Stone 13th Anniversary Ale

June 29, 4:11 PMSF Craft Beer ExaminerBrian Yaeger

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Stone XIII. On shelves now.

Here at the SF Craft Beer Examiner, naturally the focus is on beers crafted in the SF Bay Area and a limited radius beyond. But when a special treat heads our way, especially from our brewing brethren in SoCal who see fit to ship said treats this-a-way, it’s worth examining.

Stone Brewing, the godfather of San Diego’s burgeoning scene, turns 13 this year. To commemorate the occasion, head brewer Mitch Steele created Stone 13^th Anniversary Ale, a dry-hopped Imperial Red Ale.

Said Steele of the beer, it “pours brilliant deep red with a light tan foam. Up front, the aroma is all piney, resinous and citrus hops. Upon tasting, the hops are still on the front, and they are balanced with the malty, toffee-like flavors contributed from the blend of crystal and amber malts. The finish is deliciously bitter, with a touch of warmth provided by the 9.5% alcohol.”

In comparison to another rare Imperial Red Ale from San Diego, Ballast Point’s Tongue Buckler (unavailable in Bay Area), which is all about the piney and tangerine-esque hops, XIII’s amber malts offer a heavy malt foundation on which this beer perches its hop-pourri blend of Chinook, Cascade, and Simcoe hops. In other words, it’ll make you pucker, but the sweetness quickly grounds your taste buds.

Head down to San Diego for Stone’s 13^th Anniversary Beer Fest on Sat., Aug. 22 http://www.stonebrew.com/13th/ . The event will feature 15 breweries (plus purveyors of cider and mead) and the $35 ticket price benefits four local charities.

Nutshell:

What: Stone 13th Anniversary Ale - Imperial Red Ale

When: Today, June 29.

Cost: Approx. $5.99 per 22-oz. bottle

Where:

• City Beer Store, 1168 Folsom St, SF, (415) 503-1033
• The Jug Shop, 1590 Pacific Ave, SF, (415) 885-2922
• Various Whole Foods locations
• Various BevMo locations
• Ledgers Liquors, 1399 University Ave, Berkeley, (510) 540-9243
• Weimax Liquors, 1718 Broadway, Burlingame, (650) 343-0182