Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

derbierTeufel

Japan

3.38/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I'm not a fan of IPA's but Stone has a good rep and I wanted to see what people were talking about.
A-Into a Stone glass. Pours an amberish goldish color with about 1cm worth of an off whitish head. It looks pretty.
S-Citrusy hops dominate. I detect floral notes and even some tropical ones like pineapple and mango.
T-I went into this wondering what I would get. I felt like I was sucking on a Christmas Tree. Syrupy and piney were on my palate forever. That being said though, the peppery spice flavors and some malt backbone helped to balance that out somehow. Alcohol...what alcohol? I never noticed! Kinda impressed here. I just couldn't get over the pineyness though. Took it down a notch.
M-Moderately carbonated. Prickly and offers a dry finish. Medium body. Not too shabby.
O-I try to be objective as possible, but honestly for this beer, one time is enough for me. I don't like the piney hoppy taste. Seems to be a popular thing in the USA but I'm just not catching on. One thing I can say is though is that this is probably the most drinkable IPA that I have ever drank. The balance was there and the other flavors made it quite refreshing. The alcohol was something I never noticed so the ABV is deceiving. Amongst the hopheads, I can understand why this beer is loved. Just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 01:14:27 | More by derbierTeufel

ejquin

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Was a clear orange color with a white head that dissapated and left little lacing.

Smelled of lots of piney hops, some orange peel, and the slightest touch of malt and caramel.

Tasted of full on hops, to the point of them being over bearing. Leaves your mouth numb after a while. If you're looking for a well balanced IPA this is not it. Very bitter and dry finish with alcohol overtones. Smallest amount of malt in the background

Mouthfeel was good with carbonation maybe slightly high, but OK all in all.

Drinkibility was was not great due to the hop overkill that renders your tastebuds useless.

Overall this is a beer made to be extreme and nothing else. It succedes in that sense, but it is devoid of any type of balance to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2005 03:01:04 | More by ejquin

klewis

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Serving: 22 oz. bottle

Appearance: Dark golden, huge fluffy head, lots of lacing. Nice.

Smell: Strong alcohol that almost stings the nose, lots of hops, and maybe a touch of citrus

Taste: Hops, hops, hops, hops, and hops. The intensity is mild at first and increases long after you've swallowed. Definitely "over-hopped" as advertised on the bottle.

Mouthfeel: Tingly and medium-bodied, a quality I like with the style, but perhaps a bit too carbonated.

Drinkability: The extreme bitterness and high ABV would make it difficult for me to drink more than one.

Perhaps I should have heeded the warning on the label and should not have attempted this beer yet, as I can't consider myself a "confirmed hop head". Granted, this is definitely a respectable brew, as expected, but in my short time as a serious BA, there have been other IPA's that I would rather drink before purchasing this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2005 00:54:06 | More by klewis

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Beautiful 22oz. bottle. These guys know how to make a bottle!

Pours a clear yellow/orange, with a creamy white head. Beautiful lacing on the glass.

Smells like hops, and plenty of em. I could sit and smell this sucker all night.

Tastes like hops, and plenty of em. Bottle says 100+ IBU and it's no lie. Hops up front, in the middle, and kicks you in the ass on the way out. Could use a hint of malt somewhere in the mix, a litte too unbalanced for my liking.

Body is good, about perfect for the style.

I can drink one of these from time to time. But nothing like Alpha King, which I can dink all night.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2005 01:10:36 | More by MaltyGoodness

JBogan

Nevada

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A medium golden/orange color with a large foamy white head. Good lacing.

Smells of citrus, hops and a bit of pine.

Taste wasn't as balanced as I'd like. The hops just dominate everything else. Grapefruit is in there somewhere, along with some malt if you really go looking for it.

Mouthfeel was crisp, if a bit on the thin side. Still, one of the better brews in this regard.

This isn't something I'd care to session. While not as over the top as some of Stone's beers, it's still a little hop heavy for my taste. I'm sure there's a market out there for it though.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2009 18:59:06 | More by JBogan

donteatpoop

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice clear pale orange color with a cap of thick white-ish foam that retained well throughout the drink, leaving behind a thin but present lacing effect.

