The Bar Towel

Posted: **Sat Mar 21, 2015 1:32 pm**

Tapsucker wrote:They had Arrogant Bastard at the Wallace yesterday for $7.50 a pint. They were out of IPA, but they did have Sierra Nevada on tap too.

The Wallace is massively underrated. Fridays they do Mad Tom for five bucks alongside a malaysian fish curry. Does Mad Tom stack up to the Stone IPA? Probably not quite, but... five bucks.

Posted: **Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:01 pm**

Tapsucker wrote:They had Arrogant Bastard at the Wallace yesterday for $7.50 a pint. They were out of IPA, but they did have Sierra Nevada on tap too.

Thanks for the heads up. I was going to head there, actually, but couldn't find anything on their web site or Twitter feed showing they had Stone (or SN). I'm not a huge fan of their regular lineup, though I've always liked the ambience and food.

Posted: **Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:13 pm**

saints_gambit wrote:
Tapsucker wrote:They had Arrogant Bastard at the Wallace yesterday for $7.50 a pint. They were out of IPA, but they did have Sierra Nevada on tap too.
The Wallace is massively underrated. Fridays they do Mad Tom for five bucks alongside a malaysian fish curry. Does Mad Tom stack up to the Stone IPA? Probably not quite, but... five bucks.

Some of the others I was with went for the Mad Tom while I paid the Stone tax. Novelty.

I also like that after changing hands and brands a couple times, the washroom has been cleaned up. Though I do miss that weird cinnamon smell it used to have.

Posted: **Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:16 pm**

midlife crisis wrote:
Thanks for the heads up. I was going to head there, actually, but couldn't find anything on their web site or Twitter feed showing they had Stone (or SN). I'm not a huge fan of their regular lineup, though I've always liked the ambience and food.

They really skew import, but towards the more adventurous end. I heard a comment that the Delirium on tap was considered incredibly fresh. I didn't go for it, but it does seem to be a sign of some care.

Posted: **Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:18 pm**

Tapsucker wrote:
midlife crisis wrote:
Thanks for the heads up. I was going to head there, actually, but couldn't find anything on their web site or Twitter feed showing they had Stone (or SN). I'm not a huge fan of their regular lineup, though I've always liked the ambience and food.
They really skew import, but towards the more adventurous end. I heard a comment that the Delirium on tap was considered incredibly fresh. I didn't go for it, but it does seem to be a sign of some care.

Yes, agreed. If they would just put in, say, three equally adventurous Ontario taps I would be there a lot more.

Posted: **Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:07 pm**

And they're changing Ruination... again...
http://blog.stonebrewing.com/index.php/ ... ation-ipa/

Posted: **Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:21 pm**

they also just launched a stone pale ale 2.0

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:21 pm**

saints_gambit wrote:[The Wallace is massively underrated. Fridays they do Mad Tom for five bucks alongside a malaysian fish curry. Does Mad Tom stack up to the Stone IPA? Probably not quite, but... five bucks.

On a good day it's damn close. Actually Mad Tom ages very nicely at fridge temperature, I'd say improves rather than fade or disintegrate. An excellent Fridge Pale Ale if you will (one to reliably keep a few on hand.)

I will check out the Wallace. Some days I really love this city.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2015 3:41 pm**

Derek wrote:And they're changing Ruination... again...
http://blog.stonebrewing.com/index.php/ ... ation-ipa/

Interesting. I picked some up last week and honestly, it didn't impress me the way it first did years ago. Maybe everything else has just gotten better in comparison.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:04 am**

mahcinesquad wrote:
Derek wrote:And they're changing Ruination... again...
http://blog.stonebrewing.com/index.php/ ... ation-ipa/
Interesting. I picked some up last week and honestly, it didn't impress me the way it first did years ago. Maybe everything else has just gotten better in comparison.

The original was great, with lots of centennial flavour, but absolutely not a palate bruiser by today's standards. They did a slight refresh with different hops and made it stronger, but yeah, it really wasn't great.

Their enjoy by is truly great, so I'm looking forward to a new DIPA.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:07 pm**

Derek wrote:
mahcinesquad wrote:
Derek wrote:And they're changing Ruination... again...
http://blog.stonebrewing.com/index.php/ ... ation-ipa/
Interesting. I picked some up last week and honestly, it didn't impress me the way it first did years ago. Maybe everything else has just gotten better in comparison.
The original was great, with lots of centennial flavour, but absolutely not a palate bruiser by today's standards. They did a slight refresh with different hops and made it stronger, but yeah, it really wasn't great.

Their enjoy by is truly great, so I'm looking forward to a new DIPA.

I was unwowed by Enjoy By, on tap in Buffalo. But as always two or three strikes allowed.

The Ruination rhetoric (changing it, Stone's justifications) seems silly, I'd be just as happy if they made Ruination less frequently when hops supply allows to do it correctly and kept it the same but whatevah. We'll see what the DIPA v.2 is like when available and can all bandwagon on hating it then (as is fashionable in the suspicion of faulty changes, correct?

)

I am generally impressed with how artistically Stone uses hops, rather than how loudly they use them in some frat-boyish IBU-counting sense. I believe this refinement of flavor over intensity shows Stone's maturity as brewers.

Posted: **Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:48 am**

Mitch Steele's book is a good read:
http://www.brewerspublications.com/book ... -pale-ale/

Posted: **Sat Mar 28, 2015 10:12 pm**

I saw Buster Rhinos and The Wallace mentioned in this thread for having Stone on tap. Not sure if that meant regularly though. Anyone in the GTA noticing places that regularly have Stone or any other american craft on tap? When I visit Toronto, the bars I frequent for draught it's typically Ontario or European.

Posted: **Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:06 pm**

_sloth wrote:I saw Buster Rhinos and The Wallace mentioned in this thread for having Stone on tap. Not sure if that meant regularly though. Anyone in the GTA noticing places that regularly have Stone or any other american craft on tap? When I visit Toronto, the bars I frequent for draught it's typically Ontario or European.

At the Wallace it's not on their printed list, just the chalkboard, so that would indicate to me it would not be permanent.

Posted: **Tue Mar 31, 2015 12:40 pm**

I believe that they're keeping the IPA but not the Arrogant Bastard. Somewhat like I predicted earlier, there was a brief flurry of interest on that one and then it dropped off. It's a midtown crowd and Arrogant Bastard isn't a great fit for a gastropub.

Edit: They will apparently be getting Sierra Nevada Torpedo at some point very soon. That oughta be good.

The Bar Towel

Stone beers in Ontario