Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 Double IPA Launches

Stone Ruination IPA is officially being retired by the brewery. This news comes shortly after the announcement that Sublimely Self Righteous and Levitation Ale being retired. In its place will be Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0.

What’s the change? Stone mentions that hop growers are always developing new and Continue Reading →

Stone Ruination IPA To Be Retired

Stone Ruination IPA is being officially retired by the brewery. This news comes on the heels of Sublimely Self Righteous and Levitation Ale being retired. In its place, will rise Stone Ruination IPA 2.0.

Stone believes that tastes change, just like hops Continue Reading →

Stone Old Guardian Extra Hoppy Ships

2015 is an “odd year.” Fans of Stone Brewing Co. know by now that odd years bring “Odd Years” versions of Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine.

Past Odd Beer versions of Old Guardian have included Oak Smoked, and Belgo-Barleywine. Continue Reading →

Posted in Don't Miss This, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 Double IPA Launches

Stone Ruination IPA is officially being retired by the brewery. This news comes shortly after the announcement that Sublimely Self Righteous and Levitation Ale being retired. In its place will be Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0.

What’s the change? Stone mentions that hop growers are always developing new and experimental varietals. Mitch Steele and the Stone brewing team picked a few new favorites for Ruination 2.0. Additionally, a few new techniques, like “hop-bursting.” The bursting technique focuses on getting the aroma out of the hops without adding extra bitterness.

Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 will feature Centennial, Citra, Simcoe, and Azacca hops.

When this double IPA first hit the scene in 2002, the hoppy beer landscape was far different than it is today. Ales offering an onslaught of resinous humulus lupulus were virtually unknown. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Terms such as “lupulin” and “IBU” are well established in the craft beer lexicon. And with the knowledge of all that hops have to offer comes the desire to go beyond bracing bitterness. Fortunately, Stone Ruination IPA has always been crafted to celebrate all facets of the hop—its beauty and poetry, its boldness and might. As craft beer has evolved, so too have techniques for extracting the best and the most out of hops. So we modernized Stone Ruination IPA, coaxing every last drop of piney, citrusy, tropical essence from the Centennial, Citra, Simcoe and Azacca hops that give this beer its incredible character. Join us in cheering this, the second stanza in our “Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop.”

Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 is now available in 12oz bottles, 22oz bottles, and draft. 21

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Centennial, Citra, Simcoe, Azacca
Availability: 22oz Bottles, 12oz Bottles, Draft.

Release: Mid-April, 2015

8.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Seasonal Return, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2015 Hits Shelves

Stone Imperial Russian Stout, the brewery’s quite popular imperial stout, is headed back to shelves. Since this is an odd-year (2015), Stone has released an odd partner in crime – Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout. Both bottles are available as of this week.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout is so thick, rich and, well, sinful, you might worry that you’ll be doomed to the fiery pits just for thinking about a sip. Rest assured, however, that even though this seemingly pernicious brew is indeed as black as sin, we guarantee that no actual sin was committed in making it…you’ll have to add that on your own. This massive and intensely aromatic beer abounds with notes of chocolate, coffee, black currants, anise and roastiness, and its heavy palate is nothing to be trifled with.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout is available in 22oz bottles, seasonally.

Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Hops: Warrior
Malts: Pale Malt, Roasted Barley, Amber Malt, and Black Malt
Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Australia; Alberta, Canada; Japan; Singapore; Sweden; and United Kingdom

Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft

10.5% ABV, 65 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout, For Odd Years Release

Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout is the newest addition to the brewery’s Odd Beers for Odd Years offering, alongside Extra Hoppy Barleywine.

Past Odd Years offerings for Imperial Russian Stout have included Espresso Imperial Russian Stout, and Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout.

As you have probably deduced, this edition is inspired by chai tea. To achieve this nuance, Stone has added clove, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, black tea, and cinnamon to the bold imperial stout.

