Beer Review - Stone Brewing Ripper Pale Ale

Stone Brewing - Ripper Pale Ale

Beer Type: American Pale Ale - 5.70% ABV

Appearance: Stone in a can! Got the stone devil with some bright surfer type colors on it. Beer poured a copper/amber color with a beige head.

Smell: Dank hops aroma with pine, grapefruit, and resin. Doesn't smell like a pale really.

First Drink: Something a bit soapy? Otherwise it's pretty much like it smells only with more malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a bit sticky with a bite from the carbonation.

Last Drink: A bit more tropical fruit flavors coming out of the hops and malt combo now.

Drinkability: It's a bit odd for a pale ale and not what I was thinking it would be.

Notes: Hard to follow up my last pale ale review with this one. Not even the same.

Verdict: 3 out of 5. Too malty and dank for my pale ale needs.  

Beer Review - Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic.

New Brew Thursday on Friday! Because I forgot to do this yesterday!! Another beer from the "archives"...

Stone Brewing Company - 11.11.11 Vertical Epic

Beer Type: Belgian Strong Ale

Appearance: 22 oz. brown bottle a sunburst of 11.11.11 and some text printed on. Beer poured a crimson/copper color a thin off-white head like many Stone brews. A decent longevity to the head which is always nice (and some lace too).

Smell: I smell malty banana way up front and something a bit spiced lingers in the nose. Not quite sure how this will taste judging from the smell alone. 

First Drink: Woah chili flavor? I guess I should have read the bottle description before I tasted this. The "banana" in the nose is probably from the sweetness of the green chilies used in this brew.

Mouthfeel: Bold and smooth all at the same time. A bit sticky like most Stone brews I have had but the sensation is welcomed and quite nice with this flavor profile.

Last Drink: Now we're getting a lot more complex. Fruity Belgian yeast is coming through along with a bit of the cinnamon (almost like a nice buttery slice of cinnamon toast). The chilies are there but aren't as present with continued drinks. Complex and quite damn good! 

Drinkability: Too rare and complex to chug, but I would certainly drink this again if I am given the chance. This is the first time I have tried any of these "Vertical Epic" beers and I wish I had been able to try more. 

Notes: Good times! Not quite what I was expecting and the "heat" kept creeping through the high ABV in a nice way... leaving me feeling warm all over. 

Verdict: 4.75 out of 5. One of the best limited edition Stone brews I have had, this one has me looking forward to future iterations in the series.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Beer Review - Stone Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout.

It's New Brew Thursday! Starting today, and every week for as long as I can manage again, I will be posting a beer review for a beer I haven't had before. Still working through a back log of beers, here is one from last year that Stone produced.

 

Stone Brewing Company - Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout

Beer Type: Russian Imperial Stout

Appearance: 22 oz. brown bottle with a text-heavy printed stone design. Beer poured a dark (dark!) black-brown with a nice creamy beige head.

Smell: Plenty of dark coffee malt followed by some sweetness and then... anise?! I guess that shouldn't be a surprise due to the name of this brew.

First Drink: What you smell is what you get on taste up front. The anise cuts through quickly with a nice licorice flavor.

Mouthfeel: Big body with a bit of sticky alcohol and plenty of carbonation. Not what I was expecting.

Last Drink: More herbal flavors and sweet malt coming through now.

Drinkability: I don't know if this is a success or not? I really don't like black licorice, but the anise has a unique flavor here. It adds something that is different and not altogether unpleasant. Perhaps I will buy one to age for a while and see if the flavor becomes more complex. Or perhaps not...

Notes: I like to see Stone branching out but I hope they don't go too far out with flavored beers. This one is pretty memorable overall, and at 12% ABV you can be sure it will leave its mark.

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. Interesting if nothing else.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Beer Review - Stone Old Guardian Belgo.

Stone Brewing Company - Old Guardian BELGO Barleywine

Beer Type: American Barleywine

Appearance: 22 oz. brown bottle with the classic printed Stone design. Poured a crimson/copper color with a thin off-white head that laced nicely.

Smell: First up you can smell the booze. This is followed by a yeasty sweet bread, caramel, and a trace of dried fruit or apple. 

First Drink: Tons of yeast flavor up front.. almost like a strong Belgian ale. More of the dried fruit and sweet caramel comes through in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Big body with a bit of sticky alcohol mouthfeel and plenty of carbonation. Not what I was expecting.

Last Drink: A lot more hop bitterness and something slightly... spicy? 

Drinkability: This is not an easy drinking beer. Punches you in the face with complex flavors if you can make it though the booze up front.

Notes: I honestly can't say if I like or dislike this brew. It's really intense. I liked the original Stone Barleywine a bit more I think. This one is a 2011 special brew - or "odd year release" as Stone calls it. Odd indeed.

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. There is more going on here but I am having a hard time finding it. Could be a great beer for aging?

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress report - nothing doing 8/7/10.

Why hello there neglected blog and neglected blog readers!

Summer still has me stewing in a variety of work and personal activities, none of which relate directly to my tabletop hobbies. I do have a strong desire to paint and work on the construction of my WoC army, and I just added a sixth Ogre to my BB team, so there is a good possibility of more interesting updates to come soon.

