Lukcy Basartd

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Country: USA, California

Lukcy Basartd is Stone's ale to commemorate the brewer' s 13 years of existence. It is actually a blend of three of their beers, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Double Bastard Ale. If you noticed something funny about the name of the beer, it is not a typo. Not only is the title spelled funny, but the entire description on the back of the bottle is spelled in a similar fashion. Since the first and lest letter of each word is in the proper location, my brain was reading the words correctly in my head. It took me a paragraph or two of reading before I noticed something was funny when I ran across a word that didn't get "fixed" in my head. I actually thought that the bottle read "Lucky Bastard" until I tried to go to www.lukcybasartd.com and it didn't work as expected. Had I read this label after drinking the beer, I would have been in serious trouble.

Pour showed a dark copper color with ruby highlights. It had a thick tan head that sat on top for a good period of time and left plenty of lacing. Sharp citrus and pine with hints of roasted malts and oak. Tasted similar to the aroma with hops dominating the flavor. Malts are plenty hefty and provided a rich sweetness that was balanced with plenty of bitterness. Hiding behind the hops and bitterness, oak flavors are noticeable. Alcohol was certainly present in both the aroma and the taste. An astringency and a sharp warmth were both present because of the alcohol. While it was a good beer, it didn't knock me off my feet. It tasted too much like the Double Bastard so giving this its own rating is tricky. The oak was an interesting addition. I've had other oaked beers and am turned off by them if the oak flavor is over done. The oak in this beer was a bit more subtle so it worked out pretty well. B+

Stone IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.9%
Country: USA, California

Another beer from Stone and another IPA. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Poured a bright golden orange. Thick white head that lingered a long time. Looked like a yummy textbook IPA. Aroma had plenty of the standard citrus aromas along with some piney hops present. Plenty of sweet malts upfront. Citrus and herbal from the aroma are both present. Transitions into a nice and dry bitter finish. Alcohol is hidden well. Body and carbonation are at a Overall another solid entry from the guys at Stone. B+

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale (Alex's take)

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Style: Black IPA
ABV: 8.7%
Country: USA, California

Roy had reviewed this previously here. As a fan of both stouts and IPAs, I couldn't really resist the appeal of this since a black IPA is a mix between, well, a stout and an IPA. The pour was pitch black with no sign of any brown around the edges. It had a big and thick head which was fluffy and tan. Left a sticky lace and rings the whole way down.

Aroma contained plenty of citrusy hops up front with lots of roasted flavors as well. More hops were found in the taste. Somewhat pine-like with oranges and lots of sweet malts. Roasted coffee and oak show up after the hops subside. Tasted like what I was expecting as a mix between a stout and an IPA. Roasted notes transition into a big wave of bitterness that lingers a long time. Bitterness really takes control and overpowers everything else. Stout and IPA flavors battled the entire time for dominance. While good, this was more or less what I was expecting. I'd prefer a bit less bitterness. B

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale

Brewer: Stone

Style: Black IPA

ABV: 8.7%

Another fine brew from the guys at Stone. I had the pleasure of trying this a Stone tasting/dinner a few months back and then again at a local tasting. I figured it would be good to pick one up and review.

Pour is deliciously dark but when some light passes through becomes a dark amber/cherry color. Head is thick and recedes slowly to a light brown lace, not unlike a lot of stouts.

Roasted malt and smokey notes hit the nose. A slight aroma of toffee after a few deep inhales.

Flavor is no doubt different to me, the best way I can explain it is a porter's coffee, toffee and roasted malt combined with the bitterness of an IPA then finishes with a nice smokiness. Nice complexity and I would expect nothing less from the guys at Stone. A light to medium body brew that I could see myself enjoying more of.

Overall B+

-Roy

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Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10

Brewer: Stone

Style: Belgian Golden Triple

ABV: 9.5%

As some of you reading this may know Stone is one of, if not, my favorite brewers. The beer I hold before me is a limited release, one time of year beer. The Vertical Epic line started in 2002 with the first batch being released on 02-02-02. The following releases coming 1 year, 1 month and 1 day after the previous. Each is based off Belgian style brews but then changed, almost in its entirety, by the outlandish geniuses at Stone.

This 9th rendition is no different, starting with a Belgian triple and then adding in 3 different wine juices, dried chamomile flowers, triticale (hybrid of wheat and rye) and Belgian Amber candi sugar.

The pour unleashes a beautiful amber/yellow liquid with a slight head that diminishes quickly. A good deep breath and the chamomile and wine make their first appearance. On to the best part!

