Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

Baraka

Missouri

4.97/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: light gold with a solid head that leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

S: From the moment I opened the bomber, the overwhelming smell of hops enveloped me. Dank resiny and citrusy hops dominate the nose. The grapefruit aroma is particularity pungent. This is a very hoppy brew.

T/M: Immediately upon taking a sip the hops hit like a ton of bricks. Major citrus and pine flavors work over my palate and live a lasting resiny hop bitterness that isn't going away anytime soon. Moderate carbonation with a medium body round this baby out. I cannot pick out any malt flavors- any that are in here are so overwhelmed by the beautiful hop assault that they might as well not exist. This is one fantastically hoppy brew!

D: I say without hesitation that this is one of the best beers I have ever had. If Stone distributed to Missouri I would drink this all the time. Since there is absolutely no balance, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who isn't hop-crazy, but for me this beer is mana from heaven. its fairly low ABV make this one of the more sessionable IIPAs around too. It will destroy your palate though, so I wouldn't try to drink anything after it!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2010 02:44:26 | More by Baraka

scottum

Vermont

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow! I love me a hoppy IPA. Not sure if this is better than Victory HopDevil or Dogfish Head 90 Minute, but certainly in the same league. Stone makes some mean hoppy brews and this is no exception. Pours out a beautiful amber with a very nice white head. Tastes of hops. True to form this brew will kill your palate. But as long as you have this taste is your mouth who cares. The balance is wonderful. This is a top notch brew. Thank you again Stone!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2003 09:24:19 | More by scottum

erikm25

Washington

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a rich golden Herculean copper smoked orange with subtle amber highlights. I didn't turn the lights out but this probably glows in the dark. You could solidify it, then melt it down, forge it into gold coins, and it would be accepted as legal tender worldwide. The head is comprised of tightly nestled white bubbles that as a thriving community resonate into a chorus of huge foaming copper. Lacing is absolutely abundant, frothing, and sticking all over the glass.

S: This has to be smelled to be believed. Like being in a lush forest and having trees hold you down with their tentacle branches and bleed fresh pine tar and sap right into your nostrils. A kaleidescope of flowers combined with a bouquet of malts. This aroma reminds me of God's most pure and persecuted plant.

T: Massive hops but with sweet honey qualities. Grapefruit, citrus, lemon, and pine resin are all perfectly represented in this nectar. A flavorful peppered caramel and cinnamon malted backbone of sweetness with an intricate pineapple and citrus vertebrae. Overall this is very complex, rounded, and bitter. The alcohol is only present in that nice warm feeling that follows.

M: Very creamy and full. Excellent carbonation. So good in the mouth you want to keep it there as long as a piece of gum.

D: This is the one that opened my eyes to the world outside of mainstream beers. Despite that personal bias the reviews do not lie. Overall this beer is like an amusement park. Scaring your taste buds in the bitter fun house and numbing the mouth on the hoppy tilt-a-whirl . In a perfect world I would make this a daily indulgence. Perfection.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2008 01:51:48 | More by erikm25

cottonkoozie

North Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Absolutely beautiful, theres a head, theres lacing. The color is amazing. Thank you hops.

S - WOW, the hops are the first thing noticed, but once you really take a smell, theres more there. Its balanced, has that nice malty undertone that a pale ale should have.

T - This is what beer should be. HOPS, bitterness, malt undertones, spices, and that fruity balance.

M - Great, could be a little more full, but still really good.

D - I'd drink this all night, and probably end up trashed, but who cares!

This stuff is great, VERY pricey, but worth it. If you have never had a beer with a lot of hops, this ain't the place to start, but if you like pale ale's find this and try it. I remember when I was in high school and thought I hated hops, couldn't stand the bitter taste, now I can't get enough! GIVE ME MORE!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 02:04:45 | More by cottonkoozie

unclemeat9

California

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'll skip color since I am, alas, color-blind.

Smell - Hops! Awesome, floral, pine, hops!

Taste - This beer is one of my favorite beers, hands down. The hops are dominant but somehow not too bitter. The floral notes even act to cover up the considerable alcohol content. This beer is trouble.