In short here is a quick progress report for the past few weeks:

• Played several games of 8th edition with my Ogre Kingdoms and won every one of them. While my current playing field has limited variety (only Empire, Skaven, Warriors of Chaos, and Bretonnians at the moment) the lists are still pretty damn hard. Still working out what my "normal" 2,500 list would be but currently we play a lot of 1,000 and 2,000 point games so it hasn't been as important.

• Played a few games of 8th edition with my Vampire Counts and lost about half of them. I find it much harder to keep my general alive with the increased amount of attacks coming at him and/or the severe miscast penalties when rolling double 6's. Had a lot of fun but not as many wins as I have had with my Ogres. One thing I have learned is the Black Coach and Grave Guard are both much better in 8th edition.

• Lost my first game in the KUBBL I Squiqbowl with the Bultimore Bullies. Managed to get enough in my treasury to hire my sixth and final Ogre but the game was just yet another loss for my disheartening Ogre team. I find myself piling on the ball and knocking people down only to have it somehow squeeze past me to some random receiver near my end zone. This has happened in almost every match so I am not sure how to deal with it? Snotlings can't manage to keep anyone in place with their S1 and Titchyness. Leaving an Ogre in the backfield extremely hampers my offensive line and doesn't guarantee they will be where they are needed when they are needed (with their crappy agility and movement). Perhaps next season will be better?

That about covers my gaming and hobby time for the past few weeks. Additionally I have been fretting over the very empty Bellower layout for issue #3. I have a few things to slap together but I am very much on my own for content and help putting the finishing touches on the next issue. Our team really needs some new blood so if you have a creative hankering and love the Ogre Kingdoms please get in touch with me. There is plenty of stuff to write/illustrate/diagram/model/photograph so creative folks of all types are welcome!

Until next time ... have a beer review!

Stone Brewing Company - Stone Thirteenth Anniversary Ale

Beer Type: American Strong Ale

Appearance: 22 oz. brown bottle with a number 13 and a classic Stone devil inked on the glass. Poured a dark red/black/brown color with a thick off-white head with lots of lace.

Smell: Dark sweet breads, pine hops, and more sweet stuff. This smells damn fine.

First Drink: Huge rush of hops quickly followed up by the sweet "brown" flavors of roasted malt.

Mouthfeel: This is a beer with the capital "B". Thick bodied with just the right carbonation and a really nice smoothness after the first sip.

Last Drink: More citrus and banana flavors coming though now. I can taste the 9.5% ABV as well.

Drinkability: Really good but not a session brew - unlikely to happen anyway as this is a special edition beer and I have only seen the one bottle of it.

Notes: Man. This is a really good beer and its a far cry from the now typical style I have come to expect from Stone. If this is what I have to look forward to I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Verdict: 4.75 out of 5. Well crafted, full flavored, and it left a lasting impression. Here's to another 13 years of Stone brews!

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress Report - Ogre Tyrant Karnov WIP.

Karnov! Ahhhhhh!!

I have been putting off finishing this big guy for a while now but I thought it was time to share a WIP picture of my Tyrant. I have only applied a base coat with a few highlights, need to work on the details and finishing touch(ups) before I seal the model. He is quite big. Large and in charge as they say...

Speaking of large, here is a review of one big beer from my favorite brewery Stone!

Stone Brewing Company - Stone Levitation Ale

Beer Type: American Amber / Red Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a hovering silver devil on it, plus a bunch of awards (2007 Gold Medal Winner at the Great American Beer Festival). Poured reddish ambler color with a thin off-white head.

Smell: A lot of hops, some citrus, and lots of sweet malt.

First Drink: Sweet and not too bitter with hints of citrus and a sort of cereal/grain flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and full-bodied like most Stone brews.

Last Drink: A lot more of the malts with a lingering sweetness and a bitter finish.

Drinkability: A good beer but not my favorite Stone brew.

Notes: This beer is good and well crafted but I think I may not like Red Ale that much if this is any indicator of the style.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress Report - 10/26/08.

Time flies! It was a busy week for me, but not in the Warhammer sense. I didn't find time to accomplish any of my WHFB goals but I did manage to secure a tabletop that was missing legs. One trip to the hardware store, some cheap MDF prefab pieces, a couple bolts, a drill, and plenty of swearing later I had myself a gaming table.

Total cost: about $15.00, give or take a few cents. It isn't the best piece of furniture I have ever owned but it beats a couple of sawhorses and a piece of wood. The next step is to build some modular boards which I can place on top of the table to play on.

In case you were wondering that is my dog Udo chewing on his bone, and that is my Arnold Palmer picture on the wall. Best not to ask about that.

Not much else to update, so here is a review of another tasty Stone beer!

---

Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Beer Type: American Strong Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with the Arrogant Bastard devil on it. Poured a dark amber color with a tan head.

Smell: Strong smells, lots of malts and hops in addition to something a bit flowery. Not as hoppy as the regular Arrogant Bastard.

