Review: Michelob’s StoneMill Organic Pale Ale
My internet connection cut out several hours ago, which means my plans to record a podcast episode this evening have been sufficiently destroyed. I’ve decided to take a crack at reviewing a beer the old-fashioned way, with keyboard and mouse. Truly what caught my attention with this beer was its cross-marketing. I have just poured into a tumbler, the StoneMill Organic Pale Ale by Michelob Brewing Company. I’ve been saying since the beginning of our project that Michelob tends to be the more daring arm of Annheuser-Busch InBev. Here we have a brewery with a well-established name in the beer industry taking chances on what one might perceive as craft brews. To date I have been impressed with Michelob’s offerings, and this new organic brew may further develop the company’s foothold in the craft brew drinker’s mind.
From a distance, the packaging of the StoneMill makes the beer look rather local. The label is very unassuming with a small painting of a watermill and small letter text. I had no idea I was picking up a Michelob until I saw the brewery’s small ribbon and name scrawled across the label’s top. In fact, not even the bottle cap has any indication that you are about to pick up a beer with such gravitas. The labels marketing this brew as organic outnumber the references to Michelob by at least two-to-one. I’m not one to typically go for the organic version of most things, but color me curious. For reference, the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of the StoneMill is 5.5% and the International Bitterness Unit (IBU) rating is 22. Let’s go ahead and give it a whirl.
Appearance
The ale poured with almost no head on the top. Right now there is just a thin skin of bubbles covering the surface that have stayed since I began typing. The body is a rich gold in color, and crystal clear with only a few bubbles rising to the top. As I spin the beer around in the glass, I find little to no lacing remains.
Aroma
I find that most of the Michelob beers I have tried in the past year have been very similar in aroma. This one in particular is sweet and caramel-like (but not in an artificial way) with a light malting. The caramel notes play games with my nose, and I get a hint of banana as well. It possesses nearly no hop characteristics, which I have come to expect, and that’s okay with me.
Taste
It seems silly to make your mind up on the taste of a beer within the first couple sips. You have a full twelve ounces to enjoy; let it soak in. The ale rolls in very smooth onto the tongue and is quite full-featured in its flavor. I don’t usually expect a Pale Ale to come off as anything but bland. Again, I believe there is a common thread among Michelob’s craft beers, as it has characteristics similar to both their Winter’s Cask Ale and the Jack’s Pumpkin Spice. The body feels light on the tongue, is quite crisp, but leaves a pleasantly malted aftertaste.
Overall Evaluation
I really like this beer and am continually impressed with Michelob’s ambition to play in the world of microbrews. This beer left me pleasantly surprised for being a pale ale, with a sweet, malted flavor and fresh aroma. According to Michelob’s website, they used a combination of organic Palisade and Hallertau hops. On the malt side, Michelob combined Metcalf and Harrington hops. These names don’t mean an incredible amount to me right now, but I am taking note because I have made knowing these names a priority in helping me define what beers taste good to me. The StoneMill is a solid offering from Michelob Brewing and I’ll claim it at a 4/5, if not slightly higher. It’s a refreshing beer with flavor and ambition.
