Stone Brewing’s New-Look Xocoveza Returns for Seasonal Release

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Seasonal Release of its fan-favorite Stone Xocoveza, an Imperial Mocha Stout inspired by Oaxacan Hot Chocolate, in late September/early October 2020.

First introduced in 2014 as a special collaboration project and now annually released with the “same divine recipe” packed with only the highest quality ingredients, Stone Xocoveza is an Imperial Stout featuring coffee from Ritual Coffee, cocoa from Belyzium Craft Chocolate, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and lactose. Coming in at a comforting and sip-worthy 8.1% ABV, Stone Xocoveza is back to help you “embrace . . . shorter days and longer nights.”

“We trialed some new coffees from a few suppliers for this year’s Stone Xocoveza,” explained Steve Gonzalez, Stone Senior Manager of Brewing & Innovation – Small Batch. “The clear standout was Sítio Cafe Forte, a Brazilian coffee roasted by Ritual. The chocolate notes of the beans piqued our interest, and when we pilot brewed the beer with this coffee, the results really blew us away. Ritual is a company that has a well-deserved reputation not only for quality, but also sustainable sourcing and a commitment to diversity.”

Stone Xocoveza is available now in California and full distribution is scheduled to begin on October 5. You can expect to find this Seasonal Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles – cans and bottles will both be adorned with newly redesigned label artwork – and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Xocoveza from Stone Brewing

Release – Seasonal/Special Release; returning late September/early October 2020
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 8.1%
IBUs – 50
Added Ingredients – Coffee from Ritual Coffee, cocoa from Belyzium Craft Chocolate, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & lactose
Fun Fact – On the coffee chosen for the 2020 batch of Stone Xocoveza: “High quality ingredients are the key to the nuanced flavors of Stone Xocoveza. This year, Stone proudly partnered with Ritual Coffee, a fully independent, woman-owned roasting company. Ritual is known for its seasonally fresh, single-origin coffees purchased directly from farmers and producers. In the same way that Stone defined the West Coast Style IPA, Ritual pioneered coffee’s West Coast Style of light roasting that pushes the boundaries of what coffee can be. Sound familiar? This relationship is intentional and nothing short of perfect.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

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Stone Brewing Celebrates 24th Anniversary with Release of DidgeriDoom Double IPA

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom Double IPA in mid-August 2020.

Carefully crafted to capture “24 years of IPA obsession,” Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom is a Double India Pale Ale featuring Galaxy, Ella and Vic Secret hops. These “intense” Australian hop varietals “boast a multitude of dank & tropical elements, building a flavor profile as powerful as the sound of a didgeridoo.” Weighing in at 8.1% ABV and 50 IBUs, the “big, bold, beautiful” Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom Double IPA emphatically draws the line “where classic West Coast bitterness meets modern fruit-forward hoppiness.”

Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom Double IPA is available now at all of Stone Brewing’s Southern California locations (availability at Stone Brewing’s Napa and Richmond, Virginia locations will begin the week of August 24) and in the brewery’s online store for direct shipping to California addresses only. Distribution in California is scheduled to begin in the “coming days and weeks,” and you can expect to find this Limited Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer-focused establishments in California only. There is no word at this time as to if or when Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom Double IPA will see distribution outside of California. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone 24th Anniversary DidgeriDoom Double IPA from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited; mid-August 2020
Style – Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 8.1%
IBUs – 50
Featured Hops – Galaxy, Ella & Vic Secret
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles & draft
Distribution – California only
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Stone Brewing & Modern Times Collaborate on Wizards & Gargoyles Hazy Coffee IPA

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Wizards & Gargoyles, a Hazy Coffee IPA collaboration with Modern Times (San Diego, California), in August 2020.

Brewed to stand as an “achievement of collaborative awesomeness between two San Diego craft beer trailblazers,” Wizards & Gargoyles is a Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale that features “Centennial, Cashmere, Citra and Azacca hops . . . joined by two in-development hops, giving juicy notes of tropical citrus that play beautifully with the robust flavors and aromas of the coffee, supplied by Modern Times’ caffeination masters.” Weighing in at 7% ABV and 51 IBUs, Wizards & Gargoyles “is a beer as wonderfully unique as the two breweries that created it.”

Wizards & Gargoyles is rolling out in Southern California this week and will enter nationwide distribution on August 24. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Wizards & Gargoyles from Stone Brewing & Modern Times

Release – Limited; August 2020
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 7%
IBUs – 51
Featured Hops – Citra, Cashmere, Centennial, Azacca, HBC 685 & HBC 692
Added Ingredients – Coffee from Modern Times
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Tasting Notes: Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA from Stone Brewing

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For this edition of Tasting Notes, we step away from the realities of the world and ride the skies with Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA from Stone Brewing (Escondido, California).

