Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif., announced the release of “The Alchemist/Ninkasi/Stone More Brown than Black IPA.” The beer is the fifth collaboration beer released by Stone and various partners in 2011.

The India pale ale was created after Stone Brewing Co. Brewmaster Mitch Steele heard of the destruction that resulted from Hurricane Irene to The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury, Vt. Steele reached out to The Alchemist’s Head Brewer John Kimmich via e-mail to inquire whether there was anything he could do to help.

“[Kimmich’s] wife, Jen, wrote back suggesting that John fly out to Southern California for a few days… Just to get a break from the reality of everything,” Steele said in a statement. “And almost as an afterthought, she casually mentioned that maybe we could even brew something together. I ran with it.”

Steele also reached out to Jamie Floyd, brewer and co-founder of Ninkasi Brewing Co. in Eugene, Ore., to join the collaboration.

Proceeds from the beer will go directly to the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund, a non-profit organization aiding families affected by the hurricane.

“It’s a small town,” Kimmich said in a statement. “Even the influx of a few thousand dollars will have a huge affect. There are very low-income people who lost everything. And the idea of coming out to Stone and making a beer that will directly impact our town… it’s heartwarming to say the least.”

The More Brown than Black IPA will be available in select markets in 12-ounce bottles and draft. According to the company, it has a dominant hop flavor with orange and grapefruit rind flavors that take center stage followed by piney and resiny notes. The beer has a modest body with a lingering bitter, drying end with light hints of roasted malt and chocolate at the finish, it adds.

Earlier this year, Stone released “Baird/Ishii/Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA,” which raised $64,000 for victims of the earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan.