10 Barrel / Bluejacket / Stone Suede Imperial Porter

10 Barrel / Bluejacket / Stone Suede Imperial Porter

Due to our participation in at least a half a dozen collaborations each year, one might perceive Stone as the craft beer equivalent of a bee flitting indiscriminately from one brewery to the next, all the while drawing precious nectar-the expertise and creativity of those institution’ brewmasters. Another buzzy operation that gets the same rap is Bluejacket, a new, Washington, D.C.-based operation headed by industry veteran and constant collaborator Megan O’Leary Parisi. But make no mistake, Stone and Bluejacket are intensely selective about the contemporaries we invite into our brewhouses. We look for the same high level of passion and daringness to flip a beer style on its head that we employ on a baily basis. So, 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.
3.6
518 reviews
Escondido, United States

Community reviews

2.4 [ bottle ][ 1.5oz ][ @Tasting ][ $ ? ][ schnapps snifter ][ 01.09.15 ] dark translucent chestnut, thin cream ring. Sweet nose, underattenuated with brown malt, lightly metallic. Sweet flavor, standard chocolate with light nut, full body is rich, sticky.
3.9 Bottle from Systembolaget. Dark brown pour with a thick tan head. Malty aroma with some floral hints, liquorice, honey and roasted malts. Slightly sweet at the start with some hints of honey and flowers and then a slightly bitter roasted middle and finish. Some notes of roast and chocolate. Well balanced sweetness.
3.8 Nice deep dark almost jet black body. Espresso, chocolate and roasted malts in the aroma, with some essence of hops. Taste is of coffee, roasted malt and chocolate.
4.1 Bottle from Systembolaget. Fruity smell with blueberries. Taste of chocolate, dark malts, blueberries. Smooth, interesting flavour. Nice!
4.0 Draught at Urge. Pours opaque black with a large, creamy beige head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is leather, chocolate, coffee malt, prunes, figs, earthy hops, and tobacco. Flavor is heavy dark malt, chocolate, dark fruits, earthy hops and light bitterness with a dry finish. Full body and medium carbonation.
4.1 22 oz Bottle purchased online from Blackwell's Beer Run. Very robust roasted malt flavor balanced with chocolate and coffee. The flavors are bold and robust, but not overpowering. One of my favorite porters that I have had.
3.2 Dark mahogany body with an inch of dense beige foam atop. Aromas of honey, floral notes, perhaps brown sugar, a touch of wine, slight oxidation. Chocolate, malt, bread. Medium-thin body with soft carbonation. Pretty good.
3.4 Pours an opaque brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer with good lacing. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, honey, fruit, and floral aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa and floral flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel.
3.8 Pours a dark chestnut brown color that appears black and nearly opaque in the glass with faint mahogany edges. One finger beige head that quickly settles into a thin, lasting ring. Sporadic streaks of spotty lacing left behind. There’s a surpringly strong floral presence in the aroma. I know that honey and two different flowers are some of the main ingredients but I was expecting them to be overpowered by the robust porter characteristics. Lots of flower petal and caraway and subtle earthy hops followed by subtle roast and sweet chocolate malt. Some burnt toast, oatmeal and coffee bean but this is overpowered by the honey and floral notes leaving mostly sweeter malts underneath. Not too complex and the malts are overpowered but the flowers and honey are really pleasant. Full bodies and a bit more complex than expected. The strong floral presence is still there up front but is countered by a prominent malt backbone that balances roast and sweet flavors. The floral presence is perfume like and mellows out the deep roast. Very nicely balanced with hints of rose water, flower petal and faint hop bitterness countered by burnt toast, oatmeal, coffee bean and smoke. Some lighter malt sweetness on the back end with bittersweet dark chocolate, toffee and caramel. Finishes pretty clean which is surprising given the ingredients, and there is little to no heat making this complex beer very easy to drink. I haven’t been a big fan of Stone’s collaboration beers but I enjoyed this one very much. I would definitely buy this again.
