Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

Bauzen

New York

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hazy and golden pour, with heavy carbonation that produces generous, fluffy, two-finger-deep head.

Intense, buttery and bitter hops hit contour the aroma. I detected notes of citrus and pine, but you can tell it's going to be super sharp and bitter.

Flavor follows the nose, and just as I thought it would, Ruination proceeds to wreck the palate at first sip. It's very bright, and makes it hard to pick out the flavors and components once you've begun. Some would say it grabs your attention, I prefer to say it kills any possibility of enjoying other beers after this one (at least in the same evening).

Overall, I enjoyed Ruination, but not as much as other offerings from Stone... Like Enjoy By.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:29:13 | More by Bauzen

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a clean light copper, visible carbonation, 2 fingers of white fluffy head which gave off an intense amount of lacing. smells of pine, simcoe?, grapefruit, caramel. definitely getting lots of that typical simcoe cat-pee flavor, which i happen to love. a minty/piney/grapefruity hop experience. i really miss this beer. wish it weren't so damn expensive, i'd make it my go to. medium body with modest amount of carbonation.. creamy/sticky on the lips.

a wonderful beer. it'd been about 4-5 years since i had it, not because i was sick of it or anything but because i just wanted to try new beers. still as solid as i remember it. like i said, wish it were more wallet friendly.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:11:12 | More by facundoCNB

RaulMondesi

California

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kind of like having a hot girlfriend; at first you're all kinds of stoked, but after a while you take it for granted. Ruination is a solid beer that I love getting freaky with, but after a while, you kind of get bored. I'll keep up with the booty calls, but for the most part you want something new.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 04:03:11 | More by RaulMondesi

MeneerBeerSnob

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a bottle into a tulip

A-Dark molten gold with finger of white head that quickly fades to a rim with visible lacing.

S-Overwhelms the nose with the hops that will ruin your palate. very faint sweet resin and e tropical citrus.

T-Bitter hops assault the palate with very little citrus zest holding back the ruination.

M-Smooth body with light carbonation.

O-If you don't like hops, beware. I really enjoyed and will have again, but not my favorite DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:14:43 | More by MeneerBeerSnob

Roman5150

Michigan

4.69/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

bottle into tulip

appearance: amazing golden yellow, semi cloudy, a great looking DIPA. 1 finger white head

smell: heavy grapefruit, citrus, and floral notes. You can smell the bitterness. One of the best smelling beers out there.

taste: Follows the nose, but more bitter than it would imply. Huge grapefruit notes with some lemon, citrus, and even coriander on the back end. Not much malt presence, masked by the bitterness. Very flavorful beer, this would appeal to even people who may not like 'beer'.

Mouthfeel: perfect amount of carbonation

Overall: One of my favorite hop bombs, if you like bitter simcoe hoppiness (floral and tropical notes), you will love this. I prefer the Stone IPA over this because it's a little less bitter and allows the fruitiness to come through more. Still, this is a benchmark by which other DIPAs should be judged.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 20:15:03 | More by Roman5150

johnnydicfore

Ohio

4.34/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass

A: pours a nice copper color with very little head

S: floral, citrus, and hops

T: upfront is grapefruit bitterness followed earthy/grassy notes and finishes with pine and faint alcohol warmth

M: medium body, high carbonation, with a dry/crisp finish

O: doesn't quite live up to the hype but is still a fine DIPA

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:09:24 | More by johnnydicfore

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.44/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

L: Clear deep gold with a slight touch of haze. Head starts very creamy and lush, but soon breaks up into soapy bubbles. Good lacing.

A: Big floral, citrus, and slightly tropical hop notes. A little resiny, touch of pine and spice as well, extremely well rounded character (I love Centennial). Sweet, somewhat toasty malt is in the nose as well, not overbearing or boozy.

T/M: Firm bitterness upfront, moves into a blend of sweet fruity/floral hops and some toasty malt. Some grassy notes are also present in the finish, and the sweet malt becomes more drying. Nice fruity esters as well, great balance.

