Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

MCain04

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 22 oz, $5.99, best by 4/8/13, drank on 2/10/13. Poured into Spiegelau snifter.

Appearance: Clear golden amber color, pure white 2-3 finger head, good retention, moderate lacing.

Smell: VERY nice. Grapefruit, mango, flowers, lots of pine, orange.

Taste: A bit subdued compared to the smell, but still quite nice. Follows along the smell profile, hop-forward taste with a lot of bitterness. Not very much malt at all. Just a tad thin to be world-class though.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, quite smooth. Not too sticky. A bit thin, as above.

Overall: Great DIPA from Stone that would doubtlessly be a staple of mine if available as a six pack for $12 or so. Still a good value at $6 a bomber, but I just don't buy it that often. Hop Henge is better IMO and is at the same price point. Always like to grab a pint of this when it's on tap though.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:04:35 | More by MCain04

sam_bliss

Washington

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

22oz bomber

Orange-ish copper crystal-clear beer with a few tiny bubbles serves as the foundation for a monstrous four-finger off-white frothy head. Beautiful. Smells floral and citrusy, fresh and bold, sweet and bitter. After sniffing an aroma predominantly of hops, I am taken aback by the strong roasted malt character providing the base for the taste. Yummy hops and a bit of charred bitterness throw a party on the palate. Ginger, tropical fruits, fields of flowers, and some lemon all shine through. An alcohol kick and caramelly flavor swirl around the cheeks and tongue. The medium-full body washes down with the tang of grapefruit. The beer is thick but carbonated and clean enough not to leave a sticky after-feel, just a residual happy-hoppy tingle.

This brew is kick-ass and complex. Each swig brings something as yet-unnoticed. A bit of tobacco just as liquid touches taste buds. Lilac in the nose. The woody smoothness of single-malt liquor. Brown sugar. Lingering OJ. Perfume of the gods. I could go on for hours. Actually, if I had a keg of this IPA I could go on for days describing flavors, smells, feelings, and experiences. But now I shall just enjoy. For it is quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:16:55 | More by sam_bliss

BlurryVisi0n

New York

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

Served in a snifter glass.

Served in a snifter glass (the way it should be drank).

Appearance: Amber with a haze to the body and small bubbles sticking the edge wall of the glass. White head roughly a finger's length.

Smell: Malty hops scent that is complimenting to the nose. Almost feels like a light smell of burnt sugar goes with it, absolutely delish.

Taste: A really nice complexity to it that is almost unforgiving. Talk about robust, rich bitter hop feel complimented with a light caramelness to it that makes you want more and more again.

Mouth: Medium carbonation with hops that just stick your cheeks after finishing.

Overall: Finally after a long time I am giving Ruination what is due, a beer worth having and if not worth keeping. Enjoying this beer with some home made rib eye steak I honestly couldn't ask for anything better at the moment. Rich and strong, It is a little pricey but what good beer isn't nowadays. If you see it and have never had the luxury of trying it and you like IPAs this is a must grab. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 22:37:53 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Sokool

Washington

4.71/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 22 oz bottle into an oversized wine glass. Hazy light amber with an inch of off-white head and heavy lacing all the way down. Smells like pine, citrus and...roses (first sniff only). This may be may favorite IPA to date. Wonderfully dry and bitter hop and citrus flavor, backed by a surprisingly solid malty backbone. The mouthfeel was just right, just enough thickness to give it some real substance, but stops well shy of being too syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:54:06 | More by Sokool

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Somewhat cloudy, pale-orange body. Thick white head that leaves a mess of lacing all over the glass.

S- Big aromas of piney hops balanced out by sweet toasted malt. Some soapy lemony aromas mixed in.

T- Huge piney hops come through in a big way. Toasted malt balances this one out slightly in taste, but the hops are at the forefront. The citrus flavors comes through towards the end in the way of lemon.

M- Great balance of carbonation and body. Very drinkable, but not something you would glp down.

O- A very good IIPA, but not quite there with the big ones.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 01:19:29 | More by stephenjmoore

arfenhouse

California

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz into nonic pint. Having alongside a PtE for reference.

A: Clear copper with off-white head. Big head with good retention and some lacing.

S:Pine, resin, and grapefruit hops. Sweet pineapple with a bit of caramel sweetness.

T: Big upfront juicy grapefruit taste. Sticky resin and pine aftertaste. Definitely bitter with a very small bit of the alcohol coming through.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Dry,

O: Good tasting DIPA. On the bitter side. Can hold well against other good DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 08:46:04 | More by arfenhouse

JaredM

New York

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

"Enjoy by 2-25-13"

A: Hazy orange. Pretty cloudy actually, not clear at all. Solid 2 fingers of head, didn't dissipate quickly. Not to much in the way of carbonation.

