Stone/21st Amendment/Firestone Walker El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale
From Stone Brewing – Sure, we’re a bunch of Arrogant Bastards, but we humbly admit that we were inspired to start brewing by other fantastic breweries and homebrewers. There are a whole lot of fellow craft brewers who we respect and admire, and who we’ve wanted to collaborate with. So why just dream about it? Starting in 2008, we released a new series of collaboration beers. The goal was to get three brewers from three different breweries to put their heads together and have some fun with no regard for boundaries.
Stone Collaboration – Stone/21st Amendment/Firestone Walker El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale – 12 oz. bottle poured into a goblet. 9.5% abv. Purchased at Whole Foods Market Pasadena, CA.
Appearance: Pours a jet black with a large sudsy tan head that eventually subsides to a dense creamy 1/8 inch cap. The cap leaves behind a decent amount of lace on the glass.
Aroma: Big savory spice and pepper notes right off the bat. A modest bit of roast after you get past the spice.
Taste: Black pepper, coffee roast, wood, fennel seed and other aromatic spices. Lingering roast in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Thin to medium bodied and very modest carbonation. You feel a decent amount of fizz, but the spices deceive your tongue as to how much is fizz and how much is spice.
Overall: A nice dry spicy strong savory dark beer. The roasted malt and the spices go well with each other. Tastes very fresh. I’d love to make beef stew with this as well as possibly marinading a tri tip in this.
