ESCONDIDO, CA — Once again resisting status quo, Stone Brewing is introducing two unique and highly anticipated summer seasonals. Both in 12-ounce six-packs and on draft at bars, restaurants and retailers where Stone beer is sold, Stone Citrusy Wit, a 5.3 percent witbier brewed with tangerine and kaffir lime leaf and Stone Mocha IPA, a 9 percent double IPA brewed – inexplicably – with cocoa, milk sugar and coffee, will begin arriving in select markets nationwide the week of June 6.
STONE CITRUSY WIT
When it comes to the beers and the ingredients used, Stone Brewing gives a wit. So rather than brewing just another orange witbier, the Stone brewing team cleverly twisted its version with the dynamic duo of tangerine and kaffir lime leaf. The fruit-forward aromatics and flavors are perfectly balanced and eliminate the supposed need of any garnish. Each dryly refreshing, citrusy sip of this beer has been brewed to satisfy the palates of hardcore beer enthusiasts and novices alike.
“This is the first time we’ve released a Belgian-style witbier for our fans nationwide, said Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “We set out to create something very flavorful and refreshing for the summer months, set on creating a more innovative wit. First, we played around with tangerine and then the team landed on kaffir lime leaf to help punch it up even more with an intense citrus fruit flavor, all complemented by the beer’s subtle coriander spice character.
Enjoy Stone Citrusy Wit fresh during the summer months or store it at proper cellaring temperatures (55°F or lower) for up to one year after its “bottled on” date. Stone Citrusy Wit will be available through September.
STONE MOCHA IPA
With deliberate disregard for traditional brewing styles, Stone Mocha IPA blurs the lines between an IPA and a stout. Technically an all-out double IPA, this decadent creation is brewed with the combination of golden-roasted coffee, pure dark chocolate and citrusy hops. The result is a love child of a beer characterized by a beautiful meld of imperial IPA and mocha indulgence.
“This double IPA pours deep gold but has the deceivingly rich flavors of a stout.” said Steele. “I’ve had countless amazing coffee IPAs and chocolate IPAs but this mocha blend really balances the bold hop qualities created by Cascade, Citra and Amarillo with rich cocoa and prevalent coffee traits.”
A double IPA with dynamic hop character, Stone Mocha IPA will be available through September and should be enjoyed within the 120-day “enjoy by” date printed on the bottle’s shoulder.
Quick Facts: Stone Citrusy Wit
- Name: Stone Citrusy Wit
- URL: stonebrewing.com/citrusywit
- Stats: 5.3% ABV, 35 IBUs
- Availability: Seasonal 12-ounce bottles in six-packs and draft, beginning June 6
- Hop Variety: Magnum, Centennial, Mandarina Bavaria & Amarillo
- Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com
Quick Facts: Stone Mocha IPA
- Name: Stone Mocha IPA
- URL: stonebrewing.com/mochaipa
- Stats: 9% ABV, 80 IBUs
- Availability: Seasonal 12-ounce bottles in six-packs and draft, beginning June 6
- Hop Variety: Cascade, Citra and Amarillo
- Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com
Tasting Notes – Stone Citrusy Wit (Provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele)
- Appearance: Deep gold and hazy with a white head.
- Aroma: A hint of spicy coriander followed by a nice citrus-orange character and a pungent dose of kaffir lime.
- Taste: The flavor of the beer follows a pretty similar progression as the aromatics: A bit of coriander, then orange, finishing with a really delicious note kaffir lime that lingers. The malt flavors and hop bitterness balance out nicely. This is a very refreshing beer.
- Palate: Light bodied with a crisp finish.
- Overall: Believe it or not, we’ve brewed a fair number of wit-inspired beers over the years. Like our rather unique take on an imperial wit, Stone 02.02.02 Vertical Epic Ale; Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station Witty Moron (2014 GABF Gold Medal – “Other Belgian Style” category); and some collaboration wit IPAs. This is a beer style we really enjoy for its uniquely refreshing quality and complex blend of citrus and spice flavors. We decided pretty early on to take a unique twist on the traditional style (because that’s what we do at Stone). Wits are traditionally brewed with coriander and Curaçao orange peel and are fairly mildly hopped. For our version, we used coriander but chose to enhance it with tangerine peel and kaffir lime leaf (an ingredient that we loved when it was used in Stone 04.04.04 Vertical Epic Ale). We also hopped the beer with some citrusy and fruity hop varieties—Centennial, Amarillo and the new German variety Mandarina Bavaria. The result is a pleasant citrus character that’s balanced by the spiciness provided by the coriander and the flavors produced from the yeast fermentation.
Tasting Notes – Stone Mocha IPA (Provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele)
- Appearance: Deep copper with a tan head of foam.
- Aroma: Coffee, cocoa and citrusy hops, in that order!
- Taste: Cocoa hits first, then coffee. The beer finishes with a nice citrus zing from the Citra and Amarillo hops, and the flavors play wonderfully together.
- Palate: Full bodied, smooth, with a bitter finish.
- Overall: Liberty Station Brewing Manager Kris Ketcham was inspired by two beers to create this wonderful IPA. Aleman / Two Brothers / Stone DayMan Coffee IPA and Stochasticity Project Master of Disguise golden stout triggered an inspiration in Kris to brew an IPA with both coffee and cocoa influence. When he first brewed this in 2015, it was an instant smash hit. And now we’ve found a great home for it!
About Stone Brewing
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 10th-largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 11 times, and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company will be the first American craft brewer to independently build, own and operate a brewery in Europe, and is also building a production brewery and destination restaurant in Richmond, Virginia. Brewing at both locations will be underway in summer 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing. For more information on Stone Brewing, please visit StoneBrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and The Stone Blog.