Stone Pale Ale

Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Pale Ale - 5.40% ABV

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

"Our flagship ale, Stone Pale Ale is our Southern California interpretation of the classic British pale ale style. Deep amber in color, Stone Pale Ale is robust and full flavored. A delicate hop aroma is complemented by a rich maltiness. This is an ale for those who have learned to appreciate distinctive flavor. Stone Pale Ale is great by itself, or with food that requires a beer of character."

So I had heard good things about Stone Brewing Co. so I wanted to eventually get to some of their brews. I decided to start with their flagship beer, their pale ale. I figured if your flagship beer is't good there's not much reason for me to try the rest and hope they're better. Well they lucked out heh. They'll continue to receive my money heh.

Now I love Pale Ales because I think they're one of the best beer types in terms of diversity. Flavor profiles, color, smell, etc all can vary a lot brand to brand. I like that. This particular pale ale pours a nice copperish red with a thick head. Sometimes you're just in that mood where a beer just looks good and you know it'll taste good too. This was one of those moments. After enjoying the appearance I took a big ole sniff or two. I instantly got aromas of ripe fruit and citrusy floral hops. A little caramel floral smell too. As for taste it's very smooth and the hops assert themselves very quickly. Strong hop flavor that lingers and just sits on your palate. In a good way though. The fruity undertones come through and balance out the hoppy bitterness. You get the lingering malty floral taste as it sits in your mouth for a second. Overall I really liked this one. It's a definite more assertive brew so if you want a pale ale that's a bit more mellow/balanced you may want to shy away. If you want some nice big flavors though check this one out.