Stone Brewing, makers of Ruination IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale have released their 13th Anniversary Ale and I'm willing to bet they paid very close attention to this particular anniversary.  They put a lot of hard work and knowledge into their brews and I've never had one I didn't like, but this one is special.  This is an Imperial/Double Red Ale that clocks in at 9.5% ABV and packs quite the wollop.  They used more hops per barrel on this beer than they've ever used before and it shows.  This thing is a monster!  

It pours a gorgeous deep, dark red/brown color with a tan head.   It's DOUBLE dry hopped and the nose is really outstanding.  The aromas on this beer punch you in the nose and I love it!  The nose is very earthy with pine coming through strong.  There is also a pretty strong kick of resin or pine tar on the nose as well.  This is VERY earthy on the nose but you get some citrus coming through as well.  I feel like this would be a lumberjack's favorite beer, so if you're a lumberjack, try this and let me know what you think!

The flavors are explosive and thick.  There is some sweetness to this beer but the hops really shine.  The malts perform very well to balance the intense hop flavors with oily sweetness and the flavors compliment one another perfectly.  This is definitely an earthy beer.  I taste dirt; deep, dark dirt and it's delicious.  The Chinook hops really pack a punch on the flavor, providing intense bitterness that overtakes the malty sweetness on the midpalate and leaves you craving another drink.

I would recommend this beer to fans of those wonderful dry, tannic wines from Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape and the Languedoc.  I would also recommend this beer to any hopheads out there.  If you're a fan of more tame fare, this really isn't for you (but try it anyway!).  I'm in love with this beer.  For me, this is really symbolic of what American craft brew can be.  I don't mean that ALL American craft brew should be this hoppy and earthy, but the quality and depth of this beer rivals that of France's greatest dry red wine.

For food pairings, nothing but BIG meat dishes for me.  This would blow some wimpy salad or pasta out of the water and make a fish run back upstream.  I'm thinking wild boar stew or a nice buffalo burger would fit this beer to a tee.  13th Anniversary Ale is a manly beer and anyone who tries it should be well aware of that fact.  Don't come into this beer expecting some delicate flavors that you have to think about for 15 minutes.  This is in your face, balls to the wall earthy hoppiness and I, for one, have really enjoyed this one.  Go buy this whether you think you'll like it or not and if you don't like it, at least appreciate the experience you had while drinking it.  HOORAH!