(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. has released its newest beer, commemorating a decade and a half of brewing excellence with the Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA.
The name—besides being a mild-yet-necessary chore for dutiful writers, dedicated retailers and enthusiastic publicans to write out in its entirety—is Stone Brewing President & co-founder Steve Wagner’s chuckling jab at those looking to lay territorial claim to the Black IPA style.
“There’s this small faction of people that seems to think it can call Black IPAs ‘Cascadian Dark Ales,’ historical accuracy be damned,” Wagner explains. “So, we thought we’d lightheartedly lay claim to our own style, dubbing it ‘Escondidian,’ both as an homage to our hometown of Escondido, CA and as a gentle ribbing to those Black IPA fans worshipping a false Cascadian idol.”
And while this point of contention may only be of import to 0.01% of craft beer fans, what is important is how the beer looks, smells, and ultimately tastes. “Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA pours thick and opaque, with a deep brown head of foam,” boasts Brewmaster Mitch Steele. ”Intense herbal and piney hops are followed by roasted malt notes redolent of coffee, anise, and cocoa, all coming together to form one of the darkest, hoppiest and most colossal beers we’ve ever brewed.”
“To those confused few still sipping a Black IPA by any other name, I hear your argument… that Black India Pale Ale is a bit oxymoronic on the surface,” adds Wagner. “But as an English Major, I can firmly stand behind the term Black IPA. At its core, language is all about one thing: conveying meaning. And there’s no doubt what Black IPA means: an IPA that’s black. Elementary, my dear Watson!”
Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA
Availability: 22oz bottles, on draft, and a limited number of 3L bottles.
Vital stats: 10.8% abv, 100 IBUs
Malt bill: Pale Malt, Cara-Bohemian, Carafa III Special, and Chocolate Malt
Hops bill: Columbus (bittering), Citra (flavor/aroma). Dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Jade.
Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine - TWICE! A recently announced $26.6M expansion plan (that includes a hotel among other lofty ventures) is underway, as are developments to become the first American craft brewery to open a brewhouse in Europe. Visit stonebrew.com for more information.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) - Stone Brewing Co. is launching a new series of specialty beers dubbed Quingenti Millilitre. These limited release beers will be featured in cork-finished 500ml bottles, and will present a new tier in Stone’s award-winning lineup, encompassing beers that have been barrel aged, dry hopped, or otherwise made extra, extra special. First up? Ken Schmidt / Maui / Stone Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels.
When San Diego homebrewer Ken Schmidt won the Stone March Madness Homebrew Competition & AHA Rally back in 2009, he was brought in to brew a scaled up batch on the Stone Brewing Co. system, along with Garrett Marrero of Maui Brewing Co. Unbeknownst to the world, the wizards at Stone had something else up their sleeve: the brewers squirreled some of the resulting beer away in bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries. Now, some two years later, they are ready to unleash it in all of its glory.
The only problem? There’s not very much of it. As a result, Stone is initiating a drawing to impartially decide who can get their hands on a bottle. Starting today and continuing through August 16, fans can purchase $1 tickets—the proceeds of which will be donated to two local charities, the Escondido Creek Conservancy andInterfaith Community Services—which will enter them into a raffle for a chance to buy one of the 500 or so bottles that Stone is expecting the barrels to yield.
The lucky folks that are randomly selected at the end of the drawing will then have until September 18th to purchase and pick up their bottle in person from the Stone Company Store in Escondido. Full details of the drawing and tickets are available athttp://www.stonebrew.com/500mL
*Thanks to Brown Paper Tickets for agreeing to waive their processing fees to allow the chosen charities to receive the maximum benefit!
Future Quingenti Millilitre releases are slated to include:
Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone Saison du BUFF Aged in Red Wine Barrels
Green Flash / Pizza Port Carlsbad / Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale Aged in Scotch Barrels
21st Amendment / Firestone Walker / Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale Aged in American Oak Barrels
…and plenty more.
