May 22nd, 2006 by Andy
I’ve been a fan of Stone beers ever since I had the opportunity to attend a beer dinner hosted by these guys a few winters ago. I’ve pretty much tasted their entire selection and have enjoyed each one. It wasn’t until a recent trip to San Diego though, that I had the opportunity to taste their Pale Ale and I must say, this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had!
This amber colored beer poured with a thick head to reveal a pleasant hoppy smell, which was incredibly inviting. The taste was simply awesome- a light citrus hoppiness balanced by subtle caramel malts, followed by a wonderful light bitter finish. This was a beer of Liberty Ale proportions and the frustrating part is that this is a hard beer to find on the east coast!
As far as coast to coast Pale Ales go, on the east coast, an excellent pale is of course, Dogfish Head’s Shelter Pale Ale; however, I’d have to say that at this point, the west coast’s Stone Pale Ale is by far the best pale I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking.
These guys can’t go wrong with their selection of beers- in time, I’m sure a greater variety of their nectars will be available to the faithful. Until then, you’ll just have to schedule some time to go to San Diego where you can buy their beers in grocery stores.