The smell is all hops, pine and grapefruit; with an underlying sweet bready malt and yeast notes.

This has a very dry impact on the palate, the hop combination is powerful like a punch to the nose. The dryness is a bit much for me, I would have liked to taste a more balanced malt impact in the brew; the bread my nose was picking up either pulled a disappearing act or was overpowered by the aggressive hops. Not my favorite DIPA, but by no means a poor beer. I much prefer some 90 minute from Dogfish Head.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 07:37:11 | More by donteatpoop

glazeman

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter

A: pours a golden color with a tad bit of darker orange. 3 fingers of slightly off-white head with excellent retention and lacing.

S: Not nearly as intense of a smelling beer as I had anticipated. Some grapefruit and floral notes, but not much else.

T: Thankfully, this was way more flavorful than the nose would have let on. Although not as balanced as I would have liked. Some grapefruit and tangerines at the start, but by and large dominated by the bitterness at the finish. I don't bind a nice crisp bitter finish for a beer of this style, but this one was out of proportion and a bit overwhelming in my opinion.

M: Pretty good, though it could use a little less carbonation. Sits on the tongue well.

D: I probably won't have this again. That's not to say that it was terrible, just not nearly as good as other beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 21:37:39 | More by glazeman

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ruination is very pale for an IPA, and very clear. The smell is a virtual hop garden. It is not just abundantly hoppy, but possesses a crisp arboreal clarity that lights up the olfactory senses. The head is tall and off-white and settles fairly soon. The carbonation is gentle.

But dammit, there’s just too much hops in here. Ruination has exceeded any reasonable capacity to produce an appreciation of hops by bombarding the imbiber with an obscene hop overkill. We are denied any sense of subtlety or balance. The sublime nuances of the sacred herb are obscured in their own saturation with a resulting hop profile that’s obese and unwieldy. It delivers an aftertaste that is more of an after-sting and fails to satisfy the palate.

Ruination supplants grace with gross. It is testimony to the notion that too much of a good thing is not a good thing at all. In my view, it is better to honor limits with style and achieve greatness with balance -- a refined palate will seek subtlety over saturation any day.

Ruination’s mouthfeel holds together surprisingly well for a brew that’s over-hopped. But it gets a little gritty in the end. One almost senses they named this beer with the foreknowledge that an ideology of extremes is imprudent yet destined to achieve mass appeal. They really are arrogant bastards down there. Almost as much as I am.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2004 19:35:18 | More by RedDiamond

astrasday

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip glass. A hazy, surprisingly light amber color (I was expecting something much darker) with small white head that quickly dissipates. Sticky lacing throughout.

Smell is a whopping floral bouquet with hops, hops and more hops. citrus, caramel and molasses are also present.

Taste. Hop bitterness crashes through and takes hold of my taste buds. Ruination, indeed. The flavor turns ever so slightly sweet with strong caramel a citrus touch, some biscuit and then back into the cheek sucking bitterness of the hop.

Mouthfeel. Crisp, oily and sharp. This brew certainly rolls around on the palate and gives it a medium bodied feel.

Drinkability. Most DIPAs I can put away one after another appreciating the hops, but also the sweetness balanced with it. This is not a balanced brew. And, for all those extreme hop heads who love their fix, this is certainly one to examine. For my tastes however, it was just a bit too much. Something about seemed... artificial. I really had to search out those other flavors besides piney, resiny, almost sickly overwhelming hops. I don't think I'll be grabbing for this one any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 16:40:03 | More by astrasday

kpoole25

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This reminds me of the old grape nuts commercial with Euell Gibbons ("ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.") Tastes like I'd imagine a pine tree would taste...bitter, but with some pine and sweet aromas. 12 oz bottle (from make-your-own 6 pack), poured to glass. Cloudy yellow in appearance, frothy head. Fruity, piney aroma. Fairly sweet but the hops kicks in early and aggressively, through the finish. Not really in balance and got tiresome to me. Not bad but don't think I'd get again.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 21:11:25 | More by kpoole25

beertunes

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a hazy yellow with about an inch of white head that that had average retention and very good lacing.