S: This smells delicious I'll be honest. The hops smell amazing with a very pronounced citrus and pine smell. Wow, my mouth is watering. I'd say the citrus is very orangy maybe even some peach in there.

T: Tastes just like it smells. It's got that bitter hop taste for sure but I'm not blown over by it by any means. In fact, it's very pleasant and extremely refreshing. Remind me to drink this cold on a summer day. Getting a lot of grapefruit coming through in the taste and not so much in the way of the pine. Feeling a bit of the alcohol burn in the chest. The bitterness is lingering.

M: Medium to light on the mouthfeel. Not chewy at all.

O: I was really looking forward to drinking this and it lives up to the hype. I'd like to try the regular Stone IPA for a comparison. I could see the bitterness becoming a little much after a couple. Maybe the regular IPA is toned back in that department? I've seen this beer put into the category of quintessential west coast IPAs and if this is any indication of them then I need to try more! Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 22:44:45 | More by JaredM

themind

New Jersey

3.99/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

What can one say about Stone? they continually produce quality beers and this is one of them. This is a good, solid everyday beer that is refreshing. Pours a nice head and has a good aroma. This beer is perfect for introducing a novice beer snob into the World of craft beer. Watch out for the bitterness though...it's strong!

Bottom Line: Looking for a flat out good, drinkable beer...here it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 15:34:13 | More by themind

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 2/23/2013. Pours crystal clear golden amber color with a 2 finger dense off white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, orange rind, lemon zest, pine, floral, honey, bread, grass, and herbal earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of hop notes. Taste of big grapefruit, orange zest, orange rind, pine, floral, grass, light honey, lemon zest, and piney spiciness. Large amount of floral pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus rind, pine resin, floral, grass, honey, bread, and piney spiciness on the finish for a while. Excellent flavor balance of citrus hop complexity and pine flavors; with big piney citrus bitterness lingering on the finish for a while as expected. Medium carbonation and body; with an extremely sticky, crisp, and slightly creamy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Imperial IPA. Great intense hop flavor and balance with good complexity; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:02:25 | More by superspak

pcguitarwzrd

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a 9-oz snifter. A lucky find in a gas station, believe it or not.

A: Light copper, hazy, decent head of foam that dissipates fairly quickly. Everything as it should be.

S: PINEY, even almost detergent-y hops. That's it...well, maybe if you inhale deeply enough and get really saturated with the aroma, you can pick up a little malt and citrus.

T: Hoppy, but the bitterness is not nearly as overwhelming as the aroma suggests. Actually a nice malt backbone to this beer, and some citrus and bready notes. The finish is where the hops come back for revenge, leaving you with an ever-so-fresh pinesap aftertaste. This character is probably more pronounced in this beer than any other I have had.

M: Full enough to be satisfying, but not thick or chewy.

O: A powerful beer experience, not for the faint of heart. I do have to say this beer is much more than a teeth-melting hop bomb. It just leans more to one end of the spectrum for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 18:56:52 | More by pcguitarwzrd

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours dark gold with a finger and half worth of slightly off-white head. Left a small amount of lacing.

S - Mango, grapefruit, slight malt, pineapple, orange.

T - Grapefruit upfront, mango soon follows, somewhat malty finish which adds pineapple to the mix. Wonderful, but not perfect.

M - Light creamy body with moderate carbonation

O - Overall this was damn good. Seriously good. But I've had better.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 06:04:27 | More by SometimesIfart

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Bomber to tulip. Enjoy by 01.20.13. Uh-oh...

Looks excellent. Stoic two-fingers of bleach-white head on-top of a red-orange hazy body. Lacing is superb.

Excellent nose of grapefruit, pine, and floral hops. There's a staleness to fresh hops that is very appealing. Ruination has it. Hints of toastiness. Light biscuity malts try to pare into the hop assault. Might not be all things complex, but this nose is right in-line with superior DIPAs.

Stinging grapefruit and peeled layers of pine and herbaceousness. Stinging booze, too. The malts want to caramelize and transpose the beer. It's right at the point where the beer wants to be sweeter and maltier than it should be. Still has dryness. Hearty bitterness staves the malts off a bit. I'm missing the juicy fruitiness of the citrus that I know was there. Too much bread and biscuit. A lashing of the tongue remains on the bill here.

Sudsy and tightly-wound. Body is a bit outspoken. Alcohol cuts right in when it wants to, and that is often.

