Two very different members of the same tribe lending the best of each other to the conceptualization of a hybrid; such is the basis for introducing something new into the world- a mutt, if you will. It is this scenario, applied against the backdrop of Stone’s pilot brewhouse, that birthed this beer: a complex, chocolate-covered brew crafted by an unlikely yet dynamic duo, a malt bill savant and a brewer who had never met a brown ale he liked before tasting this beer. These craftsmen coming together was as inconceivable as the conception of this beer, but as with the rise of unlikely crossbreeds such as the much-adored labradoodle, it ascended ti the top of the heap in our annual in-house Stone Spotlight Series brewing competition and now rests cradled in your hands as the 2015 champion. Given fullness and layers of flavors from Vienna, Victory and Chocolate Wheat Malts, and pleasing, refined sweetness from Honey Malt and turbinado sugar, it’s a rich, smooth beer brewed with respect to traditional English methods and a heaping helping of New World Innovation. The British-American bulldog of the craft beer world? Perhaps. Best in Show? Absolutely.

Since 2014, we’ve divided out Brew Crew into teams of two as part of the Stone Spotlight Series competition, in which each team develops a creative recipe, vying for the chance to have their brewed on a large scale and distributed nationwide. Learn more about Drew and Steve (and last year’s winners) at stonebrewing.com/spotlight

==Introduction==

When I first saw this beer, it reminded me the Bailey’s Bitchin Brown Ale that my friend Will gave me for some reason. I thought maybe they took his idea but I see now it was mere coincidence as they tried to represent a mutt or dog mix as a hybrid of beers. Good show Stone. Now I bring you the review of this little beer. Hope it is awesome as brown ales are my moderate favorites and I usually tend to go for others. Cheers!

Aromas:
Caramel, smoked peat, dark frui raisins, vanilla, brown sugar, coffee cake, dark chocolate, mocha notes, oatmeal, Belgian Candi sugar, molasses, bakers chocolate, butterscotch, hazelnut nectar and pecan pie hints.

Flavors:
Brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon, smoked peat, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, dark fruit raisins, hazelnut nectar, oatmeal, Belgian candi sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, vanilla, chocolate, coffee cake, earthy hop notes, bakers chocolate, molasses, butterscotch and peanut hints.

Aftertaste:
Hazelnut hints, earthy notes, dark chocolate, turbinado sugar and pecan notes. No alcohol in the taste, Crimson Dark full body, creamy, syrupy and velvety mouthfeel, sipping drinkability.

Overall:
This beer is awesome. Almost like a mix between a brown ale and scottish ale with some stout notes. There are some earthy hop notes in the taste which tries to balance out the sweetness and complexity. An interesting use of ingredients making this one a rush and mix of complexity. I would definitely recommend it worth trying once especially if you like brown ales. Other than that it is very good and will likely try it on tap at Stone’s store.

Anime Corner:
Original artwork by Falvie was used in this pairing as I wanted to use a dog like character to represent the mutt. Her colorful appearance with a mix of colors displays what mutts really are. A smart and diverse breed of animals. Also, her complexity represents the complexity of this beer. It does hit you hard if you are not careful, hence the hammer!