Stone Announces 2017 Beer Release Calendar

From Stone:

ESCONDIDO, CA (January 27, 2017) – Today, Stone Brewing announces a calendar of beer releases that epitomizes the ideals of true independent craft. Chock-full of collaborations and innovation, this year’s lineup includes the marquee beers that define Stone’s past and the delightful new addition of beers defining its future.

“2016 had Team Stone welcoming fans to our Berlin, Germany and Richmond, Virginia breweries for the first time while we produced some really exceptional beers along the way,” said Dominic Engels, Stone Brewing CEO. “In 2017 we’ll be putting those new facilities to work brewing beers that truly embody Stone and that continue to push boundaries as only independent craft brewers can do.”

The year kicks off with two new additions to the brewery’s year-round offerings: Stone Ripper, a San Diego Pale Ale that launched nationally this month and Stone Tangerine Express IPA, an IPA packed with whole tangerine and pineapple, releasing in early February. Two ongoing series also launching this month will reinforce Stone’s commitment to craft, exemplifying collaboration and innovation. Those include the ongoing Stone Hop Revolver IPA series and a series of exceptional collaborations.

Stone Hop Revolver IPA

The opening of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station in 2013 provided Stone’s brewers with the additional opportunity to experiment with single hop IPAs beyond their work on the pilot brewery in Escondido. Exploring new hops and existing ones in a singled out fashion has been an important part of the team’s innovation practices since the brewery’s inception.

“Our love of hops has led us to years of experimentation and seeking out new and different varieties,” explained Jeremy Moynier, senior innovation program manager. “We have worked with so many great hops over the last 20 years from our early love of Centennial in IPA, to all the trials with El Dorado and Lemon Drop that led to Stone Delicious IPA and our current fascination with HBC 291 (now called Loral™). We got to see that hop in its infancy, walking the Hop Breeding Company plots with Jason Perrault at Perrault Farms a few years back. In recent years we have been able to further share this excitement with our fans through the single hop trials in The Lupulin Loop series from Kris Ketcham, our senior manager of brewing & innovation down at Liberty Station. Releasing these single hop IPAs in wider release through the Stone Hop Revolver IPA series is the next step in inviting our fans to share in the joy of hops!”

Stone’s new Hop Revolver IPA will be an ongoing addition to Stone Mixed Packs. The first is brewed with Loral™ Hops, originally used by Stone to brew Do These Hops Make My Beer Look Big? for the 2015 American Hop Convention. The name, a combination of “lemon” and “floral” gives way to the most distinctive attributes of this hop, producing a beer that’s citrusy and fruity with a light herbal backbone and a big floral nose.

Stone Hop Revolver IPA will debut the week of January 23 in 12-ounce bottles included in Stone Mixed Packs only.

2017 Collaborations
Stone has six exceptional collaborations in the works for 2017, three of which take on a heavy metal vibe as unruly as Stone’s storied reputation. The first is a double IPA brewed alongside indie craft heavy weights, Colorado’s Odell and New Mexico’s Marble. A hoppy wheat ale, Marble / Odell / Stone Megawheat Double IPA channels the newer, “M” hops: Motueka, Mandarina Bavaria and Mosaic to produce tropical, citrus and stone fruit flavors. It has a balanced bitterness with a lingering finish following layers of fruit flavors from peach and pineapple to grapefruit and mango with hints of coconut and banana.

“Marble and Odell are two breweries we love and respect,” said Jeremy Moynier. “I met the Odell guys years ago through our Small Batch Brewer Laura Ulrich, who worked there before coming to Stone in 2004 and was always a big fan of their IPA. And Marble was a brewery I was introduced to a few years ago and was blown away by the beers they were rocking out of New Mexico. It was awesome to brew with these guys at Stone because they share the same love and passion for creating and drinking craft beer, and like us, are true to their independent style and philosophy. Together we have created a truly unique beer that I think people are going to be jazzed about.”

This collaboration beer in all its slashing, thrashing, metal glory, will be available nationally in 22-ounce bottles beginning this week.
Subsequent collaborations will include Maine / Stone Dayslayer Imperial Pale Lager, the second riff to Stone’s series of heavy metal-themed beers, and Beavertown / Garage Project / Stone Fruitallica IPA – the third in the series.

Seasonals and Special Releases
Six seasonals are scheduled for 2017 including return favorites like Stone Xocoveza and Stone Pataskala Red X IPA. New beers and variants will make seasonal appearances including Stone Jindia Pale Ale, a double IPA brewed with gin botanicals, and Stone Mint Coffee Milk Stout.

Stone IPA, Stone Delicious IPA, Stone Go To IPA and Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 will continue to headline the year-round offerings.

Stone’s 2017 lineup can be viewed in its entirety at Stonebrewing.com/releaseschedule.

STONE HOP REVOLVER IPA - LORAL

QUICK FACTS

Name: Stone Hop Revolver IPA - Loral
Web: Stonebrewing.com/hoprevolver
Stats: 7.7% ABV, 80 IBUs
Availability: 12-ounce bottles in Stone Mixed Packs beginning January 23
Hop Varieties: Loral™
Distribution: National

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Pours clear golden with a white head.
Aroma: A beautiful big floral nose with lemon zest and pine.
Taste: Fruity and citrus with tropical notes, berries, melon, ripe green pear, and a light herbal backbone.

Palate: Crisp and clean. A delicate palate that really allows the hops to shine through. Balanced bitterness.

Overall: The first in our hop series is a newer hop which has graduated from its experimental number of 291 to the appropriately named Loral. The recipe is a scale up of our Lupulin Loop series, from our Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station showcasing single hops. It is a pleasure to share some of our favorite single hop trials we have done with our fans!

MARBLE/ODELL/STONE MEGAWHEAT DOUBLE IPA

QUICK FACTS

Name: Marble/Odell/Stone Megawheat Double IPA
Web: Stonebrewing.com/megawheat
Stats: 8.4% ABV, 60 IBUs

Availability: 22-ounce bottles and draft beginning January 23
Hop Varieties: Chinook, Motueka, Mandarina Bavaria, and Mosaic
National Distribution: AK, AL, AR, 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, VA, VT, WA, WI
International Distribution: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Golden with some haze. White foamy head.
Aroma: Citrus, grapefruit rind, citrus peel, tropical fruit, pineapple, and fresh hops.

Taste: A myriad of fruit flavors: tropical, citrus, and stone fruit. Flavors of peach, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, and hints of coconut and banana.

Palate: Nice mouthfeel from oats with a wheat backbone, balanced bitterness, and a lingering finish.

Overall: It was awesome to finally brew a beer at Stone with Marble and Odell: two breweries we love and respect. We wanted to make a hoppy wheat beer that was unique and decided to channel our love of hops by focusing on the newer, “M” hops: Motueka, Mandarina Bavaria, and Mosaic. The result is an extremely drinkable hoppy wheat beer that has layer after layer of amazing fruit!

[Editor’s note]: Old Guardian and Imperial Russian Stout are missing from the lineup. These beer will be on hiatus for 2017 but may return in the future (or as a surprise release).