Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

RoyalT

Ohio

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance – The Ruination pours a gorgeous orange color with a terrific head that laced the heck out of my Ruination (what else?) glass on a modest pour. This one is thick through and through. I could stare at this all night if I didn’t want to drink it so bad.

Smell – This one has a big, complex hop profile. I can pick up everything from nice floral notes to big citrus to very smooth pine resin. There’s also a good malty sweetness that gives this Double IPA an incredibly full bouquet. It’s balanced but assertive in its style. The aroma announces the above-standard qualities of this ale.

Taste – This is very distinctive. It’s big and complex with a huge hop flavor that screams, “quality ingredients,” mixed reasonably with some very attractive malts and a good caramel sweetness for balance. It is perfectly executed for the style and demands attention by the thoughtful beer drinker.

This is like a full course meal with different flavors all around but that satisfies in the end. The hops are very floral and mixed with a pinch of table sugar and a six-inch grapefruit wedge. You can learn a lot from this beer.

Mouthfeel – There’s just enough carbonation to make this one entertaining. It is full in the mouth and incredibly smooth. It’s thick and chewy just like an American Double IPA should be.

Drinkability – My body loves this as it does oxygen. This brew is awesome. You don’t want to drink it with any food because it’s so filling and so flavorful.

Update – This is a staple in my house, so I thought that I’d re-review it with a batch from 2004. Is it still a perfect 5? Even after a bottle or two a week of this stuff it’s still perfect and I still haven’t found a better IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2003 03:02:37 | More by RoyalT

rajendra82

Georgia

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

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.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2004 05:05:09 | More by rajendra82

twilight

Germany

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Alrightie kiddies, this is it. This is the end of all things beer. I'm so close to giving this beer a five but the lack of a proper head- Then again, it does leave the most delicate lacing on my tulip glass and the bubbles along the side are like soap, and the clearness of the light orangish copper brew are begging me to. It just leaps at you, kind of mysteriously. But must resist because I thought I'd never five a beer. Must resist. Must resist.

There is this wonderfully hoppy aroma, like opening a bag of hops and just inhaling. But it's not harsh like someother hoppy beers, just pleasant and slightly malty with maybe, just maybe the alcohol hinting through. Or is it just the alpha acids reciting their poetry?

The taste. The taste is Mon Dieu. It's like an unholy overtaking of the tongue, assauting it with the hop until beaten into submission and left with the most deliciously bitter tongue known to man. Yeah, the malt is in there somewhere, you can taste it, but the real star is the hop. It's piney, oh is it piney, with a fleeting taste of perhaps oak, not a huge amount of citrus, but this is after all a west coast IPA.

Smooth mouthfeel. I love how Stone has this carbonation that just feels like it's almost not there. It's so non-intrusive. Drinkability. Screw the ABV. I would drink this all night with no regrets. As for the tongue replacement surgery, we'll deal with that later...

The first time I had this last December, I knew after the first sip that I was destined to be a hophead. My brother-in-law and I looked at each other and yelled "Awww, yeaaah!" And it's been too long since I've had this. Here's to Stone and here's to the glory of the Hop. This is truly a miraculous beer. Even my burps taste good!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2004 02:06:31 | More by twilight

NolateM

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a stemmed pilsner glass. It's orangish-gold and completely free of haziness, and it has a thick, wonderful white head, with very nice lacing quality.

Aroma is powerfully delicious. Citrusy, piney, hoppy... just what I expected, but amped up.

Upon first sip, I think "wow, this has the incredibly smooth qualities of the regular Stone IPA." Then I wait a few seconds. Suddenly, I taste a waterfall of hops and citrus and pine and bitterness cascading through my mouth. It gets stronger and stronger as the seconds go by. Yet, the bitterness is pleasant and not overbearing. I had a HopDevil before I drank this, which was actually more bitter than this beer. Still, some might find this Ruination IPA experience difficult to handle... I find it to be one of the greatest IPA experiences of my entire life. No, make that THE greatest.

The mouthfeel is weird, but AWESOME. I give it a five because I can actually feel the hop presence getting stronger and stronger AFTER I sip it. There's not really much malt presence that I detected, but who cares... it's a freakin IPA.

Shockingly drinkable for its alcoholic strength and hop potency.
I never thought I'd give a beer straight 5s, but this is a perfect IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2006 19:45:21 | More by NolateM

Tumpster

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Far and away my favorite DIPA of em all, it holds true to it's word though, in ruins you're palate but in a good way. Tast is very hoppy and very bitter but it's DIPA what really did you expect? ;-) Mouthfeel is very full feeling with the alcohol not being too overpowering to you but I could see being very well off after a few of these. My tip is to open this up and pour into a glass and take a smell right off the bat. That, my friends, is a dang good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 03:39:17 | More by Tumpster

Grimes

Ohio

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful gold with a thick foamy head that slowly dissolves.

