Stone Ruination IPA

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Escondido, California USA

This beer will end up being the ruination of me. Really. It even says so on the bottle. See?

My Stone Ruination IPA poured a golden orange with glints of amber and garnet arcing across her lascivious body. A small whitish head winks most seductively at me before settling into her blanket of bubbly puffs. A teasing swirl or two later produces a scattered network of delicate lace. I don’t even need to bring her nose to mine to partake of the deluge of sweet oranges, nectarines and melons while freshly cut grass and crushed pine needles tingle. Supporting the bouquet of hop delights are sweet grains and white bread. Unawares of my own actions, so beguiled am I by her nose that before I realize it her golden depths are touching my lips in a commanding kiss. Throughout her body, a pervading sweetness hints of oranges, melons, and even some kiwi fruit which finishes with a dry citric bitterness resembling their skins. A soft breath of spices mingles with the finish for a slowly pervading sense of warmth and comfort. While each quaff leaves my palate dry, Ruination’s body is pleasantly wet, sticky and full, practically dripping with fruit juices, pine sap, hop oils, and sweet spring grass wet with dew. Each quaff dances effervescently across my tastebuds, and much sooner than I would have liked, I find our time together nearing a close. Mouth watering, I savor the last couple quaffs with relished abandon. If this is ruination at its worst, I’m partial to say it is some of the best.

While I had rather lofty expectations of the Ruination IPA going into it due to previous experiences with other Stone beers, the proof is always in the beer itself. Staying impartial can seem an impossible feat at times, and I have had few major disappointments from otherwise outstanding breweries. Thankfully, Stone has decided to not buck the trend, and their Imperial IPA, Ruination, is one sweet, sticky, hoppy mess of a beer in all the best ways possible.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. The color is a slightly cloudy yellowish gold with a white foamy head. The smell has a strong hop flavor, some citrus and alot of piny hop flavor. The taste is a bit strong. A surprise a bit to the taste buds. The hops slide over the tongue and really kicks with spicy hope feel. Some citrus flavor in the background as well. The flavor comes right to the front. Like most Stone beers you can not ignore the taste of their beers. IMO the straight forward strong flavor of the beer looses a slight degree of drinkability. It ends up being worth the trade off. The pallete does take a second to get used to the hop explosion but once it’s up to speed, you enjoy it all the more. Serving type: bottle

Dark amber with a nice white head. Aroma is fruit,hops and bitter. Flavor is the same. Very nice beer.

22 oz. Bomber. Snifter. Purchased at Fred Meyer, per usual. This was my first favorite DIPA, and after having made the circuit of outstanding beers such as Pliny(s), Dreadknaught, Dogfish Head 90, Hopslam, and all the others...Ruination RULES!!! Can’t believe I strayed from this beer for 3 months. It is the best. The Aromas scream for attention. The Flavors as well. The palate is perfect. This will always be the gold standard for me.

pretty good beer here. Tastes fairly hoppy, piney, grassy. everything you could look for in a strong IPA. Gotta love it cuz it’s readily available anywhere, if you’re looking for a good IPA and don’t feel like trying something new this is the way to go

Bottle pours a amber bronze body with a white head. Citrus pine and grass. Floral with etoh latent fruit. Grassy pine and earthy bitterness. Good stuff.

Pours a slightly hazy orange with a thin white head. Fruity, citrus hop aroma. The flavor is quite bitter, but full of other hop qualities as well - particularly mildly sweet citrus. Lasting bitter aftertaste. Stands apart from other strong IPAs (doubles, imperials, whatever) by being neither overly sweet nor heavy. Wonderful.

Excellent beer. Monstrous hops, although the bitterness is NOT overwhelming, even at 100+ IBUs. There is a lot of balancing malt sweetness, and amazing hop taste. Many people will say Dogfish 90 Minute is smoother, which may be so, but you seriously can’t go wrong with this beer.