Mouth - perfectly carbonated. Crisp and dry. Frames the hops in the aftertaste as if they were onstage in your mouth.

Summary - drink this beer. If you don't particularly like heavily-hopped beers, drink it anyway.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 05:45:52 | More by unclemeat9

scottyg354

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours hazy orangish yellow, with a creamy 2 finger head. Looks really nice.

S: Smell is citrus and malt. Some pine notes show thru as well.

T:Citrus and Pine all the way, followed by some light crusty bread notes. Finish nice and dry, perfect balance of bitter and malt.

M: Crisp and refreshing, not to boozy, but it does show through a little.

O: Great IPA. One of my top 5 beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 15:59:11 | More by scottyg354

estlinska

Arkansas

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From a bottle into a tulip glass. I've only lived in places where Stone is not distributed, so these are true treats for me. Pours a slightly hazy orange color with two fingers of white, frothy head. The head lingers for eons and leaves beautiful lacing on the glass like strings of cob web. The aroma is all hops, sticky with citrus grapefruit and resin. Hiding in the nose is a waft of honey sweetness. The first taste is a blossom of pure hops; the heavy flavor is all citrus hops with a backbone of pine. It blends beautifully into that promise of honeysuckle like sweetness I found on the nose. The sweetness on the back end coupled with the unapologetic hop smack in the mouth makes this THE IPA against which I compare all others. This is the beer that turned me into a beer geek. Other IPAs are guilty of just loading you with hops for hops sake, but this beer uses them the way they are meant to be used. Cheers to the guys and gals at Stone for brewing such a gem.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 00:01:58 | More by estlinska

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Excellent double IPA. Pours mostly golden with a hint of orange coloring. Smells like a bouquet of hops. Taste is out of this world with hops all over but becoming sweet especially as the beer warms beyond usual fridge temperatures. Overall one of the best beers I've tasted and definitely earns its rights as a benchmark for double IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 02:54:14 | More by Oakenator

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a 1 finger head and nice lacing.

S: Extreme hop aromas, both fruity and floral. Very strong and inviting nose.

T: Wonderful mix of hoppy flavors. Grapefruit, peach, pine, and more!! Malts are present, but very subtle. Hides the alcohol very well. I'm in love. This is a hophead's dream.

M: Medium bodied with nice carbonation.

O: I absolutely love this beer! I fell in love the first time I drank it and that hasn't changed. Pretty much ideal.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 01:23:38 | More by nUgZ

John

New York

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Copper/orange color. Monster head sticks around to decorate the sides of the glass. Huge citrus, pine cone, hop aroma. The citrus element is as much flavorful fruit as it is rind bitterness...precisely balanced in that respect. Grapefruit juice anyone? The hops are indeed huge but somehow remain smooth and flavorful. The malt is minimally detectable but manages, not necessarily to balance the brew, but to contribute to the superior drinkability. Wow! This is a killer, juicy IPA. Exceptional. Can't wait for distibution in NY. Greg?

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2002 10:06:44 | More by John

Stubbie1

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one wonderful brew!

It pours a deep golden color, the color of apple juice. On top is a thick white head. The head stays for quite some time and gives away to a thick and sticky lace that lasts to the bottom of my glass.

The aroma reminds me of walking through a pine forest after a strong summers thunderstorm. The smell of fresh pinesap that is running down the side of a tree that just lost some of it’s branches. Sticky, sweet, and a bit bitter aroma of pine is present through out this brew. There is a slight hint of citrus present, but the pine overrules.

The flavor starts of with a mild hint of malt, but after that, it is hops, nothing more nothing less. You can’t even get a hint of the 7.7% that is in this IPA. The feeling is smooth and creamy in the mouth and there is always some movement in my glass. (carbonation) There is a mild but pleasant bitter after taste on the back of your pallet.

Overall: This IPA kicks ass. There is enough going on in this brew to enjoy repeatedly. NO WAY could I get burnt out on drinking this brew. It is easy going down the gullet and enjoyable to sit and sip, or just flat out enjoy. Thank you to all at Stone! You people ROCK!

