Earlier this year, a buddy of mine (and fellow beer lover) told me about a discovery he’d made while on vacation in California. He was in a bar that serves many Stone products, and noticed a new tap: R&R Coconut IPA. He admits to being a bit skeptical at first—coconut in an IPA? But after taking a small sip, it was all he drank during that vacation.
Intrigued, I set about trying to find it in Nevada. Unfortunately, I had to wait a bit, as it hadn’t yet been released here. My nearest liquor store told me it would be about a week before they got a shipment. It was pretty much torture waiting that long. I’m a Stone fan to a ridiculous degree, as anyone who knows me is well aware. As much as I love their flagship products like the IPA, Ruination and Arrogant Bastard, it’s their constant experimentation that really keeps me coming back.
Anyway, I digress. The shipment did, in fact, come in later that week, and I scooped up a whole mess of 22-ounce bottles, just in case getting more proved problematic.
Yeah, buying in bulk was expensive. And no, I didn’t mind. And yeah, the bottles were emptied. Quickly.
This is another Stone classic, although the Stone boys themselves can’t really take the credit. The “R&R” in this fantastic beer refers to homebrewers Robert Masterson and Ryan Reschan, who created the coconut IPA to compete in Stone’s 2013 American Homebrewers Association contest. R&R were going for a “tropical” feel in their creation, and I’m happy to report they’ve succeeded, creating something that’s truly unique in the IPA world.
First off, you are acutely aware of a lush richness in this beer. Not sweetness, mind you—in fact, I would dare to say there’s not even a hint of coconut in this IPA (even though R&R reportedly used massive amounts). But right after that richness comes the bitterness IPA lovers crave. It’s a fantastic combination of flavors that keeps you coming back for one more sip.
At 7.7 ABV, this is a beer to be respected; I would recommend diving into one right after dinner. It’s a perfect beer to cozy up to while leaning back in your favorite chair and firing up Monday Night Football.
Stone is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and I intend to keep taking, thank you very much.