Juxtaposition is the second collaboration Stone has done. This time with Cambridge Brewing of Cambridge, MA and BrewDog hailing all the way from Scotland. All three known for aggressive and adventurous brews. Stone we know about. Now in Escondido, CA, they continue to push the edge of the craft beer world. All in a matter of 13 years. Greg Koch and everyone at Stone have continued to not rest on their laurels. Cambridge began its trek toward beer greatness in 1989 and is Boston’s oldest brewery/restaurant. What’s unique about these guys is partly their take on common beer styles and partly that their brewmaster and head chef at the restaurant often collaborate on beer and food pairings, as well as ingredients for both. I’ve only had their Cambridge Amber and it was nice. BrewDog just blows my mind looking at their website. I’ve not had the pleasure have sampling their wears, but their attitude is unmistakable: Conformity is not their thing. Bucking the typical European take on beer, these guys seem to be the Stone Brewing of Scotland. But that’s not all. They’ve been in business for…2 years.
So, what style is this one? Pilsner/lager? Black IPA? American Strong Ale? Hard to truly say. It has characteristics of a black IPA. Very hoppy, bitter and an unmistakable piney flavor/aroma. It also blasts you with a strong alcohol content and strong malt flavor. But, then there’s that whole Pilsner thing. So, what is it? Matt Steele at Stone trys to put this debate to rest “just what the hell is a Black Pilsner, anyway? ‘It’s a Pilsner in the fact that we brewed it with Pilsner malt and fermented it with Pilsner yeast,’ said Mitch(The Brewmaster), ‘but it’s bigger, darker and hoppier, and it’s unlike any beer I’ve ever had.’ There you have it. Settled.” To me, its characteristics are more that of a Black IPA. Knowing that it has Pilsner Malt and Pilsner yeast, I just don;t any Pilsner feel to it. So Black IPA is is for me, however I ultimately defer to the folks at Stone/CBC and BrewDog.After all, who am I to second guess?
Appearance is that of a black almost dark brown ale. Poured well into my tulip glass with moderate carbonation that produced a thin, but very sustainable lacing.
What an aroma. An explosion of smell on the first whiff. The grapefruit is very dominating, but pleasant indeed. Roasted malt hits me next making me want another before I’ve even had a taste and it must be bringing out the chocolate I smell. Not dominating, but definite hops in this one, giving it a nice piney aroma to balance all the smells in this ‘pilsner’.
Taste is even better. I almost do not know what I’m tasting here, as all the flavors come at you at once. Not prominent in the aroma, as I think I missed it, but the roasted chocolaty malt is prominent more than it was in the aroma. The grapefruit comes in toward the end giving it a nice sweetness that really compliments the piney hop taste. The second taste brings out a little spice, almost anise in nature. What I am not getting here is the Pilsner taste. I expected that, but do not taste it at all. Not that I’m complaining, but no hint of the Pilsner yeast that was used to brew this one.
Mouthfeel is…wow..just fantastic. Crisp, refreshing and..wait, now I’m sounding like a damn Budweiser commercial. Ok, Crisp indeed. Medium bodied and goes down so easy, you miss the alcohol content in this one. What’s great, is that all those smells are hitting your nostrils while your tasting the same flavors.
Overall, this was just flat out fantastic. This was actually the third one I’ve tried and they keep getting better. Although this is definitely Pilsner in name only. All these ingredients cooked up by the mad scientists at Stone, Cambridge and brew Dog just overpower any chance a Pilsner taste here. ABV weighs in at 10% and as I said, this goes down so smooth, pace yourself. if you have more than one, you won’t know what hit you. This was enjoyed with a baked apple topped with cinnamon.
photo credit goes to the fine folks at Stone Brewing Co.
