Stone Ruination IPA

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

A great IPA, simply put. This one has great balance and finish. The hoppiness here is just delicious. The brew was a little stickier than expected, nevertheless it is excellent overall even for one who doesn’t easily praise IPAs. Highly recommended.

22oz bomber. A bright orange color with a white foamy head. Aroma is floral and citrus. Flavor is grassy and hops with a big bitter end. Overall good beer and I will buy more.

On tap at Redlight. This is as if someone mixed hops and a mule, and then had the mule kick me in the face. I’ve never been kicked in the face by a hop before. Pours an amber color with a white head. Very floral and citrusy smell. Ruination stuck with me til I was halfway done with a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout...it’s that flavorful. Really liked it. More please.

Pour is deep golden, with a white foamy head. Aroma is classic DIPA, full of all kinds of hops and spice. The first thing I got from the taste was the spice, in a peppery way. Really like ground black pepper. Also ginger, grapefruit-citrus, and grassy hops. Strong bitter, but balanced by a malty/alcohol sweetness. No alcohol burn, but some warming. The main note is the spicy pepper for me though. A huge success.

Bottle @ the Rover 081128. Pours yellow with orange tinge and big creamy white head. The first smell is typical cali ale with apricot jam and oranges. Then comes a distinct hoppy aroma of cheap perfume and detergents. Reminds me of blue urinoir soap stones. Perfumy citrusy flowery and slightly spicy hops. Favor is soft malty with flowery perfumy hops, followed by assertive, but surprisingly balanced bitterness with perfumy and slightly grapy charachter. Very big body, almost sweet. I was disappointed by this beer. I was expecting something seriously bitter. This was malty sweet with cheap perfumy hops.

(10/23/08) Bottle drank in my hostel room in New York. Clear deep golden color with a medium stable white head. Aroma full of hops, resin, some pine needles, some flowery notes, cookies and some caramel. Sweet flavor with malt, caramel, cookie dough and some fruity notes. Continues with a very bitter hoppy attack (but still remains quite balanced) with pine and some grapefruit and light alcoholic hints. A very pleasant DIPA.

Had a bottle of this when in Vegas...holy hell! Initial impression of bottled hop flowers with a touch of malt at the back there somewhere - slightly overpowering at first, until your taste buds are bludgeoned into line! By the end of the bottle I was starting to enjoy it,and appreciate its nuances a bit more. We need more beer like this in Aus.

Taste 11/8 Bottle. Looks: Amber with a nice thick head. Aroma: Fruit and pine hop nose, with a little malt aroma. Taste: Heavy pine and floral hops, very long lasting on the tongue and very drinkable. Lingering spice.