what good is history if you can’t rewrite it to suit your tastes?
In this case, our tastes called for highly intemperate quantities of Target, East Kent Goldings, and Boadicea hops, bestowing upon this dry-bodied ale a powerfully spicy, earthy aroma. On the palate, peppery hops assert themselves early and often, with malt sweetness making a brief appearance before being beaten back by a long, complex, and decisively bitter finish. What better way to contemplate the fate of empires past, present, and future?
*Um, except for our filtered Colorado River water, of course."
My thoughts-from the bottom of the bottle:o:
This was a bomber gift/trader from fuse several weeks back as he cleared out his beer cellar/closet and other assorted hiding places at home so he could continue to sleep indoors:rolleyes:. Poured a cloudy yellow-orange with a thick, creamy head. Prominent nose of resin, pine and grapefruit and other tropical fruits with tastes of pineapple, too. This is a hop monster at 100 IBU and the malts/grains didn't quite measure up at "only" 8.9% ABV:rolleyes:. The IBU is a bit high for the style but the ABV is pretty standard. Unfortunately, I think this bottle, brewed in 2010 and enjoyed last week, was a bit past its prime. Even the brewers recommended on the bottle to consume fresh. Lots of sediment at the bottom of the bottle which I avoided the second night as I was a bit more careful with my pour. Always an interesting experience and tasting to sample a brew that has been aged for a while.
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