ABOUT STONE BREWING CO.
Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine - TWICE! A recently announced $26.6M expansion plan (that includes a hotel among other lofty ventures) is underway, as are developments to become the first American craft brewery to open a brewhouse in Europe. Visit stonebrew.com for more information.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. is rolling out yet another collaboration beer, with the “Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Tröegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout” due to hit shelves on July 25.
San Diego homebrewing duo Jason Fields and Kevin Sheppard submitted their Cherry Chocolate Stout for this year’s Stone March Madness Homebrew Competition and AHA Rally, taking top honors out of 40 entries that were judged. As a result, they earned the opportunity to make a dramatically scaled up version with Brewmaster Mitch Steele on the 120-barrel Stone Brewing Co. system.
“We didn’t have any expectations going in,” explains Jason. “We’d just entered the competition just to get some feedback and notes on our beer.” Kevin adds, “The fact that we did win was absolutely surreal.”
“There were A LOT of really good beers that day,” recounts Mitch, one of the judges at the competition. “With each entry, we asked ourselves two simple questions: 1) ‘Is this a really creative beer?’ and 2) ‘Is this a really good beer?’ This one totally fit the bill.”
Once the beer was decided on, an additional brewer had to be selected to complete the collaboration. Deciding to bring in John Trogner, Head Brewer of Pennsylvania’s famed Tröegs Brewing Co., was a no-brainer. “We make a holiday beer called Mad Elf, which uses a ridiculous amount of cherries,” explains John. “Plus, we’ve done a lot of brewing with chocolate. So I’m guessing that had something to do with why I was asked to pitch in.”
The rich, smooth stout was brewed in late April, with a blend of dark-roasted specialty malts, Callebaut chocolate liquor, vanilla beans, and 9000 pounds of dark and tart cherries. “Seeing how much the recipe was blown up to brew it on this system is amazing,” Jason chimes in. “And getting to work with everybody… it’s been so cool.”
“Collaboration beers are a big part of showing what our industry is about,” concludes John. “And it’s a lot like homebrewing: you think up an idea, invite your friends over, and brew it. There aren’t many other industries that can work that way, and I think it says a lot about what we do.”
Single 12-oz bottles (Suggested retail price: $2.49-$3.49)
Available in: AK AZ CA CO DE FL IL KY MA MD MN NC NJ NM NY OH OR PA SC TX VA VT WA
7.3% abv, 37 IBUs
2448 cases produced
Tasting Notes from Brewmaster Mitch Steele:
“The taste is that of a very smooth stout, with an intense tart cherry beginning and a cocoa smoothness dominating throughout the palate. The tartness from the cherries balances out the smooth sweetness, and the addition of cacao and vanilla beans add intricate layers of chocolate and vanilla to the flavor profile. Definitely a beer to savor slowly and evaluate as it warms and changes in your glass.”
About Stone Brewing Co.:
Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine – TWICE! A recently announced $26.6M expansion plan (that includes a hotel among other lofty ventures) is underway, as are developments to become the first American craft brewery to open a brewhouse in Europe. Visit stonebrew.com for more information.
About Tröegs Brewing Co.:
Founded by brothers Chris and John Trogner in 1996, Tröegs Brewery is a small, family-owned specialty brewery. Located in Central Pennsylvania, Tröegs beers are distributed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, New York, Ohio and Massachusetts. Tröegs Brewery, currently located in Harrisburg, PA is open for tours and tastings every Saturday. Visit http://www.troegs.com to see what else is brewing.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of its latest collaboration beer, Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA, hitting shelves today.
Toshi Ishii—former Stone Brewing intern cum brewer (’98-’01) and now owner of Ishii Brewing Co. in Guam—got in touch with Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele shortly after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster with a proposal to make a beer that could help with recovery efforts. Bryan Baird of Baird Brewing Company in Numazu, Japan was brought on board and ideas were soon flying.
