On the docket: 22 oz. bottle Stone’s Enjoy by 5/30/16 Tangerine. Date: 3/24/16.
Poured into: Wine & Whiskey Country Belgian snifter
A: Bold aroma of tangerine at first sniff. After a minute or two, you can also detect a small amount of mango or papaya. Simple but elegant.
S: Crystal-bright honey gold body, and a bone collar of dense foam on top. The head builds, the recedes quickly to a closely hugging ring of suds and a wash of microscopic bubbles in the center. Tiny bubbles drift to the top of the glass. Big bands of lacing.
T: After an initial blast of tangerine and citrus hoppiness, the malt emerges as white-bread crust and just a touch of caramel and molasses. Brief sweetness. The hops come in again at the end providing fruitiness and bitterness with an added pine.
F: Fine carbonation, medium-plus body. Oily and slick on the palate. Long, drying and bitter finish. Despite the 9%+ abv, no real sign of the alcohol via flavor or aroma.
O: Aggressively hopped and flavorful. Excellent aroma and just enough sweetness from the malt to provide a counterbalance. However, the hops and bitterness win out. Neat variation on the popular “drink it while its fresh” series by Stone.
Pairing suggestions: Heavy, triple-cream cheese, fruit salad, Pasta primavera/alfredo, tangerine or orange sherbet.