And thank you Eyechartbrew for bring this from West coast to East coast.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2003 02:16:38 | More by Stubbie1

jlervine

Georgia

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Golden orange pour with a thick head that sticks around for a while. The smell is incredibly hoppy, with lots of sweet pale malt notes. Very fragrant and citrusy, bit of herbal earthiness as well. Taste is awesome. I think I let this one sit just long enough. The hops are not harsh at all, very smooth bitterness, and very complementary of the malts. Pale malt and honey notes, hints of caramel, it is all surrounded and supported by subdued piney-citrusy hops about as perfectly as one could hope. The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth, and the beer is very refreshing, and my only complaint is that it could stand to be a bit better carbonated. It's far from flat, but just under what I would subjectively consider perfect. This is definitely on the "Buy Again" list.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2004 02:04:42 | More by jlervine

Morris729

Texas

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours golden orange in color with a tremendous frothy white head that coats the walls of the glass with spider webs of sticky lace as it ever so slowly dissipates. Nose is very floral and pungent hops with notes of pine, cedar, and a bit of fresh citrus—quite sniffable. Even from the first sip, the bitter hops are an assault upon all your taste buds—acidic grapefruit rind blended with pine oils followed by raw hop leaves and slick hop resins that coat the entire inside of your mouth and throat and do not go away until you take another drink. Once the initial bite of the hops subsides a bit, some notes of juicy citrus fruit and sweet malt are also noticeable. An absolutely exceptional IPA. The warning on the bottle that your palate will be completely “ruined” after you drink is quite true; so since I am currently unable to taste anything else, what am I to do? (Except to have another Ruination, of course.) Purchased from Liquid Solutions.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2004 07:21:29 | More by Morris729

joecast

Australia

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

ive been saving this for my one-hundreth review for about six weeks now and have finally got there. its been a long wait though.
one of the best looking bottle designs ive seen around.

open the bottle and the aroma leaps out to greet your sense of smell. the hops over-power the nose with splendid fresh picked spicy bitter hoppiness. not so much citrusy as other ipa's from the area, but peppery. i could swear there were whole flowers in there.

pours with a large firm packed dirty white head. only light carbonation. slightly hazy gold in color. leaves behind a sticky lacing from the head traces all the way down the glass as you enjoy every bit.

the taste?? well, a fierce fiery bitterness approaches the tongue first and commences to stomp all over it, thrashing about inside your mouth like a not-so-well behaved rock star in a hotel room.
but wait, thats not all. just as it makes itself comfortable, a flood of malty sweetness (just a step below a tidal wave) follows behind to wash it all down. yumm. mouthfull after mouthfull, the same play is re-enacted to a standing ovation from a full house of satisfied taste buds. even as this warms, the bitterness stay just as sharp and only a slight mellowing of the malt, and only barely a hint of alcohol on the tongue or nose.

immerse yourself in this and lose all sense of time. the rest of the world just seems to be put on hold as all your senses (well, most of them) are completely captivated by this fantastic work of art.

while i would love to give this all 5's, i just cant bring myself to do it. the color seems a bit wrong to me, maybe too light?? and the mouthfeel. for a beer this big, i just thought there should have been a bit more substance to it. am i being crazy? yeah, probably. but even with those minor points, this is one awsome beer. id love to try it on tap some day.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2004 00:25:06 | More by joecast

tjthresh

Indiana

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I have a 22 oz bomber that I picked up at Citywide Liquors when I was up north for Thanksgiving.

This beer is crystal clear. The color is a deep gold/light copper. Very nice, long lasting foamy white head.

Very nice, citrus (lemons, oranges, grapefruit) some piney notes. If there's one thing Stone Brewing has over everybody else, they make the most fragrant beer.

This has to be the easiest drinking Double IPA ever. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they use something like Magnam of Horizon for bittering because there is zero harshness. Very well done. I just looked in a copy BYO. They say Magnum.