As it stands, the classic version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout is deep, dark, rich, roasty and perhaps even a bit sinful. The ‘Odd Beers for Odd Years’ part of the journey means the coming of each odd-numbered year provides the opportunity to take this traditional beer to new and mysterious places, embarking on an exploratory odyssey enabled by strikingly flavorful elements applied to a lovely onyx canvas. This beer, the latest ‘Odd’ transubstantiation, takes inspiration straight from the spice aisle, incorporating array of ingredients assembled to emulate the flavors of authentic chai tea. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, a dash of black pepper and a dose of black tea combine with Stone Imperial Russian Stout’s incumbent flavors to take it deep into exotic, previously unfathomed tenitory. Expect a touch of earthiness in combination with a warm, tantalizing aridness. Asa one-time brew with enduring character, Stone CHAI-SPICED Imperial Russian Stout is crafted to be contemplated fresh or cellared under proper conditions for many years so that it may live on not only in one’s memory, but on his or her taste buds as well.

Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout is available in 22oz bottles, and draft. Typically arriving in March.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Clove, Ginger, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Black Tea, Cinnamon)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft
AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Australia; Alberta and British Columbia (“Odd” release only), Canada; Japan; Singapore; Sweden; and United Kingdom
Release: Late-March, 2015

11/% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Ruination IPA To Be Retired

Stone Ruination IPA is being officially retired by the brewery. This news comes on the heels of Sublimely Self Righteous and Levitation Ale being retired. In its place, will rise Stone Ruination IPA 2.0.

Stone believes that tastes change, just like hops and brewing techniques change, and thus – time for a change. The brewery sums it up in a very “Stone Brewing Co.” manner:

It takes a prohibitively massive ego, a stymied lack of vision, laziness, ignorance and/or delusion for one to create something and expect it to remain an exemplar until the end of time. Arguably, some songs, novels and artistic works attain this status, but beer is a constantly shifting, constantly evolving medium. The brew we and our fans are enamored with today probably won’t be what we are salivating over and clamoring for 10 years ago…

In addition to Stone Ruination IPA 2.0, expect Stone Pale Ale 2.0 to appear in place of Stone Pale Ale as well.

Image via Stone Brewing Co.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, New Releases, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Enjoy By 4.20.15 Ships, 12oz Bottles Now Too

Stone Enjoy By 4.20.15 is now available, and will be sent to the following states, as well as Alberta, Canada and Puerto Rico.

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA.

This “devastatingly fresh” double IPA is meant to be enjoyed on or before the date on the label for full hop flavor and enjoyment. It’s brewed specifically NOT to last, so don’t age them and don’t wait.  Insert a dank hop on 4/20 reference here.

This round, Stone Enjoy By 4.20.15 is also available in 12oz bottles.

Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: 22oz Bottles. 12oz Bottles.
Release: March, 2015

9.4% ABV

Image via Brandywine Liquor

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Steve Via & Drew Neldon’s Imperial Mutt Brown Ale Coming in April

Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA) recently asked their fans which beer from their Stone Spotlight Series they would like to see re-brewed and distributed nationally.

The results are in. In April, expect Stone Steve Via & Drew Neldon’s Imperial Mutt Brown Ale in 22oz bottles.

Style: Brown Ale
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Return: April, 2015

?? ABV

Image via Stone Brewing Co. 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Old Guardian Extra Hoppy Ships

2015 is an “odd year.” Fans of Stone Brewing Co. know by now that odd years bring “Odd Years” versions of Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Old Guardian Barleywine.

Past Odd Beer versions of Old Guardian have included Oak Smoked, and Belgo-Barleywine. 2015’s Odd offering is Extra Hoppy. The Stone Brewing Co. team used Azacca hop varietal in a strong dry-hop in the base barleywine.

[The Azacca dry-hop]…gives the beer a big candied-fruit character and citrus, pineapple aromatics.

Stone Old Guardian Extra Hoppy is available in 22oz bottles and draft for a limited time.

Style: Barleywine
Released: Mid-February, 2015
Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; United Kingdom; Singapore; and Sweden

10.5% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay