(Escondido, CA) – …though it will get its way with the Belgo versions, too.



Looks like this commenter was right. I didn’t even think this was an option but apparently it is. Stone Brewing CEO, Greg Koch, announced today that the brewery will bring back the original versions of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout after all.

The brewery created a controversy last week when it announced that it would release alternative versions of the two beers in the ‘odd years’ like 2011, 2013 and so on. These would be so-called “Belgo” versions of these beers, made with a Belgian yeast strain. The catch was that it would come at the cost of not releasing the original versions in those years. A poll taken on Beernews.org last week showed that 71% of readers wanted the original Imperial Russian Stout back and 60% wanted the original Old Guardian back.

In changing its plans, the brewery will still release the Belgo versions as well beginning with Old Guardian in February. Koch denied in his blog post that this was a publicity stunt.