Beer of the Week: Stone Brewing Company San Diego County Session Ale

Stone Brewing Company
San Diego Session Ale
Beer of the Week 1/29/11 to 2/4/11

One beer trend that is starting to obtain a strong foothold in the market is "session" brews. The term was coined in England, and describes a beer that you can drink over a long session without getting "pissed" as the Brits say. In contrast, a lot of the beers on the craft beer market have a very high alcohol content. I, for one, am happy that these lower-alcohol beers are appearing in stores as they still have a lot of good flavor.

The session beer pictured above is a collaboration by three San Diego based brewers. Stone Brewing Company joined up with Balast Point Brewing and the home brewer Kelsey McNair. This ale comes in at a 4.2% ABV and is sold in 12 oz. bottles (generally in singles).

It pours a nice orange color with a small white head. The nose and taste are definitely hoppy, with lots of grapefruit. While I'm not usually a huge fan of such a strong hop flavor, this was still pretty good as it's light and not overly carbonated. (I think the low alcohol helped). I can't wait to try out some other session beers as they come out!