So I took a little road trip down to the Stone brewery in Escondido this past weekend... just thought I'd share a couple of tidbits from the outing...
First off, Sublimely Self-Righteous (the year-round production title of Stone XI) is my current favorite beer... and they were OUT OF IT AT THE BREWERY!! This was a major disappointment for me, but it's ok because my attempt is finishing up in the next two weeks.
Secondly, the tour guide claims that they use smoked malt in some capacity for this beer. I am not sure that's true (this tour guide said he isn't really involved in the brewing process), but it's an interesting idea to think about.
Lastly, the on-cask version which would normally be available at the brewery also uses Columbus/Tomahawk in addition to Chinook for bittering and dry hopping. A very interesting discovery for me, because I did exactly that just to put my own twist on the recipe.
Even though they were out of the SSR, the food there is rich and flavorful and I washed it all down with plenty of my other favorites (Pliny, Stone IPA, Racer 5, Stone Pale Ale...).
If you haven't been, it's a great brewery to see (especially as a beer-loving structural engineer) and is worth the trip.