Stone Brewing Company - Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale

Purchased From: Bierkraft

Serving Type: 750mL bottle, poured into a stemmed water glass

Bottleworks, a well-known Seattle-based beer seller, turned to Stone Brewing Company this year to create a beer to commemorate their 13th year in business. The beer was release today, June 20, 2012. Apparently Bottleworks has been creating anniversary ales with a number of collaborators over the years, but, this year they decided to work with craft-brewing titan Stone. Everything about this ale is 13-centric, but, despite their intentions, the ABV only came out to about 11% (the word is that too much specialty malt held back the fermentable sugar).

This epic collaboration features 13 grains: Pale 2-Row, White Wheat, Aromatic, Weyerman Chocolate Rye, Light Munich, Brown Crisp, Crisp Light Crystal, Crisp Amber, Caramunich, Baird's Chocolate Malt, Lightly Peated, Simpsons Dark Crystal, and Oats as well as 13 hops: Bravo, Target, Columbus, Cascade, Delta, Warrior, Magnum, Apollo, Calypso, Perle, Galena, Chinook, and Mt. Hood. 

This beer, billed as an American Strong Ale, plays out much like an Imperial Porter or and Imperial Stout. The body is deep, almost completely opaque in a wide glass, with a mahogany brown body with auburn and ruby inner glow. Only the base of the glass reveals the beer's true hue when held to light. Gently rising streams of minuscule carbonation bubbles fuel a large, fluffy, and creamy head of dense light brown foam. The head retention is fantastic and it leaves a thick ring of lace around the top of the glass and dissipates with elegant patterns as the beer disappears. 

The nose is big and sweet with an impressive malt showing. Caramelized specialty grains bring a variety of profiles, most noticeably a molasses sweetness with deep coffee notes. A hoppy edge tightens this beer and its impressive grain bill. Hops pinch at the nose slightly with a mildly resinous pine and sweet sappy cones of fresh hop essence.

The beer is crisp up front and quickly yields to a huge roasty character. Blackened, coffee-like grains produce a smokey essence that is perhaps the most prominent characteristic of this strongly dark ale, which sports most of the trappings of an export stout. The most darkly roasted malts easily overpower the lighter nuances of the White Wheat grain and Pale Two-Row malts. However, the scattering of rye malt here lends a spicy edge the coffee-like tones and the oats in this beer lend their distinctive smooth slickness, despite the opening and finishing crispness.

Smooth smokiness on the finish beckons another sip along with the dry hoppy finish. Light mineral water characteristics play in at the end and lead effortlessly to the long-lasting dank hoppiness of the aftertaste. 

This beer is excellent, highly drinkable, and very, very good, but the 13 by 13 grain and hop bill seems stuntish when taken in context of the impressive and overbearing stout profile of this beer. To miss the spicy nuances of the beer, the resinous, floral, and earthy hop profiles would be remiss, but, the overpowering roasted coffee profile is the true identity of the beer.

If it's still around, find it, but if you miss it, don't feel slighted if you can pick up the absolutely-world-class Imperial Russian Stout by Stone.

Final Verdict: A

North Coast Brewing Company - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug


It's no hyperbole to say that Old Rasputin, named for Grigori Rasputin, is a dark beer. An extremely dark Russian Imperial Stout, indeed. Only a feint ruby glow emerges around the edges of the glass. The large, frothy tan head of foam is creamy and pocked by large bubbles of carbonation. The beer's retention is excellent and leaves layers of lacing all the way down the glass. A mild smokiness emanates on the nose with a slight alcoholic sweetness. Massive dark roasted malts seem to mimic chocolate-coated candied fruits.

The body and mouthfeel of the beer are substantial, but very slick with very minor effervescent carbonation that manages to lighten this very hefty beer. Alcohol is strong and prevalent, but the beer isn't boozy in the least. A tinge of heat mixes with and seems to melt the caramel sweetness underlying the roasted grains. Earthy chocolate notes are reminiscent of raw cacao and accent a minor smokiness making for an inviting, but challenging Imperial Stout.


Final Verdict: A

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Old Heathen

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

The Old Heathen Imperial Stout from Weyerbacher follows up the IPA from yesterday with a completely different palate. The beer pours an extremely deep brown. The beer is very dark with a massive creamy brown head with great retention on the foam and broad swathes of lacing on the glass. The nose is potent with coffee and a smokey essence, accented by mild hops that piece the imperious malt char character.

The body is creamy smooth with considerable sweetness from the dark roasted malts. The beer is moderately smokey, but the effusion seems to encapsulate the entire beer. Mild chocolate notes surface on the mid-palate, but they're overtaken by the power of the espresso-like coffee. The beer is heavy and satisfying and develops a chest-warming heat on the finish. A lasting smoke persists long after the sip.

Final Verdict: B+

Long Trail Brewing Co. - Brewmaster Series Coffee Stout

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 650 mL "bomber" bottle, poured into a Nonic pint glass

Long Trail's Coffee Stout is part of their Brewmaster Series and features locally roasted coffee beans. The beer pours a deep brown, edging up to black. The pour is thick and syrupy ad results in a sizable brown head, with a definitively creamy texture. The aroma carries massive coffee and chocolate notes. The cocoa definitely comes across as the stronger of the two. There's a very feint smokiness under the rich chocolaty sweetness.

The body of the beer is silky smooth with a luscious creamy consistency. The coffee comes across big on the flavor with a deep French Roast darkness and complexity in the blend. The roasted barley is flavorful and hearty. The smokiness comes in near the finish, but it's more subtle than many Imperial stouts. There's a very slight hint of alcohol, barely noticeable, after the finish.

Final Verdict: A-