Listening to 'Today I Was An Evil One' by "Bonnie" Prince Billy. When he sings 'painfully receding', I can't help but think of this particular bottle. In dire need of a re-review, as this is one of my all-time favorite Imperial IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:27:28 | More by thecheapies

Blobra

3.84/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

S - sweet, ruby red grapefruit, piney

T - the hops grip the tongue immediately. citrus and sour notes find their way in, but overall dominated by the hops.

M - lingering hop taste, some carbonation.

O - the beer is great if you are a fan of IPAs. Love the smell and taste.

Poured into a tulip glass from the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 19:11:10 | More by Blobra

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.98/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love this beer. It has a wonderful aroma of citrus and pine. The taste is of citrus and its dry and sour like grapefruit. The look of the beer is great with a amber golden color, a little cloudy, and some light lacing. The mouth feel is dry and it has great carbonation. Overall another great stone ipa. In other news i have read some low reviews on this beer that say i don't really like the style ipa...my question is why keep reviewing ipas....your super low reviews just hurt the rating.... does not make sense.. if you don't like curtain styles don't drink or review them... ok i am done with my rant...

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 18:39:54 | More by KingEdward

Azntaiji

Washington

2.46/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Drank straight out of bottle. So I can't comment on appearance except for it looks cloudy.

S - sweet citrus, floral, pine. Love how it smells

T - wow. Stone IPA is my all time favorite beer. But Ruination is just too much. A hop bomb to say the least. Extremely bitter, it was difficult to put the whole beer down. As much as Ive tried to like this, it's too much of a taste bud overload for me.

M - lots of hop oils, medium body with nice carbonation.

O - the smell Of this beer is fantastic, and it's got a nice mouthfeel. But the taste is too overwhelming - this is a beer for only hardcore hop lovers.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 07:06:29 | More by Azntaiji

RockyRaku

Arizona

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

Hoppy! Nice IPA. Gold…coppery color, small finger depth of head that diminished quite quickly with no noticeable lacing. Aroma of spices…hint of brown sugar and bread and citrus grapefruit. Abundant flavor that has quite a bite in the after taste deep in the back of the throat. Spicy...citrus fruit with an immediate bitterness. HOPS are abundant!! they have a very green, leafy...bitter pine like taste..very light in the mouth. warming feeling when swallowed.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:43:42 | More by RockyRaku

Mojo

Alabama

4.6/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle -> New Belgium globe glass

Wow this beer rocks harder than Led Zeppein. It pours up a hazy gold with a nice one finger head, medium retention and lots of lacing. The nose is a powerful pleasing citrus, pine, floral, and malt. Taste is heavenly. It starts out sweet and malty with some notes of apple and of source the grapefruit. It gives way to a wonderful hop bitterness that seems to be just about right. Mouthfeel is very full and satisfying. This is one of the better DIPAs that I've had. I think only Pliny stands above it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 04:09:43 | More by Mojo

fx20736

New York

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a large glass, served at fridge temp.

Hazy Lemon yellow with linen colored head. Magnificent rings of lacing.

aroma of pine, citrus, yeast?

mouthfeel is slippery and smooth.

taste: light coating of malt followed by a cavalcade of hops that tumble by in such a profusion that they are hard to immediately identifiable but include citrus, pine and eucalyptus followed by a strong puckering bitterness.

notes; this is a big beer with a very complex hop bill. So many IPAs feature citrus and pine. This one includes those but in a swirling stew that my beer knowledge is inadequate to describe.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:03:41 | More by fx20736

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.99/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Enjoy by 25 February 2013. Assuming 90-day shelf life, that means bottled 27 November 2012. Could be fresher, but it's still well before the best by date. Tasted 20 January 2013, reviewed from notes.

Pours medium-pale orange with shades of yellow. Very very orangey, brightly colored. Two fingers of big fluffy dense head, good retention and very good lacing. Main complaint is a lack of visible carbonation (there's almost none).

Smell is potently hoppy, but mostly one-dimensional. Very piney, resinous and juicy. It's quite good, but doesn't give me that wow feeling like the best DIPAs do. Clean, balanced, and powerfully piney. I'm hopeful about the malt base, as it seems pretty robust here.

Taste is good. A little less bitter than I expected, though it comes on stronger in the latter stages. Typical DIPA, starting out grainy and lightly sweet (that sweetness is nice), which then gets overpowered by that hop bitterness. Solid.

Mouthfeel is solid. Medium-bodied, slightly sticky. Medium-low carbonation, could be a bit higher. Just fine, though.

