Stone Brewing Co. celebrates 16 years of aggressive brewing this August. Just like previous years, there will be an anniversary beer to celebrate. Coming August 13th – Stone 16th Anniversary IPA. Expect hops, a dash of rye spice, and lemon flavor, as this imperial IPA is brewed with lemon verbena & lemon oil. Lemon verbena is a flowering shrub that gives foods a lemony flavor. It is also known for it’s antioxidant properties. Lemon oil comes from the lemon zest. (Perhaps the Bonnie Brae variety? Popular in San Diego county.)
We’ve been loving creating Collaboration beers with great creative brewers from all over the world these last several years–unique beers that would never have existed without the free-flowing imagination and idea generation of the collaborative process. However, when it comes to the Stone Anniversary Ales, it’s all us. Yet, it is indeed still a collaboration with great creative brewers (if we do say so ourselves). We’re talking about our own brewing team, of course. And while some of our beers, anniversary and otherwise, have been designed by a single person, the Stone 16th Anniversary IPA was definitely a teaan effort. This year our brewing team was inspired by some exotic-dab additions of the lemony persuasion. Yes, it’s a Double IPA (can you really say you’re surprised?), but as we strive to do with all our Stone Anniversary Ales of the let’s-take-this-IPA-in-a-new-direction variety, we’ve brewed up a Stone-worthy divergence from tradition. The amount of rye malt we used isn’t quite enough to warrant the appellation “Rye IPA,” but it still adds hints of spiciness that contrast deliciously with the tropical fruit flavors and aromas of the Amarillo and Calypso hops. Adds few European specialty malts, some lemon verbena, and three more hop varieties to the mix, and you have a highly complex brew melding both bitter and fruity hop notes with rich toasted malt character punctuated by nuances of spicy rye and subtle lemon.
Style: Imperial IPA (w/ lemon verbena, lemon oil)
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft. One time release
Arrival: August 13, 2012
9.4% ABV
