10 Barrel/Bluejacket/Stone Suede Imperial Porter Coming Next Week
(Escondido, CA) – Suede evokes a sense of smooth, sexy, coolness and , for some, perhaps the ’70’s. But when used to describe the latest concoction from Stone Brewing Co., 10 Barrel/Bluejacket/Stone Suede Imperial Porter, it’s just groovy. The beer was created in collaboration with Tonya Cornett of 10 Barrel Brewing Co. in Bend, OR and Megan O’ Leary Parisi of Bluejacket in Washington, DC. Starting October 6th, the imperial porter will be available in bottles and on draft at select retailers, restaurants and bars across the U.S.
The trio of brewers met each other in typical fashion (at beer events, obviously) and began conversations that eventually led to invites from Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele to Cornett and O’Leary Parisi, asking them to come out and brew on Stone’s 120-barrel brewhouse. From there, recipe formulation began. Cornett had a vision for the style of beer the trio would produce, while O’Leary Parisi envisioned using ingredients indigenous to Southern California. The latter was accomplished by including avocado honey, dried jasmine, and calendula flowers plucked from the fertile grounds at Stone’s North County San Diego farmstead, Stone Farms.
The result is a luscious, smooth and flavorful beer that incorporates the deep cocoa and coffee characteristics of a porter with a delicate but discernible bouquet of herbs and floral sweetness. “I have always enjoyed the subtleties of ingredients – botanicals, spices, sugars and other things like that, which can enhance the flavors of a base beer,” said O’Leary Parisi. “There is a certain joy to finding that balance of making your additional ingredients perfectly complementary and not overwhelming.”
At 9.6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the beer is ready to enjoy now, or may be properly cellared for several months or years. Over time, the jasmine and calendula flowers will take a back seat to rich java and chocolate aromas and flavors. Whether enjoyed now or in the future, this beer is a brilliant example of the spectacular things that can happen when masterful brewing minds converge.
Name: 10 Barrel/Bluejacket/Stone Suede Imperial Porter
URL: http://www.stonebrewing.com/collab/suede
Stats: 9.6% abv., 50 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning October 7
Hops Bill: Magnum and Sterling
Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WA
About Stone Brewing Co.
Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone Brewing Co. has been brewing in North County San Diego since 1996. Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone is the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States—a position it achieved without paid advertising, discounting or compromising standards. In addition to brewing, Stone owns two eclectic farm-to-table restaurants—Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido and Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station—and Stone Farms, an organic farm located near the brewery which grows produce for the restaurants. Stone also operates an off-site events company, Stone Catering, as well as Stone Distributing Co., which distributes more than 30 craft beer brands throughout Southern California. For more information on Stone Brewing Co., please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, YouTube and The Stone Blog.
