Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Reviewed By: Herr Rick

Style: American Strong Ale
State/Country: California
ABV: 8.7%
Serving Type: 22 oz Bottle


Look: 9
Very dark brown color, clear, medium light tan head with good retention & great lacing

Smell: 9.5
Pine, Bready malt, citrus, dark fruit mellow roast coffee - there is a lot going on here


Taste: 9
Up Front: Pine & citrus hops, caramel, bread, dark fruit.Finish: Roasted malt, hops all the way, lingering bitterness

Mouthfeel: 9
Medium body & carbonation, oily, and oh so smooth

Drinkability: 9

Very quaffable considering the complexity and high ABV

Overall Score: 9.1

Value: 7.5

Cost/12 oz serving: $5.25

Overall Impression:
This beer lulls you into thinking it will be like a porter/stout, and suddenly BAM; the hops blast you. Like most Stone offerings, this beer is aggressive & complex. The flavors don't seem to mesh on paper, but they work here rather well. This is not a beer for Newbeez, but if you like powerful, complex and beers that defy the norm, then this is one for you!

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Stone's Description:
We re brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self righteous ale. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it ... Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale ... serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.

We re certainly not perfect. Too often, we allow our modesty to get the best of us as we re simply not inclined towards senseless braggadocio. When you're good, you're good. And when you do something great, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Others benefit from knowing. In this case, we find that we are compelled to point out how amazing this beer is that we rightly call the Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale.

First brewed in 2007 as Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this beer was an instant hit. With us. Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime. That euphoria didn't last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldn't be any more. For Us. And that was simply unacceptable. So, we are now blessing ourselves, and you the enlightened, with this beer on a full time basis.. Thusly, you may now revel in your own self righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of ours. You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.