The initial taste of the this is beer is primarily that of white wine, the mouth feel gives off the medium high carbonation of the beer with an unexpected smoothness. The finish is that of a chamomile tea, somewhat relaxing actually. This beer really is unlike anything else I have ever tasted and it is not a bad thing. I can't help but to give this a solid A+.

-Roy

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Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Stone's Imperial Russian Stout came in at #1 beer in the world over at www.ratebeer.com, so I decided that it was worth checking out. I was lucky enough to find this fairly rare beer at a Whole Foods in Vienna, VA.

This beer pours with absolutely no carbonation, and has an amazingly rich aroma. It has a very heavy body, and the taste of roasted malt is very abundant. The beer is however very strong, coming in at 10.5% ABV. It has a slightly alcoholic aftertaste, but the roasted flavor lingers as well.

It is definitely a beer that should be sipped in a small glass (I really need a snifter or a tulip glass). The picture above is of a small glass that I gave my wife, and my glass. My wife thought that this beer was terrible, but she just isn't used to high ABV beers, and also doesn't generally like roasty stouts.

This picture is also a reminder that I really need to stop using my cell phone to take these pictures. I promise that I'll get my digital camera out next time :)

Overall, I'd give this beer an A rating. I'd definitely drink it again, but I'd probably have it in smaller quantities, and I'd try to share with friends (that actually like stouts).

-Bo

Beers in Bo's lineup

I just got back from Whole Foods in Vienna, VA and am pretty excited as to what is currently in my fridge. Here is a quick peek at what will be reviewed in the following days:

Stone Russian Imperial Stout
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper
Gouden Carolus Noel
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Fuller's London Porter

These are all highly rated beers, so maybe I'm stacking the deck a little bit here. I also have a penchant for Holiday Ales as you can see.

-Bo

Double Bastard Ale

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV 11.2%
Country: USA, California

"Ye Shall Know the Bastard, and the Bastard Shall Set You Free." Another proclamation from the bottle of another Stone beer. As I said in my review of the Ruination IPA, Stone beers are not for the faint of heart. This bottle even claims that it "is not to be wasted on the tentative and weak. Only the worthy are invited and only at your own risk." Between the warnings on the bottle and the 11% ABV, I knew this was going to be a powerhouse of a brew.

I poured the 220z bomber into my sturdy stein. It poured a dark, rich brown with a thick, fluffy, white head. The glass was cloudy and hazy giving off a foreboding vibe. Cautiously sticking my nose into the glass, I was greeted with a wave full of alcohol mixed with caramel and a bit of chocolate thrown in.

My hand was shaking as I took my first sip. I was greeted with a rush of flavor from every direction. The first flavor that hit me was a smooth caramel maltiness joined with a load of smooth bitterness. Partially subsiding, the bitterness gave way to a blast of fruity hops mixed with a wave of alcohol. Behind the alcohol were hints of spices such as cinnamon and cloves. This is quite a complex beer. The body was full and thick with the right amount of carbonation allowing me to savor the beer as long as I had the strength of will to tame this beast. A deep warming flowed from my toes to my ears as it went down.

Another strong showing from the fellas at Stone. This had many more flavors swirling around than the Ruination and was more balanced as well. Plenty of nuances to discover with each sip of this monster. This is an excellent beer for those that can tolerate the power. I welcome all that think they are worthy to partake in this liquid excellence. I'd drink this Bastard, SOB again in a heartbeat. A+


Photos by: http://marleyphoto.oliad.com/

Ruination IPA

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7.7%
Country: USA, California

Stone brewing company is known for their bold and powerful beers. Not for the faint of heart for sure. The Ruination IPA proudly proclaims itself to be "A liquid poem to the glory of the hop." In that sense this brew certainly does not disappoint. This beer is listed at 100+ I.B.U.s (International Bitterness Units, yes thats real) which puts it past the theoretical limit of the unit. If you don't like hops, prepare to be knocked on your ass.

It pours out a cloudy gold which leaves a thin head which vanishes rapidly. Looking in the glass, I could literally see tiny bits of bitterness floating around. A sweet aroma gave a hint of honey and grapefruit.

The first sip yielded a nice, medium body with a touch of sweet malts and grapefruit. This was nothing more but a tease before the beer bent my mouth over and had its way with me. A big wave of piny, bitter hops exploded and stuck around. The dry and bitter aftertaste lingers and lingers and lingers. Did I mention that this stuff was bitter.

My wife tried a sip and said that it was so bitter it made her dizzy. This is serious business. Don't plan on drinking any other beers after this one if you expect to taste something other than bitter hops.

This backs a punch and is a great beer: a solid A

Photos by: http://marleyphoto.oliad.com/