Smells of hops and grapefruit

Taste is bold and bitter. Very earthy-almost like biting into a bouquet of flowers. I have a garden in my mouth right now and I don't know how it got there.

Mouthfeel is full and carbonated, but with a nice balance.

I can see this becoming a mainstay in my refrigerator. I love this beer just as much, if not more than Arrogant Bastard, and that's saying a lot!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 22:16:12 | More by Grimes

orcasteve

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

this one is my first 5.0 a+ beer, this one is not for the faint of heart, this is big and bold and the bitterist beer i have ever had, if you like hops as much as i do than this beer is for you, but if you are a biggner or scard of the hops than this is not for you, this beer boast 115 ibu's and the name and bottle say it all, your tast buds will be signifantley ruined to all outher tates after drinking this one. this one is perfection in a glass and the standard b y witch i judge all outher ips's

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 19:58:29 | More by orcasteve

crocodillonIPA

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

At Trenton Road Takeout and The Hulmeville Inn, this masterful beer is constantly is cold supply of bottles. As the label implies, if you think it tastes bad, you clearly are not worthy of this liquid poem to the glory of the hop! Ruination is not only a beverage worthy of kings, but an elixir of true palatable flavor and distinguishable magnificence. If you do not like Ruination when you first try it, it is because you are a fizzy- yellow beer drinking wimp. Man up, drink Stone, or stay sober.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 05:42:09 | More by crocodillonIPA

corby112

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a perfect beer for hopheads. It pours a nice orange amber color with a thick foamy off-white head. Aroma is dominated by bitter earthy and citrus hops. Very bitter hoppy flavor that lasts throughout with a perfect malt backbone balance. It is like biting into a plant. One of the bet IPAs(or any other beer) I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 07:44:17 | More by corby112

friesfox5

Ohio

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber imto a pint glass.
A- Tons of lacing. Orange hue. Large foamy head.
S- Hops, grass, hops, hops.
T- Heavenly! This beer is hops front and center. The hops linger on your tongue but are nicely balanced with the malts. There is a spectacular hoppy, bitter aftertaste.
M- Great body and tongue tingle.
D- This is one GREAT double IPA. Gold standard would be a good definition.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 22:28:41 | More by friesfox5

Pup

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Golden pour with a thick, billowy head, champagne bubbles, and is that the face of the Baby Jesus I see in there?

Citrus, hops effervescently dancing on my olfactory nodes.

Hoppy, citrusy, tangy, just plain delicious.

Crisp refreshing mouthfeel.

Chug-a-lug, you'll feel it after the first two, POW! Catalina Wine Mixer, POW POW!

What can I say, I effing love this beer. This is the greatest beer ever.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 23:43:55 | More by Pup

edwardk

Arkansas

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz. Bottle - Enjoy By Date: 01-13-10, almost made it.

Appearance is a cloudy amber with a nice head.

Smell is piney citrus hop lovelyness.

Taste is a hop dominate bomb, but not as harsh as the 100+ IBU would suggest. Citrus with a doughy finish. Delicious and chewy.

One of these and I was done for the night.
I loved this beer and if you're into hops you will too.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 00:13:51 | More by edwardk

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I loved the IPA so when I hear the Ruination IPA was not only with more hop flavor but at 6.99 a bomber at the Monroeville Giant Eagle it was mine that day.

A - Slight haze amber with incredible head and lacing. Lovely.

S - Big hops smell. Smells of strong pine, citrus and grapefruit. Little or no malt smell to speak of.

T - Very hoppy just not as bitter as the Hop Stoopid which I found to be perfect. Flavors are not only balance but refreshing. Very little malt so you have to be careful of your tolerance to bitter beers which I assume is high for me.

M - The label kind of scared me as a palate ruin but I found it opening my evening last beer to a couple other IPA's.

D - Well if I was in the Monroeville area I would have no problem getting another bomber. They were selling the same bombers at D's for 11 dollars which was ridiculous. For the price defiantly worth the brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 03:42:33 | More by DrDemento456

tewaris

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Stone Ruination IPA
Stone Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA
7.7% ABV
OG?
100+ IBUs
12 oz bottle with an "enjoy by" date of October 19, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter

Appearance 5/5
Very clear orange-red; amber when backlit with white light. Big, off-white, persistent head and insanely fantastic lacing.

Aroma 5/5
Very fresh and herbal, intense, hop aroma. Piney and grassy. I can smell it without sticking my nose in it.

