Stone Smoked Porter: Vanilla & Chipotle (One-Time Bottling)
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MyBeer Buzz
Some tasty news coming out of Stone today:
Ah, Stone Smoked Porter. The second beer that we ever released, waaaaaay back in December of 1996. It’s a good thing, too… the world was in need of something wonderful, what, with Macarena still tormenting the airwaves and Jingle All The Way polluting movie theater screens. Anyway, back then, we called it Winter Stone, thinking it was just going to be a seasonal release. But when we took it away in the spring, people got pissed and clamored for its triumphant return. (One of the most vocal supporters for bringing it back was Greg’s mom… so we kinda had to comply.)
As time went by, and we kept climbing higher and higher up the hop ladder, the humble Stone Smoked Porter stayed in demand, with its mellow smokiness and nuanced notes of coffee and chocolate. It kept a strong, almost cult-like following. Our unsung hero. Part of the reason it remained—and still remains—so popular with its loyal fanbase, is that it pairs so damn well with a wide variety of food, ranging from barbecue to desserts. Heck, I’ll go so far as to say it’s our most food-friendly beer. And if you’re thinking, “Gosh, I bet that would be great with some vanilla beans or chipotle peppers in it,” you’re gonna freak out about this next paragraph.
Look who’s finally here. In bottles. Yes, we’ve carried these liquid beauties as special growler fills from time to time, and they’ve made their way to the occasional event, but now their here in convenient single-serve 12-ounce receptacles, perfect for taking to your place of home (or business… we won’t tell) to enjoy.
They’ve actually been around since 2006:
- Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers came about when Merchandise Manager Chris Carroll suggested we make a special “South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter” for Cinco de Mayo that year. Former Stone brewers John Egan (now at Mission Brewery) and Tom Garcia (now opening Offbeat Brewing Company right around the corner from us) ran with it, and the idea stuck ever since.
- Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean was the brainchild of Small Batch Brewer Laura Ulrich, who had a stroke of genius after trying Stone Smoked Porter poured over a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. The rest, of course, is history.
Do you take this beer to be your lawfully wedded beer? I do.
And while we’re stoked to have these black beauties finally available in bottles, it is a one-time release. For now, at least. But we reserve the right to change our minds about that at any time. Wanna give your input? Tell us your favorite? Rally for one (or both) to stay? Head to stonebrewing.com/VanillaOrChipotle and give it to us straight.
Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean & Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers
Stats: 5.9% abv, 53 IBUs
Availability: Limited 12oz bottles. One-time release, beginning June 18th
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, MA, NC, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA
Malt bill: Pale Malt, Crystal 75, Chocolate Malt, Peat-Smoked Malt
Hops bill: Columbus & Mt. Hood
Suggested pairings, provided by “Dr.” Bill Sysak
Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean
Appetizers: Coconut shrimp, candied nuts
Entrées: Butternut squash soup, New England clam chowder, pumpkin ravioli, seared scallops
Cheeses: Aged Gouda, Mimolette, Beehive Cheese Co.‘s “Barely Buzzed”
Desserts: Maple-glazed donuts, chocolate chip cookies, cream puffs
Cigars: Paradigm 262, Gurkha Evil, Alonso Menendez. Almost any cigar with a Brazilian wrapper will impart nice chocolate notes perfect for this beer.
Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers
Appetizers: Stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, quesadillas
Entrées: Manhattan clam chowder, French onion soup, baby back ribs, blackened fish, mole negro
Cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged Cheddar, Ossau-Iraty, Mahón
Desserts: Tiramisu, apple pie, coffee cake, flourless chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls
Cigars: Ashton Classic, Montecristo, CAO Brazilia
Press Release:
Special limited Stone Smoked Porter versions bottled for the first time
(Escondido, CA | June 18, 2012) — There comes a time in every beer’s life when it wants to branch out. Try something new. Be adventurous. And while the beloved Stone Smoked Porter—first released in December 1996—has certainly gotten some special treatment over the years, the resulting variations have only been available on a very limited basis on tap or as a rare growler fill. Until now.
A limited number of 12 oz. bottles of Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean and Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers are making their way to select markets beginning on June 18.
"Stone Smoked Porter is one of the unsung champions of our lineup," asserts Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder of Stone Brewing Co. "It vies for the title of "most food-friendly" of our beers, and the breadth of its ability becomes even more evident in these two delicious variants."
Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean was first brewed in late 2006 as the brainchild of Stone Brewing Co.’s Small Batch Brewer, Laura Ulrich. Inspired by having Stone Smoked Porter poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, she had a stroke of brilliance and history was made.
Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers was conceived in May 2006 as an idea from Merchandise Manager Chris Carroll, who proposed making a spicy one-off beer as a special Cinco de Mayo growler fill. Originally dubbed "South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter," the resulting beer was an incredible interplay of roast, smoke, and a touch of heat, and has remained a popular, albeit rare, treat ever since.
"For now, these are one-time bottlings," continues Koch, "but we reserve the right to change our mind about that at any time." Fans are invited to share their thoughts on each version at http://www.stonebrewing.com/VanillaOrChipotle
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