Review: Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA
The second release in Stone’s Fan Favorites series is this expression, first brewed in 2011. Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA is a collaboration between Stone and Bryan Baird of Japan’s Baird’s Brewing and Toshi Ishii of Ishii Brewing in Guam. It’s a fairly simple recipe, made with Warrior, Crystal, Helga, Aramis, and Sorachi Ace hops — plus whole leaf green tea.
The combination is a delight, offering a rich and rounded body that’s full of tropical fruit as well as ample, traditional bitterness. Bitter dried herbs and tree bark notes are enveloping, while that slightly matcha-sweet green tea element pervades throughout the experience. Lengthy, mouth-coating finish. On the whole, the beer presents itself largely as a boldly resinous west coast IPA, but the unique Asian spin is compelling. Would drink again.
10.1% abv.
A- / $18 per six pack / stonebrewing.com
Baird / Ishii / Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA
$18
