Stone Ruination IPA

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

Good, but slightly short of great. For 100 IBUs, it’s a very well balanced beer. I think I could probably drink this all night. Odd that there’s no palate ruination going on here, given the reputation. I’d had this once before but not in any good state to rate it. Something slightly funky in the aroma, like a garden after a rainstorm. Clean malt, clean bitter hoppyness. Very tasty, and very more-ish.

Very nice aroma of hops. Flavor is very clean and hoppy, with a bracing mouthfeel. Overall is a clean, very hoppy IPA, but not much else, not particularly special.

Pours a lighter gold with just under half an inch of head. More full bodied beer. On the aroma I am getting hops and more hops. Also I am getting floral aromas there as well, indicative of a west coast double IPA. On the palate I get hops and a citrus bite to the finish there as well. Also strong hop floral flavors are coming out through every part of the beer. Very strong hop finish. This beer is aptly named as I had a beer after it that I had had many times, yet having this one before it ruined my palate. Awesome!

This is crazy I thought you could have too much hops. It knocks you down before it touches your lips. Then a perfect balance on the palate. Now dont get me wrong you have to love some hops.This beer was much better than I ever thought it could be.

22 oz bomber. My initial thoughts upon drinking ruination is that I’m slightly dissapointed, but not in the sense that I think it’s not a good beer. It’s just a slight let down considering the pedestool that I put stone’s ipa on. The aroma is rather thick, probably as thick as it gets for a beer that’s not even 8% abv. Thick but not bad, as there’s some great hop qualities with notes of tropical citrus, wood, herbs, melon fruit, malted caramel, and light alcohol. Not very much head on the pour, and no real retention, tranlucent, yet still bold looking, and honey orange in color. A lot of heavy hop in the taste, though fairly well balanced. Still, so much hop that too me is some of the most ibu’s I’ve ever gotten from a beer. Not as thick and chewy though even with all this bitter going on. The aroma compliments the flavors well as there’s a good deal of fruitiness, mostly that thick tropical fruit sort, melon, and some sweet frutis, along with some herb, and malted caramel. All good notes, but they could have come together a little bit better. I love the intensity of this beer, but I still can’t help to be slightly dissapointed as I have had better overall double ipas.

Bottled. Bitter, strong. Truly ruins the taste buds - my girlfriend was drinking a Midas Touch and needed to cut the flavor - I gave her a sip of my Ruination. True to its word it certainly dulled the flavor of the Midas. A powerful, hoppy beer.

On tap at Pour 24. Hop and malt in the aroma. Such a sweet taste, lots of hop and bitterness. Savor this one to the last drop.

(Bottle at Sorbon, Bromma, on 2009-07-28) Amber and clear. Small white head. Hoppy and malty aroma. Medium bodied and dry palate with low carbonation. Malts, sweetness, molasses, hops, fruitiness, grass and bitterness in taste. Malty and bitter aftertaste.