220: 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA

Stone sure does make a lot of “special release” beers. Theirs this series, released on the occasion of the opening of their brewery (hey, congrats!). There’s their mathematically-ascending “Vertical Epic” series (01-01-01, 02-02-02, etc.), and a host of collaboration brews (with Dogfish Head, 21st Amendment, Firestone Walker, Victory …). Good thing they’re mostly all delicious, or I’d start to wonder if all this experimentation was leading to a lack of focus on the core beers.

The name’s mispelling of “Imperial” is intentional; the beer is a demonstration of a trip taken by Mitch Steele (Head Brewer) and Steve Wagner (President and Brewmaster) to merry olde England to research first-hand the IPA style. History has it that IPA was brewed extra hoppy and a bit on the boozy side back in the olden days so that it would survive the trip to India, then a colony of England. Hops are a preservative, you see, which would help the beer last, despite the long journey by wind-powered boat to the near east.

Stone’s answer uses “Burtonised” water (water to which minerals and miscellany unique to the supply used by brewers in Burton-upon-Trent, who are closely associated with the English style), a host of English hops, and something called “white malt.” Story or no, it’s a great beer.

Beer Name: 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
Brewer: Stone Brewing
Price: N/A
Sampled: August 8, 2010
Rating: 4/5
Notes: Big, thick, fine, white head. Smells like canned pineapple, looks a bit that color, too. Mmm, that’s a well-made IPA. Thick, sweetish body, but some butterscotch leading to bitter. Clean and warm.
ABV: 8.9% abv.
IBU: N/A
OG N/A
TG N/A
Serving Type: Bottle.