Alright...So I was fortunate enough to swap few beers with EdWort and of course when he rattled off his list of available brews...I jumped on the chance to try the Stone Clone. For one thing...I'm just starting to dive into the world of IPA's so what better way to go than trying a fellow homebrewers clone of one of the pinnacles of the IPA world.
The UPS box showed up at around noon. My SWMBO had instructions to open the box and get those brews (I also got a Kolsch) into the fridge. After work tonight I had an obligation to go out to dinner with the in-laws so the beer would have to wait. I only had one beer at dinner...a Bass Ale. (I had to compare a commercial draft to my clone...pretty damn close).
So we get home about 9:00 and I have a few beer chores to do so finally, about 10:45PM, it's time to crack the 22 Oz'r open.
Pop the top...nice phsssst and a nice cloud of CO2 inside the neck of the bottle.
Take a whiff out of the bottle and WOW...nice hit of malt aroma, followed immediatley by the mid-tone tang of the hops. Now I don't know what hops go into this beer...but the smell is absolutely inviting.
Pour into a cold (not frosted) 16 Oz glass...nice amber/pale ale color...super clear and just a slight head that cascaded to about 1/4 inch. Took another whiff and wow..."so this is what an IPA is all about".
It's time. First a slight sip..then and nice cold gulp. The malt profile hits you right where it feels best and that whish of citrus from the hops is right behind it. It had a nice amount of bitterness that really grabs your attention...but was completely balanced by the heavier malt tones.
All I could do was sit down...look at the beer and wonder how to pay homage to a great beer so here I am....
Get the recipe and BREW IT.
I've already place my order at MidWest for a 10-gallon batch.
Oh yeah...the buzz???? Priceless.
Good job Ed.
The UPS box showed up at around noon. My SWMBO had instructions to open the box and get those brews (I also got a Kolsch) into the fridge. After work tonight I had an obligation to go out to dinner with the in-laws so the beer would have to wait. I only had one beer at dinner...a Bass Ale. (I had to compare a commercial draft to my clone...pretty damn close).
So we get home about 9:00 and I have a few beer chores to do so finally, about 10:45PM, it's time to crack the 22 Oz'r open.
Pop the top...nice phsssst and a nice cloud of CO2 inside the neck of the bottle.
Take a whiff out of the bottle and WOW...nice hit of malt aroma, followed immediatley by the mid-tone tang of the hops. Now I don't know what hops go into this beer...but the smell is absolutely inviting.
Pour into a cold (not frosted) 16 Oz glass...nice amber/pale ale color...super clear and just a slight head that cascaded to about 1/4 inch. Took another whiff and wow..."so this is what an IPA is all about".
It's time. First a slight sip..then and nice cold gulp. The malt profile hits you right where it feels best and that whish of citrus from the hops is right behind it. It had a nice amount of bitterness that really grabs your attention...but was completely balanced by the heavier malt tones.
All I could do was sit down...look at the beer and wonder how to pay homage to a great beer so here I am....
Get the recipe and BREW IT.
I've already place my order at MidWest for a 10-gallon batch.
Oh yeah...the buzz???? Priceless.
Good job Ed.
