We brought you a peek at this beer, and now the release details from Stone & Sierra Nevada:
We were amped, naturally, about getting to collaborate with our friends and mutual hop admirers at Sierra Nevada. Together, we harnessed our shared creativity and passion into developing this special IPA. Fifty percent of the first batch was aged in gin-infused bourbon barrels and the other half in rye whiskey barrels. Months later, freshly brewed batch No. 2 was dry-hopped and blended with the oak-matured combination. The final beer, which combines hop-driven fruit character and oaky vanilla notes with hints of spicy spirits and hop bitterness, begins its journey to the entire Golden State, nationwide and beyond starting this week. The Stone Blog has more on this inspiration-driven project. Hit up the ZIP code-powered beer tracker, a companion to the Stone Beer Finder, for word on availability in your area.
Xocoveza Charred
(Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout
aged in Bourbon Barrels)
The Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged version of our intensely flavorful spiced mocha stout is making its way beyond our Southern California home base in very limited 500ml bottles. Part of our Quingenti Millilitre series, this second 2015 batch of Xocoveza Charred will become available starting the week of December 14. California beer drinkers will also have the chance to grab bottles via our online store, which now has select 500ml beers available for purchase (for California residents 21 and up only).
ESCONDIDO, CA (Dec. 7, 2015) — For many, California has been the epicenter of craft brewing innovation for the last few decades, especially where hop-centric beers are concerned. So in an effort that spans the state and is decades in the making,Stone Brewing Co. has joined forces with the iconic, Northern California-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which together have a combined 50+ years of brewing experience. The result: Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA (NxS = North by South). Beginning today, the latest Stone Collaboration beer—a barrel-aged IPA blended with a fresh, dry-hopped batch of the same IPA—will begin rolling out in 22-ounce bottles and on draft to select retailers in markets where Stone beer is sold.
“Since Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been an inspiration for Stone, and me personally, for our entire brewing careers, we were thrilled to be asked to brew a beer with one of the most admired craft brewers in the world,” explains Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “When brainstorming this collaborative recipe, there was no doubt that we should brew a memorable IPA and we wanted to combine unique elements from each brewer. For Stone, that meant barrel-aging a portion of the beer at our barrel warehouse.”
To create this significant collaboration, batches of an IPA were brewed and bittered with Magnum hops before providing the backdrop for a three-way late-kettle addition involving Amarillo, Chinook and Cascade. Given that whole flower Cascade hops have been a mainstay in Sierra Nevada’s beer portfolio, the classic hop varietal was necessary for this creation. The first batch, created months earlier, was split down the middle, with 50 percent being aged in gin-infused bourbon barrels and the other half making its way into rye whiskey barrels. The aged portions were then blended with a new, fresh batch of IPA, which was generously dry-hopped to impart rich hop aromas to accompany the citrusy, piney, woody, spice flavors of this multilayered collaboration.
To experience the extra dose of hops blended with oak and spirit flavors, the beer should be enjoyed fresh. Over time, the hop qualities will subside, allowing for more prevalent spicy notes of spirits and oaky vanilla character to shine through. Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA is a meaningful representation of two renowned breweries embracing craft beer camaraderie and showcasing their brewing prowess.
Quick Facts
Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA
Name: Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA
URL: stonebrewing.com/collab/nxs
Alcohol/Volume: 8.2%, 70 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning December 7
Hops: Magnum, Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Mosaic
U.S. Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, 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 and WA
International Distribution: Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom
Find Beer: stonebrewing.com/collab/nxs#extra
Tasting Notes
provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele
Appearance: Pours deep gold with amber hues.
Aroma: Peach and citrus hop aromas followed immediately by the spicy, piney notes of gin and the vanilla aspects of oak.
Taste: A really nice blend of fruity hops, oaky vanilla notes and finishes with a pleasant hint of spicy spirits and good hop bitterness.
Palate: Medium body and bitter with a little bit of warmth.
Overall: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been an inspiration for us at Stone for many, many years, so we were thrilled to be able to collaboratively develop this beer. We wanted to combine elements of both breweries in the recipe, which is an IPA that includes partial barrel aging and classic hopping, including some of both breweries’ favorite hops: Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo and Mosaic. We brewed some of this beer in early summer and then transferred it to our barrel warehouse, where it was aged in a combination of gin-infused bourbon barrels and rye whiskey barrels for about three months before we blended it with the beer we brewed in October. The result is a hoppy IPA with the added elements of wood and spirits. The blend is a beauty.
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