Overall, a fantastically easy IIPA to find, and drinks as well as just about any. Some have a more cutting edge hop character, and some may just be flat out better. But few can bring these standards to national distribution.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:23:32 | More by Siriusfisherman

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is a sexy looking beer! Bubbly gold, thick head and the ring upon ring of lacing decorates the glass! The smell is disappointing however. Incredibly easy to drink considering the 7.7 ABV. Hop presence lingers long after the beer is gone, which I really appreciate. This is certainly a palate wrecker. Nice job Stone!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:45:50 | More by DenverHopHead

WunderLlama

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle outed into a Sam Adams glass ( no this is not blasphemy)

Solid two fingers foam cap that slowly settles down to a thick white lid. Strong , pumped up lacings grab ahold of the sides on the way down. Deep honeyed orange-yellow hue.

Pine with citrus aroma. Clean, crisp, hoppy.

Sharp hoppy bite on the front of the tongue. Hop happy with a strong aftertaste on the back of the tongue. Medium weight on the tongue. You KNOW you are drinking an IPA after the first taste. Classic hop bitterness. If you like IPA 's , this is a beer for you.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:25:08 | More by WunderLlama

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.09/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12 oz brown bottle into a large snifter. No discernible 'drink by' or 'bottled on' dates.

A - Head is present, but a little weak--three-quarters finger and disappears into a lace on top of the liquid about 60 secs later. Lacing is prominent but also fades quickly. Body is a beautiful orange-yellow glow.

S - Piney, herbal, some alcoholic ether bite as well. I like the smell but wish it was a bit stronger.

T - More pine, hoppy bitterness, maybe some grapefruit as well peeking through.

M - Aftertaste is bitter but the body is smooth and makes this a very drinkable DIPA, in spite of its "ruinous" reputation.

Overall, a very solid beer. There are other double IPAs I would probably drink first but this one is a quality crafted beer that has no major criticisms from me.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 23:54:27 | More by LambicPentameter

jamescain

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I can't count the number of times I've had this beer and I still can't believe I've never reviewed it. Well I guess now is the time. It pours a hazy amber-yellow with a white head about a finger thick that slowly fades to a thin lacing. The smell is straight up piney goodness with hints of grapefruit and citrus. The taste is pallet crushingly bitter. But its more then that, there is a complexity you wouldn't think you would get from a hop bomb. Grapefruit is the predominate flavor with subtle malty notes still not lost amongst the hops. The mouthfeel is medium and approachable with a dry finish. Too often DIPAs are sweet and sticky. Overall I've always enjoyed this beer but now I've finally reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 16:17:27 | More by jamescain

jdhowe

California

3.15/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Enjoy by 06/27/13 printed on the bottle.

I've had a lot of trouble with this brew. I was initially unimpressed but supposed maybe I'd just gotten a bad bottle and gave it another shot. Then I was sold an out of date package only to later realize that the beer was not so fresh as would be intended. Thanks for having inscrutably small "best by" labeling, Stone -- now I know where to look, but to a consumer in a store one might miss it entirely as I did on first pass. So now I've picked up the freshest single I could find and am ready to review this beer, giving it the full benefit of the doubt on all previous attempts.

Poured a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a nearly clear amber with a bubbly but flimsy half-finger head, which dissipates very quickly leaving minor lacing. Points here for the clarity and color, at least.

S: I quite like this. Pine, some spice, citrus, and malt sweetness are strong and portend a flavorful experience.

T: Really a let down. The taste is thin on flavorful hop oils and malt, dominated by bitterness, which is lasting but not in a way that makes me excited about continuing. The pine, malt, and citrus from the nose are all evident (in roughly that order) but everything is just dominated by the bitterness of the hops, forming a poor balance. I've certainly tasted much worse beers and much less flavorful IPAs, but this is not a strong showing for Stone and the negative tenor of this review is probably coming from an expectation that this beer just can't fulfill. On warming the citrus shows a little stonger, the pine and bitterness mellow a bit, but the bitterness still dominates.

M: Again very nice. Well balanced carbonation with a smooth-finishing body make this a very drinkable beer.

O: If it only tasted better, this really could have been an excellent beer. As it is, I'm ready to write this one off as another offering of Stone's that just isn't nearly as good as their best.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 07:20:29 | More by jdhowe

rlee1390

Indiana

4.29/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-Clear orange, two finger head that leaves some lacing.

S-Good deal of hops, citrus, grass and pine with a nice balance.

T-Great balance, mild malt, citrus notes, grass a nice bitterness in the finish and a sharp hop bite.