3.2 Poured into a snifter. 3.25 A: Black color. One and a half fingers of frothy tan head. Retention is about what you’d expect from a big beer and just a few wisps of lacing are left. 3.75 S: The combination of adjuncts seems to work well with the base beer. I don’t know what the hell calendula flowers are, but I do pick up the distinct jasmine and notes of honey. The base is roasty with just enough malty sweetness to balance. Some chocolate and molasses with hints of plum and cherry. Overall, quite successful here. 3.25 T: The taste is a bit of a different story. The jasmine has a great deal of control in the taste. It’s not necessarily bad, but I’m not sure it works well either. Also, there seems to be a bit too much hoppiness, especially bitterness. I don’t care for hops in dark beers as the flavors don’t mix well with roasty flavors. Still, it’s decent. Moderate roastiness, hints of chocolate, molasses, and honey. I guess some calendula flower herbalness. 3.25 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Booze is well hidden. I wish this were creamier, but it’s not bad. 3.25 D: Love the experimentation, but the end result is along the spectrum near mediocre. I might like this more if the hops were toned down, but that’s just pure speculation. ★ 1,267 characters DavoleBomb, Nov 03, 2013
3.8 December 24th, 2014 - It was the night before Christmas, and all was quiet, save for the secretive slurping of a beer drinker who couldn’t get to sleep. In the hopes of getting to rest for an early morning Christmas ritual I poured myself Stone’s Suede Imperial Porter, a dark beer with a contrastingly light head, spread far across the top of the beer. At first blush the aroma is rich with grape, much like a freshly menaced Bourdeaux grape, juicy and sweet, with some wood dryness to imitate the core of a dubbel. I also catch some intermediate notes of cherry, deep and dark, but still visible against the darker sweetness of the grape. The flavor is appreciably malty, and the grapes from the aroma have, here, turned into a deep raisin taste, desiccated and withered to excellence. The residual booziness would be too much save for the taste of burnt pie dough to balance it out. While I cannot credit this brew with being the soporific that got me to bed, it sit nicely, and closed out another wonderful Christmas Eve. November 8th, 2013 - Enjoying a night in tonight with Stone’s Suede Imperial Stout, a lovely purple and gold bottle promising a sultry, boozy and sophisticated time. The bottle sort of reminds me of gin, in the way it dresses itself, and the ingredient list looks like it could come from a specialty gin distiller: calendula flowers (yeah, never heard of those), jasmine and honey. The smell is gorgeous, as one might suspect, reminding me of the interior of a famous Colorado pizza chain called BoJeau’s. Sweet bored grape establishes the aroma’s body, and decorates it with additional lilac, and as much honey as they could cram into the scent. There’s a ton of carbonation here, and it’s detectable well before the first sip. Huge mottled bubbles cling to the side of the glass, making it look more like a soft drink than a brew. Its aftertaste emphasizes a kind of porter style with all the heavy, roasted maltiness, and a long, low rumble until the next sip. The overall flavor mixes that roasted charcoal quality with a subtle red bean (an) paste sweetness. The length of the aftertaste and the time between sips makes this almost like a smokeable beer, the cigar version of a brew, and I’m loving every puff. 7/3/8/5/15/3.8
4.1 Frommy backlogg: Sample at Steampunk Bar, Gothenburg. Black beer with an brownish head. Malty caramel dark fruit licorice aroma. Malty caramell chocolate licoice dark fruits flavour. Really a nice one :-)
3.9 On tap at steampunk beer bar GBG. Pours black with a small brown head. Smells and tastes soy, roasted malt, coffee, alcohol with a similar finish.
3.8 Deep dark color with a beige head. Dried fruits, dark malt and chocolate in the aroma. Full body and a soft carbonation. Solid balanced stuff. Powerful complex and tasty flavour. Chocolate, toffee, fruity, roasted and some coffee. Nice! [On tap at Steampunk Bar in Goteborg, Sweden]
3.8 Sample from bottle at Steampunk Bar, Göteborg. Dark almost black beer with a small beige/brownish head. Malty caramel aroma, vinous, figs, raisins, licorice, some chocolate. Malty caramel aroma, floral, chocolate, licorice, figs, raisins, some spices and warming alcohol.
4.0 Served on tap at Stone. Dark black color with a medium brown head. Plum raisin aroma. Medium heavy body. Chocolate plum favor with some bitterness.
3.7 Who knew avocado plants made honey? Enjoyed on draft, this beer’s deep black with one finger of smooth (dare I say suede-like?) light tan head. Nice layers of horizontal lace appear as I drink. Jasmine can be picked up in the nose, as can alcohol. Sweet cocoa and a gentle nudge of toast appear as well. Jasmine is again noticeable in the front of the flavor. Some floral honey as well -- I’ve never smelled or tasted calendula or avocado honey, so I can’t judge. Alcohol is here, smoking through the nose. Bittersweet dark chocolate rolls in at the swallow along with a touch of sweet black licorice. The alcohol is dangerously well-hidden inside a soft, medium-light body. Smooth as suede. Well-named.
3.8 Bottle. Black body, red tinted, with a beige head. Strong raisin aroma with choco notes and flowers, taste follows with a more roasted approach, licorice and subtle smoke hints. Good complexity with lots of stuff going on. A bit weak finish, short bitterness with alcohol. Nevertheless, a nice Imperial Porter.