(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of its latest collaboration beer, Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA, hitting shelves today.
Toshi Ishii—former Stone Brewing intern cum brewer (’98-’01) and now owner of Ishii Brewing Co. in Guam—got in touch with Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele shortly after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster with a proposal to make a beer that could help with recovery efforts. Bryan Baird of Baird Brewing Company in Numazu, Japan was brought on board and ideas were soon flying.
Firestone XV Anniversary Ale: Look for more info to surface this fall
Stone 15th Anniversary Ale (3 liter – do they do this every year? I can only find a 3 liter for the 5th anniversary & 10th anniversary)
Others…
Rivertown Unit 6 American Hefeweizen Twisted X Siesta (brewed with Prickly Pear) Gray’s Harbor Porter
Genesee Beer (40 oz. – not sure if this is new?) Catawba Valley Firewater IPA
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
Here is the label (bottle) art for Stone Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, the brewery’s fifteenth anniversary beer. Stone’s Graphic Designer, Amy Krone, was kind of enough to send over the bottle art for Stone SoCal Hop Salute Black Double IPA as well. I believe the latter is a National Homebrewers Conference exclusive release. Similar themes going on in these two beers…
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) – A couple new label approvals for Stone Brewing…
Keg collar approval came in for Stone Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, the name of the Fifteenth Anniversary beer. Citra hops are to be featured in this beer unless something changed recently.
Those attending the National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego yesterday reported drinking a Stone SoCal Hop Salute Black Double IPA for the opening toast though they could be different beers. Outside chance that they got a preview? Stone Co-Founder and CEO, Greg Koch, playfully laid the smack down on those who called the beer a Cascadian Dark Ale on Twitter.
In any event, the anniversary beer will be released on August 15th. At some point, I will post up the bottle label here.
Speaking of previews, Stone distributors were given an opportunity to test out a new freshness application this spring. Stone plans to roll this program out to consumers as evidenced by the recent back label approval for Stone IPA. Drinkers can go online and alert the brewery as to when and where they discover old beer in the marketplace. The link is not yet live.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing‘s latest collaboration, Japanese Green Tea IPA, has received label approval.
Per the Meet the Brewers night page, “Our latest collaboration is going to be something really special: a green tea IPA with all proceeds helping to raise money for Japanese tsunami relief. We couldn’t be happier to have renowned brewer (and Stone ex-pat!) Toshi Ishii [of Ishii Brewing] back to help out for this one, and we’re excited that Bryan Baird of Baird Brewing will be joining the effort, too. Help us welcome these rock star brewers to Stone on the eve of a monumental brewing day!”
Back Label:
A wonderful spirit of camaraderie, cooperation and mutual support exists in the world of craft brewing. We have harnessed this spirit fully in the crafting of this special collaborative brew dedicated to the resilient people of Japan who are bravely endeavoring to overcome the tragedy of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
We tip our brewing hats to the quiet elgance and humble sophistication of Japanese culture through the judicious addition of Japanese whole leaf green tea to this big, bold, spicy and herbal IPA. Cheers, Japan!
[Note: the label status is technically "surrendered" though I've been told the issue is mainly with the neck portion of the label. I've been given no indication that there will be changes to the front label displayed above.]
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Escondido, CA) – The news keeps coming for Stone Brewing.
As part of a video discussing the recently reported $26.6 million local investment, President and Brewmaster, Steve Wagner, revealed an interesting tidbit about the brewery’s fall collaboration beer.
“One of the other cool things we’ve been able to do at Stone Farms is put some pumpkins in the ground. We planted some pumpkins that will be harvested late summer and we will be doing another collaboration beer for October release, a pumpkin ale. We’ll be doing this with Dick Cantwell of Elysian Brewing and Patrick Rue of The Bruery.”
Also of note (this may or may not have been reported elsewhere already…), some of the beers made on the 10-barrel pilot system at the new Liberty Station brewery and restaurant will only be served there.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
