Beer of the Weekend #439: Stone Pale Ale
Today’s brown bottle lunch is Stone Pale Ale, brewed by the Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the shoulder is “12.24.12.” Rats! Only two months late.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy, orange-tinted amber. Two fingers of dense, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a thick, spotted lacing, ring around the edge, and trails of foam along the glass.
Smell: Mild citrus intermingled with malts and faint cardboard. This bottle is showing its age. Nonetheless, there are aromas of orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, some exotic fruit, light pine or spruce, and sweet caramel.
Taste: Despite this bottle’s age, the flavor is still pretty solid. Most of the hops may have fallen out, though. It is a mellow balance between mild citrus and the malts. Orange, lemon, pepper spice, pine, toasted malts, toffee, and caramel. It offers a floral bitterness that lingers as an aftertaste.
Drinkability: I will definitely buy a fresher bottle in the future, but this “old” one was still pretty good.
Fun facts about SPA:
-Style: American Pale Ale.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-Stone Pale Ale was Stone’s first release in 1996.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date printed on the shoulder is “12.24.12.” Rats! Only two months late.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy, orange-tinted amber. Two fingers of dense, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a thick, spotted lacing, ring around the edge, and trails of foam along the glass.
Smell: Mild citrus intermingled with malts and faint cardboard. This bottle is showing its age. Nonetheless, there are aromas of orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, some exotic fruit, light pine or spruce, and sweet caramel.
Taste: Despite this bottle’s age, the flavor is still pretty solid. Most of the hops may have fallen out, though. It is a mellow balance between mild citrus and the malts. Orange, lemon, pepper spice, pine, toasted malts, toffee, and caramel. It offers a floral bitterness that lingers as an aftertaste.
Drinkability: I will definitely buy a fresher bottle in the future, but this “old” one was still pretty good.
Fun facts about SPA:
-Style: American Pale Ale.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-Stone Pale Ale was Stone’s first release in 1996.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