Inspired by ” a side trip . . . a few of [Stone Brewing’s] brewers took . . . to the famous Tianshan Tea City market” in Shanghai, China, Stone Soaring Dragon is an Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with a blend of Citra and Loral hops and Peony White Tea. Coming in at 8% ABV and 38 IBUs, Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA boasts “a delicate complexity within an intense double IPA punch.”

Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA is available now and will hang around through the end of July 2020.  You can expect to find this Special Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. 

With all the background information now out of the way, let’s get into these Tasting Notes and see where Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA takes us!

Tasting Notes for Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA from Stone Brewing

Appearance: Poured from a 12 oz. can into a small, branded goblet, this IPA is a bright golden yellow in color and capped a perfect finger of frothy white foam. When held to direct light, the color remains the same golden yellow, but it does glow with some added vibrancy. The beer is clear and displays an abundance of tiny, highly active carbonation bubbles bouncing about within. Head retention is fantastic, falling gracefully to a lasting half finger that leaves chunky lace formations on the glass after each sip.

Aroma: A flourish of floral aromas quickly fill the air as notes of herbal tea and freshly cut grass rush to catch up. Peach and apricot then surface with just a touch citrus-laced cedar tagging along. Lightly sweet malt notes, accompanied by a bit of lychee and a twist of lemon, pull up late to close things out.

Taste: The herbaceousness of the added tea pops beautifully before it is smoothed out with a dollop of sweet honey. Blueberry, apricot and papaya (along with its peppery seeds) add a touch of fruity sweetness while a bit of cedar and pine balances with some tempered hoppiness. A soft whisper of grapefruit keeps the hop character alive and carries it through the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with a medium level of carbonation, this beer is slick on the palate, but it dries out immediately after it has allowed the taste buds to adequately experience the full power of its flavorful complexity. Gently bitter on the palate, the mix of floral, herbal and sweet tones get equal attention and come together to make this an wonderfully balanced IPA. The 8% ABV is composed and reserved, but it does offer just the slightest bit of warmth to set in the throat at times. The aftertaste is a soft, lingering note of herbal tea with a squeeze of grapefruit.

Final Thoughts: Warning – the following statement is incredibly corny but that does not make it any less true: Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA not only meets the expectations one has when they get into an IPA from Stone Brewing, but it also soars well beyond them (we know . . . forgive us). Every little nuance of this beer was incredibly well thought out, accounted for and then placed just so that they would all complement and elevate the others. The added white tea is present but dialed in perfectly so that it can accentuate and meld effortlessly with the Loral and Citra hops. The malts take it a step further by added a honey-like note that feels at home with both the tea and the fruity character produced by the hops. All in all, this beer is simply gorgeous and easily one Stone Brewing’s most dynamic and balanced IPAs to date. If you have not already, make sure you get your hands on some Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA before its limited run comes to end later this month. Prost!

Stone Brewing Revives an Old Favorite with Release of Ruined Again Triple IPA

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Stone Ruined Again Triple IPA in early July 2020.

A celebration of Stone Brewing’s long beloved Stone Ruination IPA – “the first year-round West Coast double IPA on the planet” when it was first release in 2002 – and its bigger 10th anniversary version known as Stone RuinTen Triple IPA, Stone Ruined Again is an Imperial/Triple India Pale Ale that “[uses] every brewing technique in [the brewery’s] arsenal to squeeze every last bit of magic out of a truly staggering amount of hops.” Clocking in at massive 10.8% ABV, Stone Ruined Again Triple IPA is the culmination of “18 years of beautifully bitter evolution, and this stage dive into a mosh pit of hops is bigger and bitter-er than ever.”

Stone Ruined Again Triple IPA is available now at all Stone Brewing locations and throughout Southern California, and nationwide distribution is scheduled to begin in August 2020. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Ruined Again Triple IPA from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited; launching early July 2020 (nationwide distribution in August 2020)
Style – Imperial/Triple India Pale Ale
ABV – 10.8%
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Stone Brewing Signals for Limited Return of Farking Wheaton w00tstout

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of its 2020 batch of Drew Curtis / Wil Wheaton / Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout on Friday, June 26.

