Stone 27th Anniversary Lemon Shark Double IPA

Stone 27th Anniversary Lemon Shark Double IPA by Stone Brewing is being judged according to BJCP category 22A, Double IPA, from the 2021 Guidelines. Despite the addition of Phantasm, a grapeskin-derived product designed to promote fruity aromas, the beer was not reviewed as a specialty/fruit beer as the addition was deemed to largely mimic/complement hop character as opposed to the fruit (grape) of origin, which isn’t detectable to this reviewer.

The aroma has an initial strong worty-honey note with some rich resiny and fruity notes of peaches, banana and papaya without being overtly tropical (I think due to the strong sweet honey malt foreground). An undercurrent of sweetness and alcohol carry an interesting bay leaf/dry-herbal note upon swirling. This beer comes across as complex, somewhat dry and quite estery, but not hugely hoppy.

Like the nose, the first impression of flavor is very sweet and nectar-like early, but trails quickly to a big, spicy, dry/bitter charge before the mid-palate malt catches up with flavor of orange blossom, unripe peaches, faint pineapple and some honey/resiny floral and herbal notes. The late palate is very full but has lasting bitterness in the finish to keep the beer from being sweet. It is off-dry, but it sure packs a whammy of flavor and malt that lasts a very long time in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is medium-high with some astringency, great CO2 and ETOH as expected. It’s a bit of a meal with an amber hue. I can’t say I pick up the mark of the phantasm clearly (it’s noted for its high thiol makeup and associated strong berry, stone fruit/tropical profile), but instead more of the possible interactions it has with late hopping to create a deeply rich and herbal-fruity mixture.

Overall, this beer hits the mark for a DIPA – hop-forward with very big golden malt strength, and lots of hop/ferment character that is lush but still somewhat dry and drinkable.

As for a food paring, I am thinking a decadent chocolate cake dessert because the sweetness of the beer would disappear and the bitter and hop flavor profile would cleanse the mouth for the next bite of cake. Don’t count calories, it’s a losing venture.