M-Medium bodied, nicely carbonated and some hop resins.

O-A great DIPA. The day I had it, it was a little too warm out but I'll seek it ago again. This time the beer was roughly 2 months old so hopefully I can find it even fresher.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:41:00 | More by rlee1390

diddly

New York

4.74/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber to a tulip glass

Slightly hazy, gold color, with a thick, bubbly white head, which dissipates. Lacing on the glass is fairly thick and long-lasting.

Smells richly of hops - little bit of that cat urine aroma, but also some grapefruit notes, and a little bit of clove, for what that's worth. There's also a nice sweet scent to the beer, just to show it's not all hops.

The taste is exactly what I'm looking for in the style. Beautiful, rich hop tones right up front and at the end. There's balance, as well, but hops are obviously what this beer is about. Grapefruit and pine are the dominant flavors, with good sweetness for balance.

Feels medium to heavy, medium carbonation, not too sweet or bitter.

Overall a great imperial IPA, and one of the best out there. Great hoppiness, but simultaneously balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:44:06 | More by diddly

Alextricity

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Enjoy by 6/27/13 ... this seems to be a pretty fresh bottle. 12oz bottle poured into Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance: A crystal clear yellow-orange color. I had about three fingers of a creamy head that lasted quite awhile. Lacing is very nice.

Smell: I find it subtle, but good ... no thanks to my aggressive pour, the head was so thick that I could barely pick many aromas out of this one. Once it died down, I got some more. Pretty sweet smelling, but definitely more piney and spicy than grapefruity.

Taste/feel: It's a good one. The taste has quite a bit of sweetness at first, but the bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue upon swallowing. Given that it's 100+ IBUs, you can expect it to be pretty damn bitter. I get a LOT of resinous, piney hops in this one, but there's malt sweetness to keep it from being too bitter... I even get a somewhat biscuity taste on the finish. As it warms up, the malt becomes more pronounced, and there's a slight alcohol burn on the finish of each sip. It's definitely not a balanced beer, as it's more bitter than sweet, but that's not a bad thing -- unless of course, you can't stand a bitter beer. Despite the bitterness, Ruination is an easy drinking, smooth beer. As good as the beer tastes, the burps are even better, I think... supper hoppy deliciousness. Only Hopslam has a better tasting burp! The taste of this beer lingers quite awhile after each sip, but I don't mind at all, since it's pleasant.

Ruination is another beer from Stone that I definitely approve of. At $3.29 a 12oz bottle though, it's kind of hard to recommend, as there are plenty of IPAs, I think, that are just about equally as good (and more balanced) for about $2 a single or $10 a sixer. At the same time, Ruination has something about it that isn't quite like other DIPAs out there, so I'd definitely recommend trying it. Excellent beer, and the high ratings are justified, I think.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 15:21:35 | More by Alextricity

Ham-Nord

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a cloudy pale golden colour. About ½ inch of head with lacing down the glass.

S: Very strong hop aroma reminiscent of tropical fruits. Smells deliciously hoppy and sweet.

T: Great hop flavour up front with a powerful, yet balanced bitterness afterwards. Not much malt flavour, but there is some sweetness throughout.

M: Medium body, well carbonated. Very bitter.

O: This is a fantastic IPA. It is quite bitter with a beautiful hop aroma, but this is definitely not a sessionable beer. Best to enjoy one and then move along to your next beer of the day.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:19:42 | More by Ham-Nord

patpbr

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter, from a bomber

Appearance - Hazy orange color but without a lot of head retention
Smell - Hop, citrus and pine.
Taste - Gets your attention at the first sip. Malt and Grapefruit. Then the hops, Citrus, Pine, Flora. Quite Bitter and all in your face, and all delicious.
Mouthfeel - Medium body and well carbinated.
Overall - The description Stone gives this one is correct. Its hop centric and the taste lingers with you throughout. Well worth it if you like the style

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:49:25 | More by patpbr

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.39/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Total Wine in Tampa. From notes.

A - A lovely IPA with a nice golden colour that was bright. Two finger dense off white head. Mild carbonation, good lace drapes, half finger of retention.

S - Great hop profile. Very pungent. Juicy, citrus, sugar. Lovely hop forward, West Coast IPA. Sugary/syrupy fruits were there with a dank hop profile. Lovely.

