Stone Brewing Adopts First-Use Technology to Hop Stone VirtuALE IPA
A virtual universe of choices confront the modern brewer when it comes to selecting hops. Stone Brewing encourages their brewers to live in a world of pure imagination. They believe that if they can dream it, they can brew it. Recently, Stone Brewing presented Stone VirtuALE IPA, which is the latest liquid exploration into the world of experimental hop technology. The beer incorporates first-use technology, with potential to become rote tradition (by at least the year 2045) if this beer’s hoppy excellence is any indication.
With the release of Stone VirtuALE IPA, Stone is the first to put to use INCOGNITO™, a brand new proprietary technique for processing hops. The resulting Citra and Mosaic extracts highlight different qualities of the otherwise familiar hops. While hop extracts have been around for years, new processes for separating the lupulin, which is that delicious hoppy goodness, from the plant material offer new layers of complexity for brewers to explore.
“We were fortunate to be asked by one of our hop suppliers, John I. Haas, to participate in an early trial using this new hop product,” said Jeremy Moynier, Stone Brewing senior innovation brewing manager. “We have worked with different people in the industry doing hop trials for several years at Stone. We have played with some hop extracts as well, which can add an exciting dimension to our innovation process. We’ve tested some of these in combination with other hops and in this case, we combined hop pellets with hops from the INCOGNITO™ process. The final beer is definitely unique, adding another dimension to this really cool IPA.”
Stone’s release of VirtuALE came in time as the nation sprang forward
Their nearly nationwide release timing may be simply coincidental, or perhaps Stone felt the world needed the 22oz key to an oasis of fresh hops to fall into for two hours and 20 minutes this spring. With West Coast bitter roots and a dank hop kick that finishes surprisingly tropical, Stone VirtuALE IPA is nothing short of a blockbuster release. The beer pours light gold carrying floral, resin and grapefruit aromas. Flavors of berry upon grapefruit and hibiscus give this beer a soft bitter finish complemented by a light hint of honey.
Pair Stone with a Major Motion Picture
Stone’s inspiration comes from innovative hops, and sometimes even an Ernest Cline (@erniecline) novel-turned major motion picture helps get the creative juices flowing. No matter the origin, this dankly resinous tropical delight is available in 22oz bottles and draft in select states nationwide.
While the pairing of this beer and the big screen is an obvious win, don’t miss the joy of reading the book itself. If preferred, fans can even kick back and listen to Stone’s good friend Wil Wheaton’s (@wilw) narration of the audio book!
QUICK FACTS
Name
Stats
- 7.7% ABV
- 72 IBUs
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Featured Hops
Magnum, Citra and Mosaic
Availability
22oz bottles and draft
Find Stone VirtuALE IPA here.
TASTING NOTES
Appearance
Light gold, very clear, white head.
Aroma
Berries, resin, floral, orange blossom, grape and grapefruit.
Taste
Citrus peel, berry, hibiscus, orange, ruby red grapefruit in addition to a touch of honey.
Palate
Very smooth on the mid-palate with a soft bitterness on the finish.
Overall
At Stone, most beers are brewed with hop pellets. For this beer, they were fortunate to be asked by one of their hop suppliers to trial an experimental hop extract that we love. The beer is hopped with this all-natural, all-hop extract in the whirlpool. It was also dry-hopped with traditional pellet hops. The resulting beer is brilliantly dank, resiny and carries big citrus notes of tropical fruit.
PAIRING NOTES
Starters
Vegetable or Shrimp Tempura, Fresh Yellowfin Tuna Poke, as well as Steamed Mussels
Soups and Salads
Albondigas soup, Beet and Goat-cheese salad, Sweet Gems Salad, in addition to The Pungent One (Cheddar, Garlic & Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 Soup)
Main Courses
King Crab legs, Stone Shrimp and Grits, Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich, Fried Shrimp Po Boy, and Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
Desserts
Prickly Pear Ice Cream, Lemon Meringue Pie, Thai-Rolled Ice Cream with Mixed Fruit, and also Warm Blueberry Cake with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Find more information about Stone Brewing on their:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
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