Stone Ruination IPA

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

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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UPDATED: JAN 19, 2003 ah yeah, this is what its all about. a nice bitter aftertaste lights your head up and actually tastes good when it warms up. drink it you fool!

A perfect IPA. Beautiful amber color and a nice head. The nose screams citrus, floral, and herbaceous hop character. The perfect blend of hops lends a flavor that is so prominent that it takes a few moments to really appreciate the masterfully crafted beer underneath. A titan of IPAs.

As much as I love Stone's DOuble Bastard Ale and Imperial Stout (and Imperial Stouts in general), this is perhaps my favorite beer ever. (Yes, Guinness is draught is something I can drink 24-7, but this is absolutely fabulous!) The initial sweet, hop aroma does not end in disappointment. Spicy, grapefruit aromas follow. The head this beer pours is prodigious, and the lacing it leaves is phenomenal. The hoppy palate is not quite what the label makes it it out to be, but I find it damn near perfect. This is THE standard IPA that all others should be judged by. Whle certainly not for hop-haters and light beer-lovers, it is an amazing brew. Try this beer!!! I can't guarantee it will be your favorite ever, but you WILL enjoy it and respect its power.

Wow..A fantastic Brew.A clear orange/red color.Great crip Hop burst with each sip!Its not huge on malt flavor,but just plain hops,wich is one of the reason this brew impressed me!

This beer is the stuff of dreams for any dedicated hop head, such as myself. What a glorious experience indeed. The body is liquid gold, with an inch and a half thick head that crowns atop it. The carbonation in the underlying liquid is picture perfect, and the thick body slows the ascent of the tiny bubbles down noticeably. The head recedes down to a quarter inch in height, but never completely fades. Lacing is excellent as the beer goes into me. The aroma is like being airdropped into a pine forest. The cascade hops assault the palette with their pine resin like quality from the first sip. The flavors of grapefruit, butterscotch, peach, pear, and sour apple are also evident as let the beer lap my tounge. On most other IPAs the hop burps are the last thing to enjoy after the beer, but here, they come after just a few sips. The malt backbone is quite solid indeed, but is only there to hold up the hops. The alcohol is in there somewhere, but under the blanket of hops you never taste it, until your head starts spinning. The mouthfeal is creamy, and the drinkability is so good, it is scary. For me this is the pinnacle of the art of brewing. A beer this good does not come around often. Every beer lover should try this at least once. If you are not a hop head before, this beer may well convert you into one. Thank God, Liquid Solutions ships to Georgia. This beer will be on my shopping list during the next beer run to Chattanooga. And when that dreaded ABV cap is lifted, it will be hard to pick up anything else when I see Ruination on the shelves.

tons of hops and nice dry finish. leaves you with some sharpness to the tongue, but nicely balanced and incredibly mouthfull at the same time. one of the best double ipa’s i have ever had.

Pours out amber color with a head. Nice fruity aroma. Flavor is awesome!! Nice cirus hoppy flavor with a hint of pine. Awesome IPA!!!

What can I say. I love this beer. There isn’t one thing I dislike about it and I can’t say enough good things about it. I would drink it on a plane I would drink it in the rain I would drink it with a goat and I would drink it on a boat.....

UPDATED: OCT 25, 2005 This is such an amazing beer. So much hop aggressiveness, but it has a sweet, light malt backbone that’s strong enough to support 100+ ibu’s and then some. Yet somehow, still comes across as an IPA and not just another strong ale, amazing stuff!

Perfect beer in every sense! This is what an IPA should strive to become. Balance of hops and malt is just right. Floral hops, citrus, grapefuit along with the malt just explodes onto the tongue. A wonderful bouquet!