From Stone:
Most of our fans are under the impression Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers debuted in 2012. There’s good reason for this. In May of that year, we launched a website, announcing the existence of that beer along with its cousin, Stone Smoked Porter w/Vanilla Bean. This coincided with our national launch of both beers, but as those whose fanatic-level knowledge of our humble brewing company know, both beers came into being years before, though their impetuses were quite different. The epiphany for the bean-bolstered brew came when one of our small batch brewers plopped a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream into a pint of Stone Smoked Porter, while the smoked jalapeño-infused version was presented as an alternative to thin, fizzy, low-flavor macro-lagers offered around Cinco de Mayo.
The idea for giving the world a “South of the Border Porter” to supplant watery, yellow swill in completely clear long-necks (marketed as best enjoyed on the beach…lightstruck much?) came from Stone Associate Director Chris Carroll. Introducing a dark beer for Cinco de Mayo was gutsy enough, but going the route of a pepper-infused brew was almost unheard of back in 2006, when he suggested it to his Team Stone comrades. Never ones to shy away from something that sounds outlandish (you can’t set trends and blaze trails by doing the same thing as everyone else), we gave it a whirl and discovered we liked the beer…a lot! Turns out, so did our fans. Still, it was undeniably a niche creation, so it only appeared once a year in small quantities when put on tap for growler fills.
But all that changed in 2012, when Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers was brewed on a larger scale, funneled into 12-ounce bottles and distributed nationwide along with its vanilla-tinged relative. After sending it on its first cross-country journey, we went live with the aforementioned website, which polled our fans, asking them which version of Stone Smoked Porter they liked best. Stone Smoked Porter w/Vanilla Beans was the victor, but quite an immense cult-like group of followers have made their presence known over the past two years, chanting for the return of the spicy second-place entry. When we see torch-bearing hordes of obsessive types, we wisely realize it’s in our best interest to please them. And so, Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers is back, and will find its way to store shelves every year right around Cinco de Mayo as its visionary conceiver intended. ¡Viva cerveza artesanal de buena calidad!
Stats & Tasting Notes by Brewmaster Mitch Steele
- ABV: 5.9%
- Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning May 5
- Hop Bill: Magnum & Mt. Hood
- Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT & WA
- Appearance: Pours deep brown with a rich tan head.
- Aroma: Roasted malts, pepper, cocoa and a unique smokiness imparted by both peat-smoked malt and chipotle peppers.
- Taste: Nice blend of roasted malts, coffee and dark chocolate, with pronounced chipotle smokiness.
- Palate: Smooth with a nice, spicy heat from the peppers.
- Overall: We first started making casks of this beer in 2006 for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Since then, the beer has been both a fan and Team Stone favorite. We’ve brewed many small batches of it throughout the years and are always happy to make more!
Press Release:
ESCONDIDO, CA (May 5, 2014) – New and improved ideas are sometimes created by taking a well-established, solid concept and introducing a unique feature. This is true of the latest release from Stone Brewing Co.: Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers. Back in 2006, Stone added a spicy twist to a classic, year-round brew by way of chipotle peppers. Since then, the beer has been a cult hit for many, including Stone’s pepper-loving CEO and Co-founder, Greg Koch. Beginning today, the beer is available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft at retailers, restaurants and bars in select markets nationwide.
Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers was conceived as an idea from a long-time member of Team Stone, Chris Carroll, who proposed the brewing team make a spicy one-off beer as a special Cinco de Mayo cask. Its origin was rather serendipitous, since at the time, a former Stone brewer had recently returned from a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, and brought back chipotle peppers to use on a special beer creation. Originally dubbed "South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter," the resulting brew brought forth an incredible blend of roastiness, smokiness, and just a touch of heat from the peppers.
“After Chris pitched his idea, we gave it a shot by making cask-conditioned batches of the beer to be served as a special offering at Stone Company Store - Escondido,” explains Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “By melding Stone Smoked Porter with chipotle peppers, we found the chilies provided an enhanced roast flavor and perfect complement to the peat-smoked malt. There is a subtle taste of heat in the finish that balances well with the coffee and cocoa flavors found in the base beer.”
In 2012, Stone Smoked Porter w/Chipotle Peppers made its inaugural appearance nationally in 12-ounce bottles alongside its sweeter sibling Stone Smoked Porter w/Vanilla Bean. Since their initial debut, both variations have remained very popular among Stone fans.
To fully relish the mild pepper bite and peat-smoked barley qualities of the beer, fans should consume it fresh or within 120 days from the “bottled on” date.
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