Stone - Pale Ale

This evening I had the pleasure of enjoying one of the few nice summer evenings we have had in MN since, well, last summer!  My wife and I went out to the arboretum and had a serene, peaceful picnic on the top of the highest hill within the park.  Even though we were surrounded by crab apple trees, we still had a wonderful scenic view of the surrounding area.  It was a great way to clear my mind, relax and spend some quality time with my better half.  I feel great!

Now that I am one with nature I feel more qualified to give my opinion on topics that are related to nature.  Lucky for us, water, barley, hops and yeast are all natural products readily available on this little blue planet of ours!

Tonight's review is from Stone Brewing Co. out of Escondido, CA.  We have reviewed a number of their brews in the past, all mighty delicious.  You can find them all in the Review Archives if interested!  Stones Pale Ale is their flagship brew.  Based off of the classic British Pale Ale, Stone adds their own southern Californian spin by adding a healthy does of Magnum and Ahtanum hops to a rich malt backbone.  In classic Stone form, the bottle depicts a Gargoyle on the front with a little story about its origins on the back.

True to the websites description, this pale ale is a crystal clear deep amber.  A voluminous off-white head gives off a subtle woody, floral aroma.  Caramel malt blends nicely with the delicate hop aromas and doesn't steal the show.  The flavor is really where the maltiness kicks in.  Smooth, clean, toasty caramelized malt is first in line.  The Magnum hops do a nice job providing a solid bitter foundation to cut the sweetness a bit.  Some more woody, earthy tones creep around as the flavors commingle together.  Absolutely no alcohol is present and the carbonation is soft which supports the smooth mouthfeel.

Overall - This pale ale is certainly worthy of carrying Stones flagship banner.  Its not overly done with extreme hoppiness like some other West coast pale ales I've run into.  I like a solid malt character with just enough of a hop boost to push it over the edge from an American Amber Ale into an American Pale Ale.  In fact, I dub this a new style - American Amber Pale.  Feel free to borrow the description and place it on your bottles for the next batch.