Stone Brewing Soaring Dragon - Brew Review

Stone Brewing Soaring Dragon

Background

Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone Brewing has come a long way since opening in San Diego County in 1996. Now the ninth-largest craft brewer in the U.S., Stone Brewing operates brewing facilities on both coasts – Escondido, California and Richmond, Virginia. In addition, Stone operates a number of restaurants and tap rooms as well as the largest craft-centric beer distribution business in the U.S. Stone Brewing beers are available in all 50 states and more than 40 countries worldwide.

Description

While visiting Shanghai, China, a few of Stone’s brewers took a side trip to the famous Tianshan Tea City market. Inspired by the teas they tasted, the brewers began experimenting back in the U.S. Their objective was to combine the delicate, floral qualities of some teas with certain hop varieties. In the end, they settled on using white peony tea in combination with Citra and Loral hops. Their work produced Stone Brewing Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA with white peony tea.

White tea actually refers to one of several styles of tea which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The name is derived from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant. These buds give the plant a whitish appearance.

The Fujian province of China produces the most white tea.

Review

Stone Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA with White Tea

My Stone Brewing Soaring Dragon poured a slightly hazy copper gold with a nice off-white foam that clung to the sides of my glass until I was finished. The beer exuded herbal and floral aromas with earthy, sage, tropical and subtle pine needle notes. My first sip provided a malty sweet flavor with honey, herbal, floral and raspberry balanced notes. I detected a very mild peppery aspect midway in my tasting. The beer provided a lingering dry, soft tannin finish with some grapefruit pith backing. At 8% ABV, the beer mouthfeel was medium bodied with smooth texture and moderate carbonation. Overall, I found this unique experimental take on an imperial IPA to be balanced, harmonious and excellent.