3.4 650ml bottle enjoyed @ home. Pours very deep brown almost black with a long lasting 1 finger head. Aroma is vanilla, chocolate, alcohol, honey and light roasted malt. Flavour is light sweet, bitter, herbal and floral, on the boozy side. Full bodied, average carbonation. Finish is bitter and floral.
3.8 Bomber purchased at Major Market in Escondido 18 months ago ($6.99). Pours a very dark brown with one finger of creamy beige-tan foam. AROMA of bourbon-drizzled chocolate brownie, cocoa powder, dark honey, light cafe au lait, and subtle yet sweet floral notes (from the jasmine and marigolds / calendula, I presume). FLAVOR of smooth dark toffee and dark chocolate, roasted malts, black coffee, a light fruitiness, and a smooth vegetal / herbal that must point to whatever remains of the adjuncts. Exceptionally smooth on the palate as the name implies with the big ABV absolutely concealed. I had this on draft when it first released, but can’t really remember how much the honey and floral adjuncts stood out. The year and a half of aging may have caused the adjuncts’ character to fade some, but they are still detectable and add a nice layer to this dark ale. (482, 961)
3.6 Dark brown pour with creamy head. Aroma of jasmine, honey, and some chocolate. Flowery flavor with jasmine, honey, vanilla, and some chocolate. Very nice.
4.0 The first of two Stone collaborations I enjoyed last night. This one had some age on it, and from what I experienced, that was a welcome addition. Pouring a lovely dark brown, Suede had a lovely head and a uniquely awesome smell. The honey and aromas from jasmine and calendula reminded me of tea. Yet, the roasted malt smells were undeniably porter-like. The taste was a revelation. I got the sweeter aspects of floral tea, but also the rich maltiness and boozy warmth of an Imperial Porter. I was totally impressed by the balance. Despite the lengthy list of ingredients, Suede wasn’t dominated by a single flavor. From start to finish, it was the smooth, luxurious treat that its name suggests.
4.4 Bottle. A- Honey, avocado, vanilla, flowers, mocha, caramel. A- Super dark brown color, dark liquid, light brown head. T- Cocoa, chocolate, coffee, honey, vanilla, subtle spice, caramel. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, smooth finish. O- At first aroma I thought I smelled something along the lines of avocado in here and thought I was crazy so I read the description on here and sure enough, the honey is from avocados. A nice blend of ingredients that just worked a lot better than expected. The way things are going Imperial Porters may be my new favorite thing. This bottle was also from late 2013 so I’m not sure how that may have affected this one either.
3.5 (bottle - 22 oz) Dark brown pour with a thick tan head. Sweet and malty aroma with some floral hints and roasted malts. Slightly sweet at the start with some hints of honey and flowers and then a slightly bitter roasted middle and finish.
3.6 Tap. Black with small head. Malty with some chocolate and light roast. Light booze. Good but unexceptional.
3.3 It poured a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma was of roasted vanilla, malts and a hint of coffee. The taste was similar to the aroma with some tobacco a little coffee and cocoa. Very nice.
3.8 Bottle... Clear brown pour with glints of copper and a small, creamy, lightly-tanned head. The aroma furnishes dark fruits, toasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied with modest carbonation. The flavor is sweet and roasty – dark candied fruits abound. The finish is moderately bitter and singed with lingering roastiness and burnt marshmallows. Bottle courtesy of darkguardian!
3.8 22oz bottle. Pours a deep black color with a one finger light tan head that falls slowly to a ring. Smell is of dark roasted malt, dark cocoa, along with the jasmine and honey coming through lightly as well. Taste is roasted dark chocolate and charred malt flavors, and a hint of coffee bitterness. Midway the flavor turns sweet with fig and tobacco. In the finish, the honey sweetness kicks in and lingers, and the jasmine gives a slight floral notes on the finish. Medium to full body with medium carbonation.
3.7 Dark brown color. Strong nose of plum, dark fruit, chocolate, molasses with quick dissipating head. The body is med-full with low carbonation. Tons of dark chocolate, dark fruits and plum notes. Slightly sweet. The jasmine is a bit lost in the beer, but otherwise, very good.
3.2 Bottle @ home. Pours black with a beige head. Rich aroma of chocolate, cocoa, malt, honey,licorice, dark fruits. Hints of vanilla plus warming alcohol. Medium bodied and with rather sharp carbonation. Initial roasted and sweet flavors of dark chocolate, licorice, ash, honey, caramel, raisins, red berries and herbs. A dry and citrus-bitter, almost astringent finish comes quickly with lingering notes of ash, licorice and orange.