First Drink: Smooth, with a lot of woody hops flavor. Like the regular AB there is a lot going on here. Quite complex.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. Maybe I am recalling the AB too much but I remember it being a much "rougher" beer where as this is just right.

Last Drink: Darker flavors are noticeable now. Something more along the lines of a brown ale with the wood undertones.

Drinkability: Great! I like it better than the regular Arrogant Bastard to be sure (but maybe not as much as the Double Bastard?). I miss the really strong hop flavors of the original but the oak adds something this beer gets along with nicely.

Notes: Great brewery, and another great beer. "You're not worthy" is the slogan and in some ways I would have to agree. A fine brew and I think I will have another one right now!

Verdict: 4.75 out of 5

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress Report - 10/4/08.

The sickness is spreading! The sickness is spreading!

Picked up the Empire army book last night at my local gaming store. I was there to get the remainder of the Slayers I need for my Slayer Army. I am still in the process of getting all of the little buggers cleaned up and assembled, but I hope to have some WIP pictures up here soon (maybe tomorrow!?).

I bought the Empire book for a couple of reasons.

1. After I complete the Slayer Army I want to model a force of Ulric/Middenheim Warrior Priest driven smash-a-tude. I will get into more of that at a later date, but it is something I have been kicking around in my head for awhile now.

2. The THURMANATOR seems ready to make the dive into WHFB (finally!) and has chosen the Empire as his starting point. Being friendly and what not I wanted to help ease the financial burden of starting the hobby by having the Army Book ready for him to use.

Still kicking around the ideas for a "Paint and Play" campaign type setting for my small Warhammer group. With the upcoming Warriors of Chaos release we should have 6 players to get this going. Maybe then you will finally start seeing some painted Beer Gut models!

I leave you now with a beer review! Expect more reviews of beers from this brewery in the near future as they are more readily available in my area now!

---

Stone Brewing Company - Stone Smoked Porter

Beer Type: American Porter

Appearance: 1 Pt. 6 Fl. Oz. brown Stone bottle with the good ole Demon/Gargoyle logo. Not the fanciest bottle, which is a bit off for this brewery, but there is still plenty of ink printed on the glass. Beer poured a dark redish black with a thick tan head that started to patch up a bit as it settled.

Smell: The aroma isn't terribly strong which was a bit surprising to me (most Stone brews have a solid smell), but I can make out some dark smells. Coffee, roasted malt, some smoke of course, but it is not overpowering.

First Drink: A little sweet for a porter, but there is a lot of dark flavors at work here. Again, coffee on the front with the roasted malt and smokey flavors coming out in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, perfectly carbonated, no complaints here. Maybe a little thin for a porter?

Last Drink: A lot more smokey, woody, flavors now. Tastes like a delicious beer flavored campfire!

Drinkability: I can't say this is my favorite Stone beer, but it is a solid porter in the American brewing style.

Notes: There are suddenly new variations of Stone brews here in Austin! Very exciting! I have a couple other which I will be reviewing shortly. One of these days I would love to make it out to this brewery for a tour and to get some schwag.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. Tastes good, and feels good with the cooler fall air coming in.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.

Progress Report - 8/20/08.

Not a whole lot to add in this short progress report update. I was hoping to get some modeling action on this past weekend but I ended up being busy with settling in to my new home. I did get the majority of my Yhetees and my single Gorger put together, I just need to finish basing them.

I also put in an order for Dwarf Slayers at my local tabletop shop. I should have my Long Drong Slayer Pirates and about 1100 more points for my side project ... a Slayer Army! Look for some pictures of my assembled models in my next update. Nothing too exciting, but better than a bunch of boring words!

Speaking of boring words, here is a review of a beer I am greatly enjoying at the moment.

---

Stone Brewing Company - Stone Pale Ale

Beer Type: American Pale Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown Stone style bottle with a TON of ink printed on it. No wonder this beer costs me $9.99 for a six-pack! I can't really complain too much though, the overall design aesthetic is great and I love the Stone logos. The beer poured a reddish amber color, with a thin head. I probably could have gotten more head out of an aggressive pour.

Smell: Sweet, sweet, candy! Something a little fruity with a backing scent like caramel. It smells really good.

First Drink: Malt with just a hint of hops kick. Some sweetness, but it is not overpowering at all.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with a bit of carbonation, but just the right amount. A little slick in the mouth after a drink, but not in an unpleasant way.

Last Drink: More of a bitter herbal/floral finish now. The hops doing a little devilish jig on the back of my tongue. Nowhere near the hops level of Arrogant Bastard though.

Drinkability: Stupidly drinkable. I could polish of six of these by myself in no time, and enjoy every minute of it. As it stands I made my half of a six-pack (as I share all my beers with the Frankster) last 3 days by only drinking one a day. Hard to do with a beer this good!

Notes: This is the third beer type by Stone I have seen in Austin. Maybe one day I will be able to get all of their delicious beers in Texas! I hope to visit their brewery at some point, or at least get a t-shirt or pint glass with their logo on it.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5.

Links: Beer Advocate and Stone Brewing Company.