ESCONDIDO, CA – The arrival of cooler months heralds when craft beer drinkers begin to find themselves hunkered down indoors with richer beers like milk stouts and porters. Starting this week the new Stone Vanilla Bean Porter will be packed for any such occasion alongside Stone Coffee Milk Stout, Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 and Stone Delicious IPA in the Stone Cabin Fever Mixed 12 Pack.
Rich and exotic, and brewed with Madagascar vanilla bean, Stone Vanilla Bean Porter is available exclusively on draft, as well as in 12-ounce bottles in the Stone Cabin Fever Mixed 12 Pack. Whole vanilla beans, the world’s second-most expensive spice, imparts a delicate creaminess and palate-seducing softness. It gracefully complements the chocolate undertones and hints of coffee derived from ample use of chocolate malt. Extremely drinkable, Stone Vanilla Bean Porter starts with a soft vanilla aroma and ends with a rich, chocolaty finish.
“We have played with many ingredient additions in our porters over the years and love the versatility of this beer,” said Jeremy Moynier, Senior Manager, Innovation Program and Supply Chain. “We first added vanilla beans back in 2006 in a cask and loved the results so much we would do small runs of this beer from time to time. Recently we tried out this new version through our pilot system to see what our fans thought and we got our best response to date! It seemed obvious to do it on the large scale to get it out there so even more people could enjoy it.”
The four beers in the Stone Cabin Fever Mixed 12 Pack were selected to present a range of styles to share with either a group of friends, or just that special someone. The top of the box offers tasting notes and food pairing suggestions for each beer, but there’s no reason to limit pairings to food. They also all go nicely with post-mountain hot-tub dips, roaring fires, bear skin rugs, and someone special for…you get the idea.
QUICK FACTS — STONE VANILLA BEAN PORTER:
- Name: Stone Vanilla Bean Porter
- Web: stonebrewing.com/vanillabean
- Stats: 5.9% ABV, 53 IBUs
- Availability: 12-ounce bottles in the Stone Cabin Fever Mixed 12 Pack and on draft, beginning September 19
- Hop Varieties: Chinook, Magnum, Idaho 7, Motueka and Azacca
- National Distribution: AK, AR, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA and WI
TASTING NOTES — STONE VANILLA BEAN PORTER:
- Appearance: Pours deep brown with a tan head
- Aroma: Vanilla bean and coffee with hints of cocoa
- Taste: Rich vanilla, with cocoa and coffee flavors melding together
- Palate: Medium-full body and smooth with substantial bitterness
- Overall: Our love affair with Vanilla and Porter began in 2006 when we first tried it in a cask. It’s been a favorite ever since! We have done many different additions with Porter since including chipotle and citrus but always seem to come back to vanilla beans, which meld perfectly with the other attributes of the beer. Our latest version has a smooth and creamy structure that comes from using whole Madagascar vanilla beans.
SUGGESTED PAIRINGS — PROVIDED BY STONE CRAFT BEER AMBASSADOR “DR.” BILL SYSAK:
- Appetizers: Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with cream cheese, coconut shrimp, sugar-glazed pecans, blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms
- Soups: Butternut squash, søtsuppe (Norwegian sweet soup), New England clam chowder
- Entreés: Sweet potato gnocchi with fried sage, espresso-rubbed filet mignon, scallops over vanilla mascarpone mash, sesame honey-glazed tempeh
- Cheeses: Aged Gouda, Lake’s Edge (Vermont goat), Constant Bliss, Pleasant Ridge Reserve
- Desserts: Maple walnut cake, chocolate chip cookies, profiteroles, pumpkin pie
- Cigars: Paradigm 262, Gurkha Evil, Alonso Menendez
About Stone Brewing Co.
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 12 times, and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company is the first American craft brewer to independently build, own and operate their own brewery in Europe (Berlin, Germany), and also opened a production brewery in Richmond, Virginia in 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing. For more information on Stone Brewing, please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and The Stone Blog.