Stone Ruination IPA

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

I really like IPA’s and this one only emphasizes that fact. Once you start to really like the bitterness of hops, you just can’t get enough and Ruination doesn’t disappoint. An extremely balanced IPA despite the fact that it rings in at 100 IBU’s in the bitterness department. Full, rich and yes, you can taste malt here. No, the malt isn’t a big player, but it rings the hops down to the point that they aren’t as overwhelming as you are expecting. Began the bomber inside and finished while grilling steaks outside in 35 degree temperatures. Delicious.

The only bad thing I can say about this beer is that it isn’t as "sweet" as the 5th anniversary was, which balanced the beer nicely. The Ruination is incredibly unbalanced towards the hops and I love it for that fact. Ruination is godfather of IPA

Tons of fresh hop aromas smacked me in the face as I opened the bottle and poured it into the glass. I’m talkin’ pine, grapefruit, and astringency jumping out of the glass. Incredible hop flavors accomany this aromatic onslaught and range from fresh Cascades/Centennial when the beer is poured to more subdued arthy tones as the beer warms. The malt backbone here is substantial, with toffee and caramel counteracting the hops well. Surprisingly, the finish isn’t overly bitter thanks to that generous malt component. This beer is clear and perfectly copper in color with a moderate head that did not last. I agree that this isn’t quite the hop monster that DFH 90 Minute is, but both are excellent. Great job, Stone!

Pale amber, translucent, light carbonation and foam. Exceptional fresh hoppy aroma, citrus and tropical fruits, but there’s also some malt evident. Lots of hop bitterness pucker the tastebuds, prickling the front and turning more bitter and citric at the end. But while there may be a strong citric bite at the finish it never really overwhelms (or is that just me drinking too many IPA’s). There’s some biscuity malt and tropical fruit sweetness that combine to good effect. Great IPA for those who want a little more.

honey colored, nice dense white head, big hoppy aroma, with a distinct floral character. big bitter hoppy flavour, the label claims 100IBUs and the taste is sharp and intense yet not without subtleties- I detected grapefruit, pepper and caramel.

This is a world-class beer. I like my double IPAs without the over the top alcohol. This one pours a syrupy golden color with a nice fluffy head and effervescent bubbles. Perfumy hops with some pineapple. Well balanced flavor. Don’t buy the propaganda, because I don’t feel this is over the top at all. Rich in malt, very sweet backbone, with a broad array of flavorful hops. Not overly piney or citric, just a friendly melange of bitterness. Alcohol is slightly evident on the aftertaste, but is fairly non-existent. A nice brew for sure.

Draught Blind Tiger NYC Great IPA. Extremely powerful in spite of the low alc percentage. One of the best double IPA’s I’ve tried. Refreshing, delicious finish.

I’ve had this bottle in my fridge for probably a year and a half now. No good reason for it sitting there that long, but it finally made its way out. Orange color, a little cloudy. Citrus scent, and a nice hop bitterness. Any more bitter, and I’m not sure how much I’d like it. But at this age, its damn near perfect. And since I can only rate it the way I’ve had it, it gets a near perfect rating. Fantastic stuff.