aka “Smooth as marble!”

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, CA

Brewery Description: Our flagship ale, Stone Pale Ale is our Southern California interpretation of the classic British pale ale style.  Deep amber in color, Stone Pale Ale is robust and full flavored.  A delicate hop aroma is complimented by a rich maltiness.  This is an ale for those who have learned to appreciate distinctive flavor.  Stone Pale Ale is great by itself, or with food that requires a beer of character.

Brew Style: American Pale Ale, 5.4% ABV

Recommended Glassware: Pint, Mug or Stein

The Ugly Truth: This whole review is going to be filled with the usual Stone Brewery love-fest ramblings you should all pretty much expect by now if you have been keeping up.  I’ve gone on record as saying that I love these guys and their beer, and frankly if you don’t enjoy their offerings than don’t even talk to me cause I’m liable to go off on you faster than Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction”.

As usual, Stone Pale Ale doesn’t disappoint. The beer pours a dark amber in color with a hazy look to it possibly due to some dry hopping.  The head was an off-white, pretty lacy and with a strong retention to it.  The aroma was freakin’ solid.  I could smell it off the pour and even when the glass was a good foot or so away from me.  It had a noticeable citrus hops profile, with a bit of malt in there to balance.  The majority of the nose was hops however.

The taste was smooth as all get out.  Moderate hops profile which really kicked in towards the end with the citrus hop flavors coming through clean through the malt.  Not overly bitter in the finish, but lingers at a nice intensity that should appeal to even the weakest of hops palettes.  Mouthfeel is light medium to medium I would say with a clean finish to it, on the dry side.

Overall, just damn good.  I could drop a six pack of this without blinking and for an aging man such as myself that’s easier said than done.  Perfect amount of hops so that you get the flavor without it making the mistake of some Pale Ales and start pushing the boundaries of being an India Pale Ale.  Very, very smooth and a great Pale Ale for those who don’t want a lot of hops.

The Verdict: I was gonna go 9, but after writing the review I don’t see how I can go less than a 10 bottlecap rating.