Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

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

cjnuxoll

California

2.11/5  rDev -51.4%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

smells like a lot of other pale ales and IPAs (which I am not a fan of). too hoppy without being spicy, rich or flavorful. i should qualify this by saying i like wheaty beers, particularly pilsners and lagers. has in my opinion a high bitterness to it that i don't care for; that's why i usually steer clear of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:02:15 | More by cjnuxoll

jjboesen

Maryland

4.81/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is unique hopbomb: heavy on the IBU but light on the body. It opens slowly with a sturdy froth topping a cloudy amber body. There is a gummy slab of splotchy lacing present throughout the quaff - a slow and deliberate one, to be sure.

Take a whiff and you will be punched in the nose by a massive pine fist with fingers of honey, apple and grass. Take a sip and your palate is greeted by an initial orange peel, which is supplemented by a thick rush of grapefruit that eases out in a pleasant finish. Yet ... despite the 100+ IBU, there is nothing harsh about it; this is an easy hopbomb that does not expolde in the palate - it even seems to melt in a quiet crispiness.

A wonderful brew from the San Diego area - but, what else is new about Stone?

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:45:23 | More by jjboesen

ajramirez1

Washington

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

One of very few stone beers i would buy on a regular basis. This dbl ipa is big and hoppy in my opinion just by the smell and taste you can easily tell its a Stone beer.

Initial smell is pleasing & can smell the hops. The taste is solid. Hoppy but no too overwhelming. Slightly low abv for an imperial. Good ipa's start at 7.0% in my opinion. 6.7% at very lowest...

This is a solid beer pick this ish up. Sold in 4pks i believe now, which is tits

A-

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:51:48 | More by ajramirez1

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice white head that dies down moderately and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, citrus and more citrus along with grapefruit, some piney resin and sweet caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some citrus, grapefruit, a fairly big pine resin presence and some sweet caramelly malts .

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:13:22 | More by SebD

KYGunner

Kentucky

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

Gorgeous pale orange coloring with an almost unfiltered resemblance, this IPA sets up a thick and frothy head.

Nice citrus notes of grapefruit, tangerine and orange. Subtle pine and flowers sit at the back of the nose as the citrus notes disappate quickly.

Strong maltiness hits the tongue first and then piney resins finish. Earthy tones get caught between the two in a smooth feel. Bits of orange can be caught hiding in the middle but musty and harsh metallic tastes hold the aftertaste to ruination the palate.

I must admit that it seems to be Stones intention to ruin ones palate but its just that, that makes this beer lose points. Why create an IPA with clean smooth citrus and earthy tastes and then let a strong metallic taste ruin it all?

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 21:52:50 | More by KYGunner

willhopforfood

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This is a great example of a double IPA even with the low ABV %.

Everything juicy and citrus on the nose and continues to the palate. No boozey taste noticeable at all. Dry finish leaves you wanting more.

Lives up to it's name. Wished it came in 6 packs.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 18:14:22 | More by willhopforfood

dar482

New York

4.54/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours in beautiful hazy gold orange color with a one finger head. Very cloudy.

The aroma is great. Rich juicy orange, freshly squeezed grapefruit. There’s a breadiness there as well along with pine.

The taste is pretty spot on. It hits you immediately with a gentle bitterness throughout. The aftertaste isn’t too cloying, but it’s of bitterness like a grapefruit pit, resin, and pine. The flavor is of dried out grapefruit. There’s an easing of bready malts that cleans up this beer however.

The finish is not as offensive as many Double IPAs out there. It’s ridiculously dry, but it doesn’t have this awkward cloying feeling. It’s an enjoyable bitterness that tastes natural of grapefruit pit and lingers lightly.

This is not as big of a hop bomb as Enjoy By, but I saw that as both a compliment and hit. For Stone beers, definitely try out Enjoy By, but on the regular, I would definitely prefer this. It’s so well balanced. One of the best Double IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:00:00 | More by dar482

f4zZ3

Sweden

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Bottle bought via Great brands at Systembolaget.

A: Looking really tasty. Golden, almost orange color. Thick foam and lacings on the glass.
S: Citrus, Pine, Some kind of fruit, pineapple? Sweet smell, some caramel notes. Loads of hops are showing what to expect.
T: Loads of bitterness. The fruit och caramel quickly disappear, overrun by the great bitterness and hoppy taste. Long lasting, fresh bitter end.
M: Feels refreshing and light even though it's a 7,7% IPA. Really good and my favourite IIPA (That I can get hold of easily) Leaves a lot of bitterness in the mouth. Perfect carbonation.
O: One of the best. Remeber when I had it the first time, wow! I really love this one. Great work Stone!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 23:20:12 | More by f4zZ3