A comic-book-inspired fan-favorite that was first brewed in 2013 as a collaboration between Drew Curtis of FARK.com, “nerd royalty” Wil Wheaton and Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch, Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout is a “massive” Imperial Stout brewed with pecans, wheat, and flaked rye and “one quarter aged in Bourbon barrels.” Weighing in at a mighty 11.5% ABV, Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout is “a whopping, intense, superhero of a beer with profound complexity that makes it ideal for cellaring… if you can wait that long.”

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout will hit Stone Brewing locations on June 26 and distribution will begin shortly after the on-site release. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer-focused establishments in California only. Prost!

Vital Information for Drew Curtis / Wil Wheaton / Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited; June 26, 2020
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 11.5%
IBUs – 45
Featured Ingredients – Pecans, wheat & flaked rye
Treatment – 1/4 aged in Bourbon barrels
Fun Fact – On the label artwork: “This year’s ridiculously badass artwork originates from the hand and mind of Kevin Nowlan, who comes to us on behalf of Hero Initiative. Kevin has previously lent his talents to Doctor Strange and Batman comics while also contributing character design for Batman: The Animated Series. His label art depicts our iconic Gargoyle keeping a watchful eye, protecting us – and you! – from the evil spirits of bad beer.”
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Distribution – California only
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Stone Brewing Brings Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse Back for the Summer

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of its “cult-favorite” Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse in late May/early June 2020.

First brewed in 2016 as a collaboration with actor and comedian Jonah Ray with the intention of capturing his childhood memories of drinking POG Juice in Hawaii, Stone Notorious P.O.G. is a Berliner Weisse loaded down with “countless passion fruits, oranges and guavas.” Coming in at just 4.7% ABV and 20 IBUs, the “tart, refreshing, citrusy and spectacular” Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse “effortlessly rides its effervescence of tart orange citrus and tropicality with sip-it-like-its-Sunday ease.”

“This beer is dedicated to my homeland, the islands of Hawaii,” explained Jonah Ray. “It’s also dedicated to my dad who used to pour a little bit of booze into his PASSION ORANGE GUAVA juice on the weekends. LOOK DAD! I’VE COMBINED THE TWO!”

Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse is rolling into distribution now and will be hanging around as long as supplies last this summer. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans and in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited; releasing late May/early June 2020
Style – Berliner Weisse
ABV – 4.7%
IBUs – 20
Added Ingredients – Passion fruit, orange & guava
Suggested Food Pairings – “Starters: Stone Mac N Cheese, Meat and Cheese Board, Vietnamese-style Egg Rolls, Chinese Sticky Ribs | Salads: Fruity Goat Salad (seasonal fruits & shredded fillo-wrapped goat cheese), Wedge Salad | Main Courses: Crispy Skin Salmon, True Craft Burger, BBQ JackFruit Sandwich, Pork Katsu, Loco Moco, and a variety of brunch dishes because this is the perfect Brunch Beer—try it with Eggs Benedict! | Desserts: Ice Cream Sandwich, Crème Brulee Cheesecake, Baklava”
Availability – 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans & 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Stone Brewing Celebrates Independence with Release of Enjoy By 07.04.20

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Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will kick off summer with the Limited Release Stone Enjoy By 07.04.20 Unfiltered IPA.

Released each year to celebrate the Fourth of July and the fact that Stone Brewing is an independent brewery, Stone Enjoy By 07.04.20 (9.4% ABV) is an unfiltered Double India Pale Ale that features 12 different hop varietals – Nugget, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Cascade, Galaxy, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and Helga hops. By “skipping a step” and going unfiltered, the “devastatingly fresh” Stone Enjoy By 07.04.20 “takes on a hazy appearance and its peach and tropical fruit hop aroma are intensified.”

Stone Enjoy By 07.04.20 Unfiltered IPA is rolling out now and will be available until July 4, 2020. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans and 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Enjoy By 07.04.20 Unfiltered IPA from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited/Stone Enjoy By Series; late May – July 4, 2020
Style – Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 9.4%
IBUs – 90
Featured Hops – Nugget, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Cascade, Galaxy, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka & Helga
Suggested Food Pairings – “Appetizers – Guacamole, kimchi, salt and pepper shrimp (or tofu), sausage-stuffed jalapeños | Main Course – Chicken-fried steak, Merguez sausage, gumbo, chile relleno, Thai drunken noodles | Dessert – Carrot cake, peach cobbler, ginger spice cake, pumpkin cheesecake | Cheeses – Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra aged Cheddar, Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue, Mimolette | Cigar –  Alec Bradley Trilogy Authentic Corojo, Altadis U.S.A Edición Limitada, Camacho Select”
Availability – 22 oz. bottles, 19.2 oz. cans & 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

Stone Brewing to Host Virtual Screening of “The Beer Jesus From America”

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Stonelogo2Stone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that it will hold a virtual screening of The Beer Jesus from America – a live event featuring commentary and a Q&A with Stone Brewing Co-founder Greg Koch and filmmaker Matt Sweetwood of Sweetwood Films – at 6 p.m. (PST) on Friday, May 8.

