Brewery: Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, CA

Style: "Emperial" IPA (A double IPA brewed with all-British ingredients)

ABV: 8.9%

Sold in 22-ounce bottles and on tap. Extremely limited edition!

I have the BEST readers! You came up with some

fantastic

suggestions for my next beer! I looked for

Founder's

KBS

with no luck. I was extremely disappointed since I have heard such phenomenal things about it. And finding

Russian River's

Pliny the Elder

is like discovering the Holy Grail. I even had an industry insider,

George from Westy's

, check things out for me. Even in Philly, Pliny is

extremely

tough to find.

One reader suggested Stone 14th Anniversary Ale. I've never had a Stone product that I didn't like, and this one is no exception. Each year, I try to get their Anniversary Ale as quickly as possible because it doesn't stay on the shelves for long. I was so excited about my purchase - almost like the feeling a little kid gets on Christmas morning.

We chilled a bottle and brought it to my new favorite Italian restaurant, Soprano's in Campbelltown. I know that an IPA isn't typically paired with gnocchi or lasagna, but I'm willing to bend rules and create my own. The aroma was not as floral as a Dogfish Head 60 Minute or as citrusy as the Ithaca Flower Power. At first sip, I could tell that different ingredients were used than in American Style IPAs. Stone 14 is quite balanced and leaves a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste - different from what I expected. I'm so glad that I bought a case!

Last night, my hubby and I had a debate over which was better: Stone 14 or Stone Ruination? After having the night to sleep on it, I've decided that you can't compare these two fairly. It would be like asking a girl to pick between diamonds or pearls. Can't a girl have BOTH?