Despite my profound disappointment with their Levitation Amber Ale, I decided to celebrate the end of my family's grueling five day visit with a Stone Brewing Company ale. My initial intention was to grab and review the Self-Righteous Ale, a black IPA originally brewed as the brewery's 11th anniversary ale, but was tempted by the arrival of the brand new 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA. Here's the succinct review: god damn fuck yes.
The bottle text is unusually descriptive for a Stone brew: "From the imported white malt to the 'Burtonised' water to the rare yeast strain to the most pungent hops Kent has to offer, we used all British ingredients to brew our Emperial IPA." It continues, "In this case, our tastes called for highly intemperate quantities of Target, East Kent Goldings, and Boadicea hops, bestowing upon this dry-bodied ale a powerfully spicy, earthy aroma. On the palate, peppery hops assert themselves early and often, with malt sweetness making a brief appearance before being beaten back by a long complex, and decisively bitter finish."
I opened the bottle with mild skepticism, took a sip, and immediately exclaimed, "oh shit!" The beer unabashedly tramples you with that crisp, peppery hop wallop. The malty sweetness is very subtle, but just perceptible enough to help balance the deliciously bitter/citrus finish. I hate dropping $7 on a 22 ounce bomber, but Stone doesn't disappoint here. And at a robust 8.9% ABV, the Emperial IPA's alcohol to cost ratio is within reason. This brew joins the ranks of Russian River's Pliny the Elder, Stone's Ruination IPA, and Victory's Hop Devil as one of the best IPAs I've ever had the pleasure of inhaling.
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