’10 Barrel / Blue Jacket / Stone – Suede Imperial Porter’ Craft Beer Review

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.

$8.99/bomber

Style: American Porter

9.60% ABV

Serve at 45-50°

Availability: Brewed once.

Enjoyed from a pint glass

Notes/Commercial Description:
When Parisi and Stone brewmaster Mitch Steele decided to collaborate, it was essential that they tap a special individual to complete their triad of fermentation domination, and they found just that in Tonya Cornett, the brewmaster at Bend, Oregon’s 10 Barrel Brewing Company. Together, they decided on a sturdy yet velvety base of imperial porter and developed a plan to celebrate the bounty of the environs in which it was produced by harvesting avocado honey, jasmine and calendula flowers (some from our very own Stone Farms) and infusing them into the beer to create something complex and uniquely Southern Californian. Consider it craft cross-pollination at its finest.

A: Pours a thick, black color with three fingers of spongy cola-colored foam. Every couple of sips leaves a ring of lace.

S: Roasty chocolate and toasted grains dominate. The malts add coffee, toffee, and caramel to this delicate but robust porter. There’s a little hint of spices in the back.

T: Roasted grains, chocolate, coffee, and caramel on the front end. The middle wakes up the jasmine, Calendula, and honey. Finishes sweet but balanced. The honey adds a bright earthy flavor that I wasn’t expecting.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: I’m not a big fan of porters, but this is a great example of the style. Very well done.