Beer #197 - W/C 3 December 2018
BREWERY // It all started when founders Steve Wagner & Greg Koch discussed their mutual obsession for beer after meeting at a weekend college course named "A Sensory Evaluation of Beer". In 1996 they opened their brewery in San Marcos, California with their first customer being Pizza Port Solana Beach. The years that followed have seen huge growth and Stone being named "All Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth" twice by BeerAdvocate magazine. Last year Stone opened breweries in Berlin and Richmond, Virginia. You beer tourists should definitely be adding 'Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens' in California, Berlin and Virginia to your list.
BEER // Stone are constantly putting out new releases in every style but the are especially known for their IPAs. Their iconic Stone IPA defined a whole category upon its 1997 release and they are still obsessed with hoppy beers, having just topped the Beer & Brewer Magazine poll as 'Favourite American IPA brewer' once again. Idolatrous is the latest release in their rotating Hop Worship series and it showcases a pair of intriguing hops. El Dorado was first bred in Yakima, Washington less than a decade ago and Mosaic was released even more recently in 2012. Both new world hops provide bitterness as well as complex super fruity aroma and flavours. It's so fruity, we'd definitely believe you if you told us there was lemon, mango, pineapple and grapefruit in there. Idolatrous is a great example of a classic West Coast IPA with a twist - clean, resinous, dank and absolutely delicious.
BREWERY // Stone
BEER // Idolatrous
STYLE // IPA
ORIGIN // Escondido, California
ABV // 7%
TEMPERATURE // Cool. 7-11C
FOOD MATCH // Tuna Poke Bowl. Gazpacho Soup. Roast Beetroot & Goat's Cheese Salad. Strawberry Tart.
GLASS // IPA Glass