Beer of the Weekend #399: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
The beer tonight is from the birthday sixer given to me by my aunt and uncle: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, brewed by the Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date is “12/28/12.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is very dark brown leaning toward black. Two fingers of dense, cappuccino-colored head dissipated very slowly.
Smell: Lots of west coast citrus and pine; mostly grapefruit but there is also tangerine and orange. Very invigorating. Dark chocolate and sweet caramel are also present. There are also faint roasted malts and molasses.
Taste: It offers a very strange and tasty flavor experience. At first it seems the hops are about to slam my taste buds. But just about the time I expect them to become overwhelming, they are balanced by the dark malts. Everything plays a minor role: hop citrus, pine, and the dark malts. The mouthfeel is much like I expect from a pale ale, and a slight, boozy sting is pervasive. As it warms, the hops leave an earthy, grainy aftertaste.
Drinkability: Excellent. This is something I will definitely drink again.
Fun facts about ßRA:
-Style: It is classified on BA as “American Black Ale.”
-Price: I have no clue since it was a gift.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8.7 percent ABV.
-IBU: 90.
-Nerdiness from the website:
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date is “12/28/12.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is very dark brown leaning toward black. Two fingers of dense, cappuccino-colored head dissipated very slowly.
Smell: Lots of west coast citrus and pine; mostly grapefruit but there is also tangerine and orange. Very invigorating. Dark chocolate and sweet caramel are also present. There are also faint roasted malts and molasses.
Taste: It offers a very strange and tasty flavor experience. At first it seems the hops are about to slam my taste buds. But just about the time I expect them to become overwhelming, they are balanced by the dark malts. Everything plays a minor role: hop citrus, pine, and the dark malts. The mouthfeel is much like I expect from a pale ale, and a slight, boozy sting is pervasive. As it warms, the hops leave an earthy, grainy aftertaste.
Drinkability: Excellent. This is something I will definitely drink again.
Fun facts about ßRA:
-Style: It is classified on BA as “American Black Ale.”
-Price: I have no clue since it was a gift.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8.7 percent ABV.
-IBU: 90.
-Nerdiness from the website:
We're brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self-righteous ale. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it --- Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale --- serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.
We're certainly not perfect. Too often, we allow our modesty to get the best of us as we're simply not inclined towards senseless braggadocio. When you're good, you're good. And when you do something great, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Others benefit from knowing. In this case, we find that we are compelled to point out how amazing this ale is that we rightly call the Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.
First brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this ale was an instant hit. With us. Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime. That euphoria didn't last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldn't be any more. For us. And that was simply unacceptable. So, we are now blessing ourselves, and you the enlightened, with this ale. Thusly, you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of ours. You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
