Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale brewed by Stone Brewing - Escondido, CA    

Bottleworks, Seattle's legendary craft beer store captained by Matt Bonney and Matt "Vern" Vandenberghe, celebrated their 13th Anniversary in March of 2012. Since bottle shop owners can't make their own beer, "The Matts" commission a different brewery each year to help them create their anniversary brew. This time they wanted an especially big beer (they were aiming for 13% abv), so naturally they turned to us for help. Here you see the delicious fruits of our collective labor: a 13-grain, 13-hop imperial porter that packs a wallop. ABV: 11.4%.

Malts: Pale Two Row, White Wheat, Aromatic, Weyermann Chocolate Rye, Light Munich, Brown Crisp, Oats, Crisp Light Crystal, CaraMunich, Baird's Chocolate, Lightly Peated, Simpsons Dark Crystal, Crisp Amber

Hops:Bravo, Target, Columbus, Cascade, Delta, Warrior, Magnum, Apollo, Calypso, Perle, Galena, Chinook, Mt. Hood
        

Tasting Notes by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele

Appearance: Beer pours a deep brown with a tan head of foam.

Aroma: A complex blend of hops—citrusy, piney, tropical fruit notes, blended with toffee and dark coffee-like flavors from the roasted malts.

Taste: Roasted malts come through a bit stronger in the taste, especially up front. Hops reassert themselves mid-palate, and the beer finishes smooth, but bitter, with lots of caramelly roast notes, lingering herbal hop flavors, and a hint of alcohol

Overall: 13 grains and 13 hops were used in the brewing of this beer to celebrate Bottleworks’ 13th Anniversary. The result is an Imperial Porter loaded with malt flavors, and the hop notes run the gamut from citrusy and fruity to herbal, piney and spicy. This is a beer designed to drink fresh, or lay down and cellar for several years. I choose to do both!
 

    
Suggested Pairings “Dr.” Bill Sysak
Appetizers: Maple-glazed pecans, twice-baked potatoes or stuffed mushrooms with Gorgonzola and bacon, satay skewers with peanut sauce
Entrées: Grilled pork chops, Korean short ribs, lamb shoulder, French onion soup, chili
Desserts: Pecan pie, peanut brittle, toffee bars, apple fritters
Cheeses: Aged Gouda, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Shropshire Blue
Cigars: Partagas Serie D No. 4, Litto Gomez Diez Lusitano, Gurkha Cellar Reserve
 
       
        
Stone Brewing Company
Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch in North County San Diego, CA. It is the 14th largest craft brewery in the United States and has been named "All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth" by BeerAdvocate magazine - TWICE! A recently announced $26.6M expansion plan (that includes a hotel among other lofty ventures) is underway, as are developments to become the first American craft brewery to open a brewhouse in Europe. Visit stonebrew.com for more information.