Now on Tap: Stone IPA

Style: India Pale Ale
Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Escondido, CA
Web
Alcohol: 6.9%

I've gone to good lengths to rank and file my affinity for hoppy pale ales, but there is always room for things new and worthwhile.

Not that I am at all unfamiliar with the Stone Brewery. By no means a recognizable, national brand, Stone's beers are primarily sold in unfriendly, 22 oz. bottles (although select kegs and sixers are available). This IPA is available in all three formats, although it most commonly comes in the larger bottle. I've never seen a commercial or advertisement for the brand, yet I have found it sold in any number of supermarkets and liquor stores wherever I have traveled.

Stone IPA is a prototypical west coast IPA, mildly malty and extremely hoppy with a bright amber color and a mouthfeel hinted with fruit. Their is a relatively high alcohol content, but it doesn't interfere with the drink's flavor. What's most distinctive about this beer, particularly as an IPA, is the initially sweet taste. This can probably be attributed to the aforementioned maltiness, but there is something different about it in this beer. Where as the malty/hoppy combination can sometimes leads to dryness, in this drink there's a great refresh that I would usually associate with a German beer (kolsch or hefe).

I haven't tried the Rumination Ale yet, but if it's an improvement upon this one (as suggested in most literature I have seen on the subject), I should get right to it.

Rating: 8.2