Stone IPA, Stone Brewing's India Pale Ale offering, poured a deep golden hue into the glass, with moderate carbonation feeding a frothy cream head. The nose was bursting with hops, led by classic notes of grapefruit and pine followed by significant floral notes.
Stone Brewing IPA opened bright and hoppy, with the citrus, pine, and floral hop flavors playing off each other through the carbonation. Sweet malts quickly joined in the background, but never took hold over the hops and a slight, peppery spice came through as the ale faded and bittered up just a bit.Publish Post
Although often overshadowed by Arrogant Bastard and some of Stone's bigger beer offerings, Stone Brewing IPA, for my money, may be the best representation of what a Northwest IPA (yes, I know Stone is in San Diego) is all about. That isn't to say it is the "best", or that it is completely unique... quite the opposite; it hits every style requirement on the nose and doesn't push the character of the style at all. It is, simply put, the poster child for what a PNW IPA should be.
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