The last couple of months of the year spell porters and stouts if you’re a beer fan. The rich beers encapsulate the darkness of winter and offer deeply satisfying flavors like cacao and roasted coffee. Fittingly, Stone Brewing is set to release its coveted Imperial Stout.
As is the case with most imperial stouts, Stone’s is high-octane, coming in at 10.5% ABV. The beer offers an intriguing mix of flavors, from coffee and black currant to molasses. Creamy with a pinch of sweetness, it’s a great slow sipper.
“I’ve been brewing at Stone for more than 20 years and Stone Imperial Stout is, hands-down, one of our greatest beers,” says Jeremy Moynier, senior manager of brewing and innovation at Stone. “It’s such a perfect balance of flavors. I love it super fresh but it also ages really well too.”
If you want to treat the beer right, pour it into a proper glass to introduce oxygen and allow the aromatics to flourish. Better still, enjoy it with a bite of biscotti or your favorite kind of cookie. As the brand says, this beer is so dark it could blot out the sun.
Stone Brewing started back in the 90s and has grown to become one of the most talked-about west coast breweries. The California label is credited with helping to create the now famous west coast IPA. Quite frankly, the craft beer movement would not be the same without Stone, from its hyper-hopped renditions to its heady dark ales (not to mention over-the-top marketing literature).
The beer is available nationwide in six-pack format as well as on draft in select locations.