This may be one of the fuller bodied IIPAs on the market. I have had some where the brewer tries to get the alcohol up there, but it comes at the expense of the over all brew. Again, Stone has their stuff together.

Like I said before, this is the easiest drinking IIPA that I've had so far. Very dangerous. Kudos the Stone.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2004 02:04:55 | More by tjthresh

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I have been waiting to try this beer for years, and finally its in my hands. mmm hops. I think its a fitting beer for my 400th review.

It pours a glowing orange with a modest ivory the leaves fat lace trails behind. The aroma consists of a wallop of resiny hop oils, some grass and and some emasculated malt breadyness. The hops rule in the taste as well, pungent American hops with scads of grapefruit essence smack my mouth from the get go. Piney coniferous flavors also abound. The malt profile is very understated at first but develop as the beer warms. A pleasant cookie dough character hides amongst the hop garden. The mouthfeel is medium and lightly carbonated, with mouthcoating hop oils. The finish is very bitter and overpowering... bliss.

This is the hoppiest beer Ive yet had and I love it. At times I thought my enamel was being replaced with lupulin. A work of art.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2006 00:46:19 | More by CAMRAhardliner

blsfreak

Indiana

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I would have to say this is by far one of the best beers I have tasted. The label states this is a liquid poem to the beauty of the hop and it is. If you like hops, this beer is for you. I have quickly become a hop head and for me, it doesn't get any better than this. The availability is lacking in the small town I live in, one store carries anything worth drinking, but this takes the cake. I would recommend this beer to any aspiring hop head as a perfect example of hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 23:31:26 | More by blsfreak

blewisg

California

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I love this beer. The only downside is having to pay rockstar prices to get it into my belly. Very strong hop aroma. Strong hop finish. Excellent color. And just and exceptional mouthfeel. I love to drink this stuff. I wish I could get an IV...keg to brain.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 23:21:50 | More by blewisg

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Honey colored drink, w/ a nice thick head that stayed just long enough.

S: The most delicious enticing hop aroma ever. It was mesmerizing!! Floral hops.

T: Hops, hops and more hops. Just bitter enough (not like Arrogant Bastard bitter). Sweet floral hops.

M: Great carbonation. Really coats the tongue well. After taste is as tasty as the drink itself.

D: Like budda. I drank this all night. I could drink this all day every day.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2008 00:35:17 | More by gkatsoris

rtratzlaff

North Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Received this bottle from wagevolks on a trade.

Stone Ruination pours from one of the coolest looking labeled bottles with lots to read.
The body is orange hued with a white head leaving good lacing.

Smells are citrus hop in the grapefruit variety with good maltiness as well.

The first sip allows the malt to say hi then the hops go to work creating a wave of flavor. Lots of grapefruit on the palate. Wow. A great beer. The mouthfeel is just about perfect as well with steady carbonation that isn't too much.

I can't wait to get this regularly in NC.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 21:41:12 | More by rtratzlaff

necrat

Rhode Island

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I don't even know where to begin, but WOW.
This beer is as good as their Arrogant Bastard Ale.

The appearance was a nice cloudy lighter copper color with a moderate head.

The smell was definatley Pine, A little smokiness, and definatley floural.

The taste is exceptional. Very hoppy, but not bitter, nice hop aftertaste but a very clean hop aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is nice. The right amount of carbonation.

Drinkability. This is a very smooth beer, drinks really easily. It didn't have a strong alcohol presence but the 7.7% really does sneak up on you!

An excellent bear by Stone, up to par with their Arrogant Bastard ale, which is by far the best beer known to man.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 18:53:35 | More by necrat

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

a-orange blonde...beautiful albino-brown (!?) foam..thickish and congregating into a nice sea of macro bubbles surrounded by many more micro (and nano) bubbles. they're winking in slow motion.

s-floral. sweet sourdough. makes you want to jump in.

t-of course, hops and bitterness! but very multi-dimensional mix of malt sweetness tangling with hoppy bitterness. it's a draw, so everyone wins. including us. there's something deeper i sense with each deep draught i take. i can't put my finger or language skills on it (today)...but i love it.