A very good DIPA, but not the best around. In season, I'd never pick it over Abrasive, except maybe for cost reasons. Out of seasons, it doesn't measure up to Odell Myrcenary. So while it's quite enjoyable, I can't see myself drinking it very often.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 05:00:01 | More by zeledonia

KingSlayer

Mexico

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12 fl oz bottle poured into a pint glass.
poured a golden straw semitranslucent liquid, formed a 1 finger white dense persistent head, with little lacing.
wonderful intense aroma of floral citrusy hops, pine resine, grapefruite juice, lemon rind and sweet malts when stirred.
palate is pretty much the same, intense hoppy bitterness so perfectly balanced with malt sugars. flavor is same as aroma, lingering finish.
a bit past medium body, nice carbonation, alcohol well masked.
overall a very intense hop experience but the bitterness is so well balanced, i really loved this imperial IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 03:57:03 | More by KingSlayer

Joshpu

California

5/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a duvel.

A: Pours a golden orange, one finger of white head. Medium amount of carbonation. Not real hazy.

S: Smells like grapefruit and piney hops. Slight malt smell. Smells perfect.

T: Piney hops, grapefruit, lemon. Just a slight amount of malt.

M: Very crisp, dry, drinkable beer. I could easily down this stuff, so its hard for me to just sip on it and enjoy it for a longer amount of time.

Overall, a perfect beer in my opinion, enough said...

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 07:58:34 | More by Joshpu

zac16125

South Carolina

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass
enjoy by 3-19-13

Ive had this beer a couple times but have never rated it. Its been a while since I had it last, and I remember thinking it was ok, but overhyped.

A: Pours a crystal clear light amber with almost 3 fingers width of light khaki colored head which takes a long time to dissipate down and leaves lots of layered and honeycomb lacing.

S: Citrus in the form of grapefruit, lemon and tangerine. A surprisingly bit malt presence to balance it out, with caramel malt sweetness. Smells nice ,but actually not impressive with the hop aroma, could definitely be stronger.

T: Hops more prominent on the tongue than was on the nose. Grapefruit up front followed by citrus rind and piney bitterness on the finish. This is quite bitter. I remember being disappointed when I originally had this, thinking the name was deceiving because the bitterness wasnt as advertised, but I was wrong ! ( I think I was drinking a lot of Finest Kind at that time which may have contributed). This this is a bitter bomb. I havent had a beer with this much hop bitterness in a while, which is nice. That being said, it doesnt have a lot else to offer, and I do prefer IPAs with a nice balance of a multitude of hop flavors. Bonus points for the degree of hop bitterness, but there are certainly more characteristics to be enjoyed in hops than just the bitterness.

M/D: Awesome mouthfeel. Its so smooth up front, with a near perfect body, and then a biting finish that leaves you ready for more. Drinkability is great.

O: Overall, this is better than I remembered it. Really a nice job of bringing in your face bitterness, and impressive in that regard. But theres more to IPAs than bitterness, and this one doesnt bring much of those other components. Certainly a beer Id drink again, and if you have never tried it, its a must try. But its not something I go to often, and hell its probably not even in my top 5 favorite hoppy Stone offerings.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:24:21 | More by zac16125

Tone

Missouri

3.96/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy, dark maize. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Suspended hops are present. Smells of citrus hops, floral hops, sweet malt, slight pale malt, hint of hop oil, and hint of alcohol. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. There is a noticeable bitterness and slight dryness. Tastes of citrus hops, hop oils, fresh hops, sweet malt, and a hint of alcohol. Overall, weak appearance and blend, but good aroma and body.

Serving type: cask

01-16-2013 14:36:18 | More by Tone

merc7186

New York

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap at McGregors in Amherst NY, poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Clear Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, Thick White Head, Great Lacing

S: Piney, Biscuits, Mildly Resin

T: Piney, Mildly Resin, Mild Grapefruit Rind

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Semi Bitter

Overall, a truly solid bitter piney IPA but will wreck your palate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 23:12:27 | More by merc7186

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a light translucent amber with deep oranges. There is about a half finger of pure white head that fades quickly, leaving a frothy layer along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is pine and grapefruit. It's harsh, bitter, biting, and slightly onion-y.

T: The initial taste is sweet and malty with a big blast of pine and citrus in the back end. Basically this beer moves effortlessly from malt to huge hops. Big bitter finish.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's an easy drinker, but it's packed with flavor. It starts wet, smooth, and sweet. It finishes bitter, spicy, and dry.

O: This is a good IPA. I have had many beers that I like much more, but this is a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:49:02 | More by trxxpaxxs