Yes folks, that's me, enjoying the shit out of the Stone Garden portion of the Stone Brewery World Bistro & Gardens.. AND enjoying the shit out of the freshly released Vertical Epic '11! Seriously.. this stuff was just released like 5 days before my visit.. almost doesn't get any fresher! A Belgian-style Amber Ale with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon! A very strong, malty nose, rich toffee and molasses, fruity esters, hints of spice.. very warm, alcoholic. A definite Belgian influence, banana, clove.. but rich, creamy Amber malts give a ton of sticky sweetness to complement the spice. Not much by way of chilies, but I'm sure as this one ages, a mellow spice will come through!
There was SO MUCH BEER!
I'll spare you any more random brewery pictures, but with dinner (which was amazing in case you were wondering), I had a fresh 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA. But not your average 15th Anniversary.. oh no no. You see, cause this was the Stone brewery.. they do shit special here! They had a special batch that was 'dry hopped' with espresso beans! BOOM! I won't go into this one much, cause I have a bottle or two to review later, but it takes all the elements of the original and throws in an amazing coffee dimension. It actually helps mellow the brew out, as its a fairly high ABV and adds a touch of sweetness. Super excited to have been able to sample this!
Along these lines, they also give you four free 4 oz pours! Pale Ale, IPA, Smoked Porter and Arrogant Bastard. All were amazing of course, but let me tell you.. I have never had a Smoked Porter so amazing. If it's a style you enjoy.. go to the Stone Brewery, now!! It is uniquely crisp and bright, unlike any Porter I've ever had!
It was an amazing time at the brewery, a trip any Stone lover should definitely try to make, especially since very soon there'll be a hotel/resort right across the street! But my beering wasn't done just yet...they still had some beer left for me on the last night. What great friends!
Now this right here was a treat! Russian River Brewing Company - Pliny the Elder... an 8.0% ABV 100 IBU DIPA. Russian River is almost impossible to find east of the grand Mississippi, and this is their flagship beer! Not much to the nose besides pure hops.. potentially a wet hop ale? Not overpowering, but complex..running the gamut from lighter grassy and floral, to strong piney, citrus and grapefruit. There's some malts to the taste, bringing up the rear and holding this one together, slightly sweet, a little thick.. but like the aroma, almost all hops. Sweeter grapefruit and citrus to start giving way to more intense piney hops.. along with the malts, a nice dry, bitter finish. This was simply amazing!
One last beer in Cali... Moylan's - White Christmas Spiced Winter Lager. 6.0% ABV and 28 IBUs. My friend tried one up in LA and I had bought a bottle, but wasn't super impressed. Rather than bring it back to MA with me, I decided to drink this one up. Honestly.. really let down. I won't even really get into this one. Touted as a spiced winter lager, listed as having curacao, mace, cinnamon, coriander, orange zest and white pepper, you'd expect some intense spice right? Naw! Even as it warmed, there was only a hint of spice and the orange zest all the way through. More like a citrusy wheat...
But hey, with all the amazing beers I enjoyed, can't let one little mediocre brew ruin my trip! Great times, great places, amazing people, amazing beer... incredible memories!
You stay classy, San Diego
No comments:
Post a Comment