We brought you an early peek at this beer, and now the full details from Stone:
ESCONDIDO, CA (Feb. 3, 2016) – This week Stone Brewing is releasing a bold and rich stout brewed with an abundant dose of whole espresso-roast coffee beans from San Diego-based roaster Ryan Bros. Coffee. A limited seasonal release, Stone Americano Stout is a modern-day throwback making its debut this week in 12-ounce six-packs at retailers and on draft to restaurants and bars where Stone beer is sold.
Coffee roasting has risen to become a true art form, and recently, craft brewers have embraced the depth, complexity and nuances created by this unconventional brewing ingredient. A nod to fan-favorite 2013 Stone ESPRESSO Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Americano Stout revisits a style our fans loved with the same Ryan Bros. coffee that left us buzzing for more almost three years ago.
“We decided to brew a beer with carefully selected ingredients, from the malt and hops to the locally roasted espresso beans,” explains Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “In some ways, this recipe is a tribute to classic American stouts that were made by craft brewers in late 80s to early 90s. Because of our obsession with hops, we felt it was necessary to include a traditional Stone twist and up the hop factor to include four hop varietals: Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook and Columbus.”
Thanks to the malt bill, roasted and deep cocoa flavors are present to perfectly balance the strong notes of coffee. For each 120-barrel batch, 250 pounds of beans were added to the mash kettle and post-fermentation, creating prevalent coffee character with a lingering bitterness. This beer is made complete with a hop bill composed of classic American varieties, which invigorate the coffee taste with a fruity and citrusy hop presence.
Fans will be able to find Stone Americano Stout in limited quantities through May. Enjoy fresh or store at proper cellaring temperatures (55°F or lower). Over time, all flavors will meld together and allow for more toasted grain character to shine through. Regardless of when you choose to experience the intense coffee qualities, rest assured…not a single decaf bean was used in the process.
Quick Facts
Stone Americano Stout
Name: Stone Americano Stout
URL: stonebrewing.com/americanostout
Stats: 8.7% ABV, 65 IBUs
Availability: Seasonal 12-ounce bottles in six-packs and draft, beginning February 1
Hop Varieties: Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook and Columbus
National 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, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Australia; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Germany; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; Mexico; Singapore; Sweden; Thailand; and United Kingdom
Find Beer: http://find.stonebrewing.com/
Tasting Notes
provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele
Appearance: Deep brownish-black color with a thick brown head.
Aroma: Primarily coffee, mixed with some cocoa and roasted flavors from the dark malts and trace citrusy hops.
Taste: The coffee dominates again, and there are some great roasted malt and barley flavors coming through. The beer is fruity, thanks to the yeast throwing off some really nice fruit esters during fermentation.
Palate: Dry and moderately bitter with classic, light-astringency characteristic of stouts.
Overall: In 2013, as part of our “Odd Beers for Odd Years” program, we brewed our 2013 Stone ESPRESSO Imperial Russian Stout. We loved this beer so much that we wanted another way to brew something similar to it. This beer is first in a series of higher ABV seasonals that we will be brewing in 2016. We used Stone ESPRESSO IRS as an inspiration but took it in a slightly different direction. Ultimately, I was inspired by craft brewed stouts of the late 1980s and early 90s. To me, that meant using 100 percent American hops and American specialty malts. This a stout similar to one I would have brewed when I was first starting out as a brewer, so it was fun to take sort of a “throwback” approach. Espresso of course adds a wonderful complement to the coffee and cocoa flavors that are coming from the malts.
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