The folks at Stone Brewery would like the Brigadier to believe that once he went black (IPA), he’d never go bock.* For his part, beleaguered Florida State Represenative Bob Allen recently claimed to have feared for his very safety, although apparently not that of his throat, in explaining how he got nabbed in a sex sting. Tough luck, Bob!

I know how he feels, though. I, too, recently disregarded throat-safety in ordering Stone’s 11th Anniversary Black IPA at Library Alehouse in Venice Beach. In my defense, I was dehydrated, confused, and surrounded by baleful yuppies drinking expensive beer. I had to do it!

Don’t get me wrong, though: this isn’t a bad beer by a long stretch. It’s an extreme beer, sure, but sometimes ambition pays off.

The Appearance and Smell
Darker than a black steer’s tookus on a moonless prairie night. Creamy head. First whiff is gin, alcohol, and pine… lots of pine. We’re talking lemon fresh Pine Sol here, floral hops up the wazoo. But don’t be deterred: good things come to those who wait.

The Taste
A piney gin flavor assaults the tastebuds at the outset here–a flavor so overwhelming that it brings a salty, 8.7% ABV tear to my eye. Unfortunately, these are not tears of joy. Stone seems to have gone too far, pushed out beyond the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. But then…

Is that a coffee and chocolate undercurrent there amidst the waves of piney hops? A bit of spice? Mother of God, do I taste bock?

Suddenly, it’s like I’m drinking a different beer. It’s now sweeter, spicier, and smoother. What happened? It’s amazing. The pine and hops are still there, but they’re in the background, not quite subtle but nicely contrapuntal.

Overall
In general, extreme beers aren’t my cup of tea, and had it not been for the well-nigh miraculous transmutation of this beer after a few sips, this review would have been very different. Stone plays with fire and emerges unscathed. Well-done, sirs.

Not for the faint of heart.

*I apologize for both the joke and the non-documentary picture. My actual picture was lost to the ether.