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Stochasticity Project HiFi+LoFi Mixtape background
Image
Stochasticity Project HiFi+LoFi Mixtape background

Stochasticity Project HiFi+LoFi Mixtape

A blend of fresh and barrel-aged ales

STYLE
Strong Ale
ABV
8.8%
IBUs
70

A beer that pays homage to a centuries-old tradition of combining new beer with aged “stock ales.” Freshly brewed beers of the day often were very smoky and bitter tasting, and were blended with older beer that had mellowed with age to produce more drinkable libations. This modern brew showcases our brewers’ talents in blending a stock ale aged more than three months in oak foudres (large wooden fermentation vessels) with a fresh version of the same beer to create a perfect harmony spanning end to end on the taste spectrum.

ABOUT THIS BEER

Release Date
May 18, 2015
Beeradvocate
83

NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

AVAILABLE
NOT AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
NOT AVAILABLE

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

Australia; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Japan; Singapore and United Kingdom

Tasting Notes

Appearance
The beer pours deep amber with a creamy white head and a touch of haze.
Aroma
Strong fruity esters with light sherry notes, oak and toasted malt.
Taste
Oaky presence is followed by fruity yeast character. The malts shine midpalate, combining with oak and a light berry fruitiness, followed by a dry, bitter finish.
Palate
Full-bodied with a nice bitterness and astringency.
Overall
Stone co-founder Greg Koch has hypothesized for years that brewing the same beer at two different alcohol levels and blending them would provide a different flavor profile than brewing the base beer to a specific alcohol target. And this is true. When compared with beers brewed to lower gravities, fermenting at a higher gravity with a higher resulting alcohol level causes a drastically different mix of esters and other flavor compounds provided by yeast fermentation. Proof comes via this beer, which follows a decidedly English track, using 100% English malts and hops a la traditional stock ales, which I learned a lot about while conducting research for my book "IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale." It was fun to be able to draw on this research as the inspiration for this beer.
Provided by
Mitch Steele
,
Brewmaster