This is the Cicerone’s second review of Stone Corral Brewery (see the previous one here). In addition to the fantastic beer, visiting this brewery brings some side benefits: 1) the pub-style food is fantastic (on this day our party shared the cheesy potatoes and some craft-tacos), 2) Richmond is a gorgeous, quaint little town with some interesting shops and restaurants, and 3) if you’re a cyclist, it’s sits abreast many of the popular bike routes in the area.
On this day, however, I mostly came for the beer experience. It was a cloudy and hazy day, so we stuck to the bar area instead of the beer garden outside. I decided to sample four of their beers, plus another wildcard beer; here is what I found:
Bramble (6.0% ABV) This sour ale is made with the juice of wild blackberries, and those aromas and tastes shine through. Excellent all around.
Appearance: 4.4 | Aroma: 4.2 | Feel: 4.4 | Taste: 4.5 | Overall: 4.6
Cherry Wild Red (6.0% ABV) Another sour; this time the beer is aged for four months in sour cherries. In addition, it uses the brittanomyces yeast, further giving it a distinctive taste.
Appearance: 4.3 | Aroma: 4.4 | Feel: 4.5 | Taste: 4.6 | Overall: 4.6
Scotch Ale (7.2% ABV) Brewed in the Scotch tradition, this beer is malty and smokey and finishes strong. With a nod to tradition, you get a “pulled” pint.
Appearance: 4.6 | Aroma: 4.1 | Feel: 4.2 | Taste: 4.4 | Overall: 4.4
Palomino Pale Ale (6.0% ABV) This is one of Stone Corral’s classics and a fine drinking IPA. Dry-hopped with Amarillo, Sterling, and Willamette, the aromas and flavors are abundant.
Appearance: 4.5 | Aroma: 4.2 | Feel: 4.2 | Taste: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5
Framboise (6.0% ABV) As a wildcard, I was also able to taste the Framboise … a sour made with ripe red raspberries. Another pleasant sour.
Appearance: 4.7 | Aroma: 4.4 | Feel: 4.4 | Taste: 4.6 | Overall: 4.5
The Cicerone says: Stone Corral has a wide array of ales on tap, from the bitter to the sour, from the light to the dark … and best of all, they are all of high quality. As summer approaches, I strongly recommend stopping by and picking up a growler of one of their sours to enjoy on your deck!