Taste 5/5
Starts bitter, finishes bitter; or as BJCP says, absurdly bitter. There's a decent malt backbone, but I must say that it's just a backbone: no sweetness can be perceived when the beer is cold and it's tough to let it warm (see Drinkability). But for the sake of review, I let another bottle warm up, and the hop flavor, combined with the malts renders a fruity character before the finish. But this beer is not about malt character at all. It's all it claims to be! A dry and bittering finish, with notable warming; not just mouth (tongue, teeth, even lips), even my throat is bitter. The best kind of bitter, that could have gotten annoying, which brings us to the next item.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Hard to say whether it's an IPA or a DIPA, on the basis of mouthfeel alone but this won't deter me from giving this one the best score. The body is spot on, less than this could have made this an annoying experiment. Well carbonated and crisp, but not harsh.

Drinkability 5/5
Supreme. Nobody can have just one*
*Talking about those who can have one in the first place.

Other
Indeed a liquid poem to the glory of the hop. Had been waiting to get a fresh bottle to review and I have to say, it doesn't get better.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 07:31:17 | More by tewaris

bohemiandonut

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This one damn proud IPA. Where other beers would hide their hops behind sweet malt, Ruination merely doubles up on them. Consider this review an homage to the only IPA to truly get it right.

Nothing subtle going on here. My glass looks and smells like concentrated hop jizz just exploded all over it. I cannot honestly compare this to any sort of wimpy citrus or pine collaboration, it is an aroma all its own, a deep dank tangy bitterness running circles around every other IPA I've ever had.

Like I noted in the scent, there is something truly subterranean about this brew. Maybe I am drinking the product of some inhuman quasi-natural disaster? Perhaps the enlivened root system of an evil pine tree has taken hold of a grapefruit tree buried somewhere deep beneath a Chilean coal mine before it explodes and vaporizes all organic compounds in proximity? If it has, this is the acid rain of that explosion, and it tastes so good!

You know how when you go back in for that last little follow up sip of a beer and it's missing the *pow* that a deeper slug would give you? Yeah, this beer doesn't either. Every little drop is dripping with flavor, tongue-curling flavor.

So easily my favorite DIPA it's not even funny. This hop monster makes Pliny look like it hasn't even earned an I much less a D.

I guess it's true. I'm going nuts. Stone has won my heart. Those insensitive jerks!

(Bomber into snifter; golden orange; seafoam bone head.)

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 00:59:39 | More by bohemiandonut

bud914

New York

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm not going to go through a lot of hoops here.
I bought this beer based on a magazine review.,
Being a hophead i was hoping this was a decent beer but not that exceptional because it's a bit pricey.
But after taking my first sip it was simply the best beer i have ever had.
It's to hoppy for most of my friends so it does not even make it the beer fridge. It's only for me.
If you like Hops try this one. But be prepared to fall in love.

If there is a better hoppy beer out there please let me know. I would love to try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 00:53:34 | More by bud914

patobandito

New Mexico

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a mean mother of a beer. It pours so innocently with a beautiful golden color. Smells strongly of grapefruit and pine. Then you taste it. and it destroys your mouth in the best way possible. Pure hoppy goodness all around, but never so overpowering that you cannot drink it. Its one of those beers, that if you like hops, you have to drink again and again. And I do.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 04:23:29 | More by patobandito

thebrood1987

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

You can smell this as you pour it... It has a very strong grapefruit citrus and a touch of pine in the smell. This is more grapefruity smelling as opposed to the regular Stone IPA which I picked up more citrus and pine on the nose. As soon as you drink it you get a very quick flash of sweetness and then pine sap, tree like bitterness mixed in with that citrusy grapefruit flavor just hits the middle of your tongue and lasts long on the back end of the tongue. Wow... what a beer. This is a more pungent version of their regular IPA.

They have similar tastes but this one comes out with more of a grapefruit smell taste and bitterness but still holds the same citrus pine like character as the regular Stone IPA has. The lasting bitterness can really prove this IPA or double IPA is really the real deal here. When everyone talks about American IPA this should be the very first one they mention. This is a hop bomb but thats not to say theres some malty full body sweetness in there which there is at the very beginning of the sip. You can't even detect the alcohol on this one either because of the pungent hops. This is my favorite bitter IPA of all time.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 23:31:57 | More by thebrood1987

Rocketman8911

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Probably one of the best Imperial IPA's I have ever had.

The appearance was great a nice 2 finger head and beautiful light amber color.

The smell is of hops is deep with a citrus note and slight malt note.

The taste is sweet malt on the tip of the tongue and hops the rest of the way.

Mouthfeel is medium body with a nice level of carbination.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 00:57:18 | More by Rocketman8911

MassDriver

Texas

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Beautiful hazy yellow/gold with a light 1 finger white head.

S: Pine, citrus, a complete hop overload! I could smell this from three feet away!

T: Bitter bitter bitter! Glorious citrus flavors that leave you wanting more and this beer provides! Nice malt backing to even the flavor out but hops dominate in this brew.

