A Decade of Bastards

[eje]

Stone Brewing turns 10 this year and is throwing a 10th Anniversary Celebration and invitational beer festival on September 9th.

They are also brewing a special 10th Anniversary IPA released in 22oz bombers and 3 liter bottles.

Here is how the brewmaster describes the beer:

Stone 10th Anniversary IPA harkens back to our earlier Anniversary Ales, with abundant hopping at many stages of the brewing process. Appropriately, the aroma is over-the-top, with pronounced piney and resiny hop flavors combined with tropical fruit esters and more subtle notes of toasted malts and alcohol. Our Stone 10th Anniversary Ale weighs in at 10% alcohol by volume (perfect for a 10th anniversary beer), and has a little more color and malt character than our other IPAs. In addition to using the new Summit hop variety in the brewhouse to provide the powerful bitterness, we went back through our records and found some of our favorite hops over the years, and used them to flavor this brew, including Chinook, Crystal, and large doses of Simcoe in the dry-hop to provide a huge, complex, piney, fruity and floral hop character. This is a colossal beer, big in every sense: hoppy, malty, rich, and strong! Right up our alley.

[BrentKulman]

Bring it on!

[TongoRad]

Something tells me that this one is going to be a "now you see it, now you don't" phenomenon on the east coast. I only hope that people don't start hoarding it before I have a chance to

[Lisa1349]

Anyone had it? I see the Beer Yard is listed as having some but I haven't gotten there yet. The Ruination Ale knocks the socks off my husband, and his socks are pretty mean at the end of the day.

[eje]

Hey Lisa1349,

A couple of us have and written it up in the What Beers Did You Drink Today? topic.

On the whole, I really like it. Especially given the strength, it is a very drinkable beer. Also quite well balanced for a Stone IPA.

If you see it around, I highly recommend picking up a bottle or two.

I've also seen the Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard around in six packs this fall. Another one worth trying, if you like their Arrogant Bastard Ale.

[eje]

On the way home from Arizona this year, we stopped by the new Stone Brewing facility in Escondido, CA.

Wow!

Someone sure spent some serious money here!

Enormous restaurant and beer garden. Huge modern brewing facility.

It seems like they are gearing up to take over the world!

Unfortunately, we were in the middle of a long drive in inclement weather and didn't have time to do the brewery tour or try too many beers. Just a quick lunch and some shopping.

This was especially bad timing, as Stone is pouring some 32 special release beers from their cellars this week (until they run out) as part of their Stone Winter Storm.