United Nations of Beer

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB HQ)

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale (9.5% ABV)
Stone Brewing, CA, USA
Visit our California beer guide

While Stone has a huge reputation and following, I have struggled to find "my" Stone beer. The good news is, 13th Anniversary ale is probably it; the bad news is, it won't be around for very long!

Pours dark brownish-red, with a head that leaves lace behind it as it moves down the glass. WOW, hoppy-von-Hophausen! The nose smacks you in the face with a promise of a huge bitter-sweet rollercoaster ride. Continues below
This is one big beer. Imagine a grand piano that's been in the basement of a brewery; chop up the piano and blend it. It has that strong, alcohol/furniture polish taste that threatens to strip the enamel off your teeth and impair the frontal lobe's functions. In other words, sweetish and powerful.

Swallow and those long-promised hops come to the fore. Jeez, this is bitter, yet it's a well-balanced beer. Somehow Stone holds it all together. Later, the warming glow of that 9.5% ABV powers through.

I have had the pleasure of drinking two great beers lately. The other was Trois Mousquetaires Extreme Series Weizenbock. If you can find either, or both, be prepared for a pretty special experience.