T - Great grapefruit and sweet tropical fruits up front with lot's of depth of flavour. Turns to a giant bitter hop finish.

M - Strong bitterness as expected. Good carbonation, medium to full body and good carbonation.

O/D - I thought this was an IPA when I bought it but turns out it's a DIPA. Strong for the weaker of the styles, and probably appropriate for the bigger. A very well crafted IPA with massive yet restrained characteristics that are in your face, but not prohibitively so. Great all aspects. Sessionable yet deserving of attention and small sips.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 20:45:44 | More by tbeckett

retry4z

California

3.95/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served from a 22oz bottle ($6) at room temperature into a Stein mug.

Clear copper with persistent tan head.

Citrucy smell combined with hops and pine, some alcohol.

Some hops, citrus, and pine flavor.

Medium-bodied, medium carbonation. Goes down smoothly.

Overall a solid IIPA worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 11:46:42 | More by retry4z

drrone

Arizona

4.39/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a clear golden yellow with slight a amber shade. 1 finger of white head that faded slowly to leave a scant amount of lacing.

S - Nice fresh hops and pine, a touch of honey. Not much else that I can pick up. Strong, but not overwhelming, quite nice.

T - Great hop wallop. Hops, citrus, and light malt. Great taste.

M - Nice to drink, it's a lower ABV for an IIPA, so it's not too boozey. Good crisp taste, with light to medium body. Nice carbonation.

O - Great IIPA. This was one of the craft beers that I feel in love when I initially got into craft beer and it continues to give me a hop dose that I yearn for. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 21:00:22 | More by drrone

Maninthearena

Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type- 12oz Bottle poured into a glass.

Appearance- A nice orange golden appearance with a little cloudiness, head dissipated but left a nice lace on its trip down the glass.

Nose- Hops and small hints of evergreen with a pinch of floral notes.

Taste- Intense hoppy bitterness as intended. What stands out is that while the hops are obviously the dominant element here, it is not so overwhelming. In other words, it's not just like you're drinking hop juice, it's a beer crafted around the hop flavor. Some slightly sweet maltiness underneath to soften the blow a little bit. Finishes bitter but leaves you in anticipation for the next round with a little bit of sour fruit once it has opened up.

Palate- Maintains its body throughout the sip, extremely smooth for such a hopheaded brew, and hits the palate with a vigor of a beer with much less of an ABV.

Overall- A treat when you're in the mood for a powerful dose of hops. More well balanced than a majority of pale ales centered around 1 or 2 main flavors with its body and drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:41:14 | More by Maninthearena

xShoWTeKx

South Carolina

4.66/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Poured from bomber into a snifter with a very small white head leaving nice lacing all the way down. The color of this beer is a hazy gold and has bubbles rising throughout.

S: Straight citrus nothing else, it smells of fresh cut grapefruit.

T: More citrus bite, light piney taste, and a very very slight hint of caramel malt. The alcohol is surprisingly present in this beer despite having such a low abv.

M: Medium bodied with huge carbonation and a dry finish.

O: A very very well done beer for any hop head. Surprisingly not as bitter as expected, very well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:43:51 | More by xShoWTeKx

BBAVUSO21

New York

4.56/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Pint glass. Decent lacing. A strong aroma of citrus and pine slaps ya right in the face immediately during pouring. Waves of hoppy goodness over the palate during the finish. Overall a great ipa. One of my favorites. You really cant go wrong with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:04:52 | More by BBAVUSO21

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance – Pours a clean orange amber color with a head that dissipates quicly and a light spotted lacing.

Smell – Sweet lemons, light pine, and hops. Really nice.

Taste – Pine and hops. Not overpowering; quite nice actually.

Mouthfeel – Lightly carbonated and smooth, but leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Drinkability – A very nice tasting IPA. Very easy drinking, but a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 07:31:28 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber w/ no date

look is a clear golden orange, with lots of bubbles. Lots of fine sediment throughout. Smell is light pine/lemon and buttery malt. Taste is a crisp, smooth delivery of extremely bitter pine/lemon. Finish is yeasty, with peppery alcohol. No IPA slickness or syrup feeling in the mouth.

delicious

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 16:22:00 | More by jimmah120