To give their fans a little something different to participate in during this time of social distancing, Stone Brewing is taking to its YouTube Channel on May 8 to provide a free screening of The Beer Jesus from America, a 104-minute documentary that follows Co-founder Greg Koch (a.k.a. “Beer Jesus”) and Stone Brewing as they set off on the “often tumultuous journey to becoming the first American independent craft brewery to build, own and operate its own brewery in Europe.” This film documents four years at Stone Brewing – Berlin and the brewery’s overall “mission to inspire a craft beer revolution in Germany.”

While the documentary is airing, Greg Koch and Matt Sweetwood will both be on hand to “livestream commentary during the film, sharing their experiences, talk beer and enjoy a few tasty selections with the beloved craft beer community.” Once the film is over, Koch and Sweetwood will open things up for a fun and interactive Q&A session moderated by respected Emmy nominated film critic Scott Mantz.

Film Synopsis (sourced directly from the brewery’s press release):

Willing to risk millions on a dream to become the first American craft brewer to build, own and operate their own brewery in Europe, and also create an international craft brewing destination, Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch may have made the biggest mistake of his career!  Against seemingly insurmountable odds, the man who’s been nicknamed “the Beer Jesus from America” pushes on with passion and tenacity to join and help move forward Europe’s newly budding craft brewing scene as a revolutionary alternative to cheap industrial beer. Over four years filmmaker Matt Sweetwood (Beerland) captures this historic birth of an American brewery in Berlin, in a story of culture clashes, broken promises and a bottomless beer glass of unexpected challenges.

You can join the live screening event for The Beer Jesus from America by visiting Stone Brewing’s YouTube Channel at 6 p.m. (PST) on May 8. The event is completely free and is sure give us all a fun way to escape the realities of today for a couple hours by providing the pub/taproom experience we all miss as the hosts, attendees and participants sit around and discuss beer and movies for a while. We hope to raise a socially-distanced pint with you all on May 8.  Prost!

Stone Brewing Goes National with Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager

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Buenaveza_22ozBottleStone Brewing (Escondido, California) has officially announced that Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager will see a national release as a Pilot Series offering beginning in late April 2020.

Originally created on the small-batch system at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station to honor the influence San Diego County and their “neighbors to the South” have had on Stone Brewing’s “undying mission to brew bold, flavorful beers,” Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager is a “Baja-inspired” Lager “brewed with lime and with just the right add of salt.” By using the lime and salt as actual brewing ingredients rather than just additions to the rim of the glass or can, Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager (4.7% ABV) comes together to be a “thrillingly crisp, clean, refreshing Mexican-style lager that quenches thirsts” with everything already included.

“Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager’s inspiration comes from Southern California, which is vibrantly influenced by our neighbors to the South. California spoils you with warm weather that encourages outdoor activity year-round. From surfing our coasts, to snowboarding and biking in the mountains, off-roading through deserted lands, or boating and fishing in our lakes, Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager is the cool choice. It’s a thrillingly crisp, clean, refreshing Baja-inspired Lager that quenches thirsts, while gratifying taste buds via lime and sea salt. So, leave your culinary accents at home, apply some sunscreen and soak up the sun with some suds and buds (friends).”

 

– Ben Sheehan, Brewer at Stone Brewing

Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager is rolling out now and will be available for a limited time (with a chance to become a future Year-Round beer).  You can expect to find this Pilot Series offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. cans, 19.2 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution network.  Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited/Pilot Series; launching nationally in late April 2020
Style – Mexican-style Lager
ABV – 4.7%
Featured Hops – Liberty 
Added Ingredients – Lime & salt
Fun Fact – On the Pilot Series: “We’re always innovating behind the scenes at Stone, and now we’ll be shining the national spotlight on some outstanding recipes that we believe could be future year-round beers. Each of these beers are stellar in their own right. They may be different in some ways from our typical offerings, but they reinforce Stone’s dedication to big, bold, badass flavor.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. cans, 19.2 oz. cans, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

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