M: Smooth and a bit dry on the mouth feel but oh so wonderful.

O: This is by far one of my all time favorites. The taste is spectacular and overwhelming. Total sensory overload but in the greatest way possible!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 05:10:50 | More by MassDriver

Forb

Nebraska

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 650ml bottle...

Appearance: Beautifully hazy golden orange hue with a fluffy / creamy 1 finger head. The glass is white-walled with lacing.

Smell: My lord, never have I smelled so much hop deliciousness from a beer before. This smell excites with an actual hop 'sweetness'!!

Taste: The taste of a sweet hop essence so smooth and delectable that I can honestly say it's the closest to draft I've ever had from a bottle. Just amazing.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, hoppy, happy, and just downright filled with the love of brewing. This beer makes a ! and it indicates appreciation for the fine art of brewing.

Overall: The best IPA I've ever had. Hands down. Even if your not a hophead. JUST DO IT! Prosit!!!!

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 22:20:41 | More by Forb

VicSlick

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

ten out of ten. absolutely awesome IPA. SO DAMN GREAT. I do not wanna get into a detailed description right now, so let me just say it is a magical, awesome IPA that I can enjoy time and time again. Thank you. ... I will be enjoying this brew in the near future because, well, it is great. Please, try one now. SO GREAT!

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 09:13:35 | More by VicSlick

BeerNoobNC

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had on-tap at Brewery Night at Flying Saucer in Raleigh.

I have seen the beer under the IPA and double IPA categories. To me, it did seem like a borderline beer that could easily go under either category. The beer definitely has more hoppiness to it than some normal IPAs. However, the hops did not completely dominate the taste of the beer like some other Double IPAs that I have had. There was a very complex array of tastes that you get in every regular IPA, but it seemed to have that much more flavor to balance well with the hops. That is why, in my opinion, it is probably the best IPA I have ever had. Not to mention, I got a sweet pint glass with it.

I highly recommend this beer, whether it be in a bottle from the store or on-tap at the bar.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 18:08:26 | More by BeerNoobNC

Lockedin

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I know all 5's are supposed to be rare, but I'm spending one here.

A: Absolutely gorgeous! Pours a completely clear dark amber color; I doubt the Hubble telescope could achieve this kind of clarity. 1.5 Finger white / orange head. Medium / Low carbonation. Amazing lace sheets the pint glass throughout the drink. IMHO this is what beer SHOULD look like.

S: Very floral hops, pineapple, pine, and an underlying biscuity malt presence round out a hop heavy, yet balanced nose, 7.7 abv (as listed on the bottle) is nowhere to be found.

T: Floral upfront, followed by a quick reminder of malt, and then the palate ruining pine and citrus hops seize the taste buds. Malts try to regain some presence in the end with a reminder of fresh, doughy biscuits; but the floral, citrus hops dominate and subdue the tastebuds with a lingering bitter finish that goes on forever. Alcohol presence is only noticed with a slight warming of the belly halfway through.

M: Medium body, though somewhat oily, the carbonation is just enough to scrub the tongue clean for more ruinous hops on the next sip. As mentioned in the taste, the finish goes on and on - pleasant bitterness remains, but not too much. A balanced hop bomb?

O: Hands down one of my favorite beers. Amazingly easy to approach, despite the gargoyle's warning on the back of the bottle, despite the name and reputation. This is a BIG beer in every sense, and it slaps every sense upside the head. It will seize your attention, grab you by the nose and make everything else you taste this evening seem bland in comparison - but it that's the idea, isn't it?

Amazing stuff!

Again, all 5's should be rare, reserved for nectar such as this.

Thanks Stone!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 10:10:02 | More by Lockedin

Raven3464

Japan

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: The beer pours a gorgeous golden-orange body with a one finger heard. The clarity of this beer is second to none for the style.

Smell: There is an initial explosion of hop bitterness and citrus. This is balanced by an underlying aroma of sweet pine, lemon juice, and fresh flowers. This is what an IPA or Double should smell like.

Taste: The citrus hop bomb hits immediately. This transitions into a grapefruit and orange sweetness on the mid-palate. A freshly baked bready malt flavor can also be detected. The beer finishes with a pine bitterness that lingers forever.

Mouthfeel: It is oily with just enough carbonation to cleanse the palate for another sip of hop heaven. The "feel" makes the fruit flavors and hop bitterness stand out on the tongue. As mentioned above, a dry bitter taste lingers for quite a long time.

Overall: Simply put, this is a hop lovers dream. There should be a picture of this beer under the definition of Double IPA. Kudos to Stone for creating this masterpiece for which all Double IPA's should be judged. By far this is my favorite beer for the style and worth all "5s."

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 09:40:35 | More by Raven3464