m-my mouth is not ruined at all, but it is rather devastated. this is luscious stuff and it's good that i've returned to beer/ale (after my obligatory time spent with bourbon during the coldest months) in the form of a slate of Stone Brewing products. one more sip and this is pure, condensed flavor...no sense of wateriness. yes, it's liquid, but then that non-watery sense isn't overly thick either. really, nearly perfect. the hops are still attacking...

d-very drinkable, especially if you have long left behind those watery macro-brews that are not useless at all, but rather good for just sipping and thinking about something else. that's what they are for...but this is true Craft beer. i am so impressed. even the lighter Stone Pale i had earlier is great, just in a different way. certainly, this is a stand alone bottling...but i can see it pairing with food extremely well...cheeses (sharp sharp!), gourmet burger, clams...any new orleans/louisiana foods....

i'm only disappointed in the fact i bought a single sample bottle, not a 6-pack. thanks Stone Brewing for keeping the Craft impulse everpresent. how about send some Self-Righteous over to the east coast...i haven't seen it yet!

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 18:03:52 | More by mempath

Genuine

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured from the bottle into a pint glass

Poured a dark gold in color, with a nice off white head

Smell - This one smells absolutely amazing. It is unbelievable the aroma that this one puts out. Lots of citrus notes, pine, grapefuit. Smells good in the bottle, but even better when poured.

Taste - this is probably one of the best IPA's i've had so far. I've had a few east coast IPA's and this is my first westcoast IPA. The hops are definitely different for sure, but this is a good difference. Very crisp, lots of citrus and pine notes, defiitely not over the top hops, but well balanced.

Mouthfeel - I would have to say it has a medium body.

Drinkability - I could definitely have a few of these without any problems at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 02:13:22 | More by Genuine

PhuckinPhil

California

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a nice golden, slightly translucent amber color, with an off white and thick head.

S: Very strong hoppy nose with notes of pine, very enticing.

T: Not as bitter as expected but a delicious hoppy flavor with a rich, complex after taste. Always leaves me with a desire to sip again. Notes of citurs and tobacco.

MF/D: Surprisingly smooth, the burps seems to bring up a reminder of how good this beer actuqally is. I could easily drink several of these.

I would definetly consider this one of my top favorite IPA's and will enjoy again very soon.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 00:35:35 | More by PhuckinPhil

coryking

Missouri

4.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bomber poured half into a Guinness glass.

Poured a beautiful pale orange/straw color. A little hazy, maybe unfiltered. No sediment in the bottle. Awesome rocky, foamy head, retention was OK, but did leave awesome lacing on the glass.

Smells awesome! Very different than Pliny or Blind Pig. I was expecting all of these west coast IPAs to kind of follow suit with each other. Some citrus in there with a surprisingly strong biscuity malt backbone. Very nicely balanced. The more I sniff, the more I start getting some earthly piney hops. As it warms the alcohol starts coming through in the nose as well.

Its a medium body brew with a tiny amount of residual sweetness left at the end and a nice malty character. Oddly, not what I was expecting, the first thing you notice in the taste is the malt, then the hops coming racing in a overpower everything. The first hops that I taste are the citrus and piney hops together in a great balance. Then the bitterness jumps in. It tastes like orange rind maybe, with a lot of earthiness. Nice carbonation for the style. As it warms, the bitterness progresses. Nice and dry on the finish with a great malty backbone balanced by the bitterness.

Overall a great brew! For an IIPA this hits the spot. Drinkability is crazy good. Dangerous brew. I burned through the 22 ozer pretty easily. Would be fantastic to pair with some food. Very, very impressed. Unlike anything that I have ever had before, the balance is crazy amazing.

Outstanding, epic beer. Balanced, balanced, balanced. Obviously a hop bomb, but the crafting of the grain bill and malt character of this beer shows the love and care that the brewers put into it. If this was available in Missouri, this would find a nice home in our fridge. Going to be the traditional American style IIPA that I compare all others of the same style to...

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 02:29:58 | More by coryking