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BREWERY ROWE

Tempt your taste buds and discover the difference

Peter Rowe

STAFF WRITER

01-Sep-1999 Wednesday

If you've never tasted Stone's beers, here's a simple way to judge if these
bold, full-bodied brews are for you:

Stone is the anti-Strauss.

Earlier this year, I attended two beer dinners. One was hosted by the dean
of local brewers, 86-year-old Karl Strauss, a man whose credentials are
exceptional (born on a Bavarian brewery, educated at Weihenstephan, 44
years with Pabst, 10 years advising the San Diego brewery that bears his
name), but whose beers are aimed at the ordinary drinker.

The key, Strauss said, is "not to make a bland beer -- but not one so
distinctive that only 5 percent of the people drink it."

The other dinner was hosted by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone's
founders. Early in the meal, Koch asked me a seemingly innocuous question.
"Don't you find that as you drink more beer, your tastes change?"

The answer, of course, is yes. As you sample beers and beer styles, you
develop a tolerance, then an appreciation, and finally a passion, for brews
with stronger, subtler and more distinctive flavors. But many of these
beverages are not immediately enjoyable in the way that a well-made but
unchallenging beer, such as Karl Strauss' Amber Lager, is.

Brewery Rowe's reviews of Stone's beers have reflected my own evolving
tastes. An early taste of the San Marcos brewery's India Pale Ale yielded a
feeble "one bottle." My comments: "Throws a hops hammerlock on your tongue
and dares you to beg for mercy. After the first sip, I couldn't taste
anything beyond the hops. For confirmed hopheads only."

That was then. Now? I detect more balance in this IPA and understand that
its bitterness is appropriate to the style. It's a solid, enjoyable example
of the tongue-curling West Coast adaptation of a gentler British style.
Still, I hesitate to recommend it to anyone without a tolerance -- nay, a
passion -- for hops.

Stone's other offerings:

Stone Pale Ale -- Sets the standard for excellence among San Diego County's
breweries. Uncompromising in flavor and ingredients, it is a first-class
example of one of the globe's most popular beer styles. Deep, complex,
rewarding and refreshing, this pale wears a gold medal awarded at the 1998
World Beer Championships. (5.4 percent alcohol by volume.)

Arrogant Bastard Ale -- It's tempting to dismiss this as the brewing
equivalent of a Weird Al Yankovich CD. The "You're Not Worthy" jeer
emblazoned on the bottle and the high-attitude Web site,
http://www.stonebrew.com/arrogant, ("This is not the belly-filling pap of
the unwashed masses") are so over-the-top that you have to wonder if
there's anything beyond the hype. There is. This big, bad beer is loaded
with hops and malts and flavor.

Stone Smoked Porter -- Tantalizing burnt malt flavor and aggressive hopping
make this a fine accompaniment to a big meal or a satisfying nightcap on a
winter's evening.

Lee's Mild -- To be offered this fall in a limited bottling, this is a
lively and satisfying example of a traditional style that is noted for its
modest use of hops and alcohol (3.8 percent).

Copyright Union-Tribune Publishing Co.