Stone Brewing Company- 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA: Spice Is The Variety Of Life
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 5:33PM | by Jason 
Ahh yes, nothing like a 14th Anniversary. I say this because on August 3rd (today) I will have been married to my lovely wife for 14 years. Coincidence? Definitely! I find it cool that I get to celebrate an anniversary with Stone Brewing Company. I have to say that Stone is one of my top 10 favorite breweries as their beers are second to none. The big difference between my wife & Stone Brewing Company is that I only have one wife to enjoy and Stone offers me a plethora of options depending on my mood. I’d have to say Stone’s got one up on my wife. Now only if Stone’s brews had the ability to cook & clean amongst other things. Based on the description I am extremely excited to try this brew. Stone Brewing Company’s 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA is ready to be celebrated.
Stone Brewing Company classifies this as an English India Pale Ale and their website describes Emperial IPA as, “We went to England this past spring as self-styled “IPA Hunters” on a mission to learn more about the confusing and often contradictory history of India Pale Ale – to look for some certainty where those before us have found mostly mystery and mercantilism. While our success in this pursuit is open to debate, there can be no question that we returned home inspired by the ghosts of Burton and by the experience of poring over 150-year old brewer’s logs handwritten in (India?) ink. Stone Brewing Co., after all, traces its lineage back to the British Empire’s brewing history: we make ales, and all of our original offerings used traditional British styles as a jumping-off point. If this seems a roundabout way of letting you know that, yes, we are in fact brewing another IPA to mark our Anniversary, well, so be it.
This one however, promises to be different! From the imported white malt to the “Burtonised” water to the rare yeast strain to the most pungent hops Kent has to offer, we used all British ingredients to brew our “Emperial” IPA.* While we may have brewed Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA with our own distinctively modern, San Diego-style touch, what good is history if you can’t rewrite it to suit your tastes?
In this case, our tastes called for highly intemperate quantities of Target, East Kent Goldings, and Boadicea hops, bestowing upon this dry-bodied ale a powerfully spicy, earthy aroma. On the palate, peppery hops assert themselves early and often, with malt sweetness making a brief appearance before being beaten back by a long, complex, and decisively bitter finish. What better way to contemplate the fate of empires past, present, and future?”
14th Anniversary Emperial IPA pours a golden/yellow (straw) color with a ½” white head and an abundance of citrus, spice, floral hop aromas and a touch of malt sweetness and is 8.9% ABV.
This beer is huge!!! It’s no secret that I love IPAs and Emperial IPA is right up my alley. The first thing that stands out is the spicy flavors and I love spicy. There’s nothing needed more than some spice after 14 years of marriage and seeing that my wife is as bland as a Bud Light, Emperial IPA is filling that void. 14th Emperial IPA starts hoppy & citrusy then gets spicy and finishes with a perfect malt sweetness that when all is said and done is a great way to celebrate any occasion. Stone continues to blow my mind at every pop of a bottle cap and after 14 years they are still kickin’ ass and takin’ names. Unlike being married for 14 years…you’ll never see Stone Brewing Company settling for the status quo. Happy 14th baby.
ABV: 8.9%
Consumed: Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy A Case
