Stone Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter

 Stone’s Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter is an interesting brew, folks.  Don’t be intimidated by the cost… 12 ounce will run you nearly $8, but it is worth it for the unique way in which there are very distinct flavors at each stage of the tasting experience. 

1. Nose is coffee… clear, distinct, roasted
2. Body is nutty smooth… macadamia kicks in and makes it taste like butta’
3. Finish is where you catch the coconut… just a hint, not over the top, but you know it is there

It was really cool to have such clear and present experiences… worth it just for that.  If you can find it, you should try it.

Stone’s own words on the bottle, where they thank a bunch of folks… just providing the ones that interest me:

Truly a collaborative beer, I want to thank everyone who went above and beyond to help:

• Our Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens overnight team for toasting 1000 lbs of coconut to a perfect golden brown.  You all rock!
• Our Stone Brew Crew, especially Tom, Kevin, Chris, and Sean, for all the last minute ingredient preparations (grinding, bagging, and placement in whirlpool) – 700 lbs. of coconut, macadamia nuts, and coffee, wow!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

[And more continued...]

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Yet another brew from our good friends at Stone, Stone Imperial Russian Stout.  This will be review number 10 for the brewery… I figure that is quite a few.   Average for them is Will Buy Again with only one Middle of the Road and this isn’t going to buck that trend…   Nose is chocolate for sure and as they say on the bottle, you can smell the  roastiness, as well.   The body is hard and dark… bitter chocolate, like the dark chocolate you can buy special in the store… not 80% cocoa, but probably 65% or so.  Finish is nice and clean and short… this doesn’t come across like a 10.8% ABV at all.  Nice work yet again.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Stone Thirteenth Anniversary Ale

At 9.5% and having more hops than any other beer Stone has ever brewed, Stone’s Thirteenth Anniversary Ale is, in one word, awesome.  I had this at Malt & Vine several weeks ago, right off the tap and it hadn’t impressed me that much.  Could have been my mood or could have been that this brew is just simply awesome in the bottle. 

 The mix of Chinook, Simcoe, and Centennial hops for bittering, flavor, and aroma is perfect.  I am really starting to like the Simcoe’s and appreciate that Stone through it in.  It all starts with the nose… floral and hoppy… nearly perfect for a big hoppy ale.  The aroma isn’t just strong when you first open and poor, either… this nose sticks around and doesn’t let you forget.  The pour is nice, in and of itself.  A dark amber color with a mammoth head just gets you ready for an adventure.  The flavor is super hoppy, dark and malty, and all comes together to present an amazing ale.  

Check out the blurb on the bottle for a good read and enjoy this one… it is awesome. 

JBB6 Rating: For The Win

Widmer Brothers Snow Plow Milk Stout

Kind of sort of out of the dark beers time of year, but this particular bottle of Widmer Snow Plow had been in the fridge alltogether too long, so I figured I would dispose of it on a semi-chilly spring night just the other night… and actually… a pretty smart choice.  Not only was the dark brew nice in the cold, but it was even better around the campfire with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate… mmmm… shmores.  

The brew itself pours dark and smells sweet.  The body has a nice roasted, dark malt characteristic but they didn’t go overboard so it stays in check.  The finish is slightly sweet and a little short.  Not a bad brew at all… not super unique, but I would enjoy it again in a heartbeat.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Stone Brewing Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Based on the very popular Arrogant Bastard Ale comes Stone Brewing Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale… not much of a difference, you say… well… I beg to differ young padawan.  This version of the original pours a dark copper with nice sized head. The oaking is there for sure, but it is mellow and adds that mellow to this generally strong brew.  A bit of a fruity/hoppy nose, sweetness is there on the tip of the tongue but balanced with the bitter for sure.  Finish is mellow and easy… just how I like them, and it keeps you ready for more.  Available in the 6 pack, this beer should be in your fridge right now… and if not in your fridge, in your hand.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Stone Vertical Epic 08

Mr. Dave wasn’t very happy about this one… Stone Vertical Epic 08… of course we opened it before we read the bottle and it noted that this was meant to be stored until 12/12/12… but what can I say… we all really enjoyed it now and I am sure that we can get more…   He thinks he can keep a bottle in his fridge for 3 years… I would like to see it, sir… I would like to see it.

Like I said, though, we liked this one… the Belgian influence was subtle but profound, leading from nose to body.  The light brew was downed in no time as the clean and refreshing beer went down so very easy.  A good one now and we all would love to see it in 3 years…

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale

Last beer of the night at the now famous O’banion tasting… Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale went over better for some than others.  The strongest beer of the night by a long shot, this was a true to style barley wine ale that didn’t dissapoint.  It came hot off the press from Malt & Vine and we were lucky enough to enjoy it the day after purchase.  A beautiful copper pour, a healthy head, a hoppy/bitter finish, and an overall very strong presentation from all accounts.  Those that liked hoppy beers loved this one and those that didn’t put it last… fairly polarizing.  I was on the + side of this one, though, so it gets a Will Buy Again for the blog…

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

Had another solid round of tasting at the neighbors house the other day.  First on the list happened to be a new little number from Stone… Stone Cali-Belgique IPA.  This one looked really interesting when I picked it up at Top Foods the other day and it didn’t sit in the fridge long before it was opened.  Just as described on the bottle, this one lives up to exactly what the folks at Stone say… a solid IPA with Belgian yeast creating a yeasty/hoppy mixture that really pleases the pallate.  The yeasty yet hoppy mix lasts nearly through the entire tasting experience, save the finish… the nose is yeasty/hoppy, the body is yeasty/hoppy, but the finish… the finish just leaves you with a nice, hoppy, bitter finish… sans yeasty.  Overall the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy and with a nice fruity, hoppy finish, this beer is great for session or tasting.  Oh… and $6.99 for 6.9% ABV isn’t bad for this unique brew.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

I have been on a kick lately with the stout or porter and coffee mix.  So, when I noticed Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout at Fred Meyer, I absolutely had to buy it.  I am generally a big fan of Lagunitas and had high hopes here. 

Lighter than expected, this stout was nearly translucent.  It was also more bitter than expected, but not in a terrible way.  There were only gentle hints of coffee, though you could definitely tell it was in there.  I poured a glass of Kona Brewing Company – Pipeline Porter and tasted them side by side and you could definitely get more coffee out of the Kona.  The roasted malts were very strong, even so much so that I had to have a little chocolate to go along with it to mellow it out a bit.  That was a really wise choice, though, as they both complimented each other.

At the end of the day, Lagunitas has done an ok job here.  It doesn’t hold a candle to the Pipeline porter in color, texture, or taste, but it isn’t a bad showing.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Check out the site they have for this beer: Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.  I love the picture of the bottle, the glass, and the pour.  Really great photography and just an outstanding web page to show off the beer. 

As far as the beer itself, though, I think the website out does it a bit.  This beer was tasted by “The Belly” and Katrina and neither of them liked it at all.  Some even had to be poured out, which is a shame.  I made my way through mine and it grew on me as it warmed up, but at the end of it, this one had a few things wrong that would keep me from buying it again.  Primarily the aftertaste… As I have found with several other oatmeal stouts, this one had a bit of a chemical taste to it… similar to what I had with the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.  Other than that, the color and head were great.  Very, very dark as the site notes and shows.  The other interesting aspect was the nose, which was strong and smelled of roasted malt and chocolate. 

In the end, this one didn’t come through for me.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road