Very pleasant mix of pine/floral/citrus hops on the nose. No noticeable malt foundation. The flavors lead and the taste follows obediently, nothing special, just what is expected from this type of beer.

The body is typical for the style. Drinkability is good, this is not as tongue-numbing as some examples of the style, but moreso than others.

Overall, a good, solid brew from a good solid brewery, that may be starting to believe their own hype.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2009 22:41:49 | More by beertunes

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours cloudy orange translucent with receding white foam. Leaves some islands of foam floating in the top.

Grassy pine smell, some malt.

Firm hop taste that builds over time. Bitter throughout and lasting long into the aftertaste. Grapefruit notes.

Very powerful in the mouthfeel. I'm no hop head, but this was much mellower than I would have expected - it wasn't mellow by any means, but didn't kick my ass.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 00:58:27 | More by KTCamm

hawks10

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz. bottled poured into my Half Acre pint glass...

Pours a hazy pale orange/golden yellow with a couple finger pancake batter-esque head that leaves a thin white cap on the beer for the whole glass, some lacing sticks around as well...

Rather weak nose hints towards a dry and earthy/piny hopped beer...

Taste is very west coast. Herbal dry hop onslaught with no malt backing to even things out. Grassy and piny, very bitter and drying, not much else...

Somewhat thin on the palette, good carbonation and a slight alcohol presence. Very drying with an undesirable aftertaste that won't go away...

One bomber is enough for me. I really like my IPA's/DIPA's but I prefer them with more balance...a more substantial, sweeter malt base is what I am looking for, not my style for a DIPA...

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 02:20:04 | More by hawks10

Edwin

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours a nice hazy orange/amber color. Creamy head on top, disappears and leaves some lacing. Nice looking brew.

Smell - I have no idea what I am smelling in here. Some sort of corny/grassy odor laced with a big hop presence. Rather confusing scent, similar to the Arrogant Bastard.

Taste - This may be an acquired taste, so I will keep trying this solely based on the hype. I thought this tasted like wet grass. The hops are in there, but are hidden inside this strage complexity of varying tastes...not all of them good.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and unassuming going down. A mellow feel.

Drinkability - If this is your type of flavor, go for it. It is easy to drink if you can get past the smells and flavors.

Overall - I was a tad let down, but I am sure I'll come around eventually. Maybe Stone should think more about brewing than the literature on their bottles (which is a beer bottle equivalent of War and Peace).

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2004 22:54:46 | More by Edwin

ngandhi

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

There's a lot of argument as to what seperates an I2PA from a barleywine; the answer, to me, is quite simple: Imperial IPAs make you cry. And while Ruination IPA does immediately evoke tears from my eyes, the beer progresses so resolutely in flavor that, by the time my brain processes the veritable toxicity of this drink, it has already moved past its bittering and into creamy malts and sticky, floral, nectarous hops. The aggressive bittering is up front and on the finish, but the mid-palette is a proud display of America's finest hops.

Hints of phenols and alcohol give the brew a wonderful spiciness to complement the resinous hops. Ruination IPA is so complex (or big, at least) that you could probably taste anything you wanted to in this beer from yeasty floral esters to hop-driven grapefruit and mangoes to antifreeze and jet fuel. Unfortunately, it focuses on the latter.

Unlike any other Stone brew, Ruination lacks subtlety and balance.

Though beautiful at cellar temp, the delicacies of this beer are lost to alcohol and resin once it warms.

Incidentally, this beer made my toes numb.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2004 14:58:49 | More by ngandhi

PartyHatjo

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

sampled this in a bomber complements of nvsblman...on to the review.

Appearance: Pours pale orange/yellow amber with an airy white head that laces very well.

Aroma: Hops, hops and more hops. I detect a bit of honey in the nose, but mostly a piney hop aroma. Alcohol present as well in the background.

Taste: Again hops on the tongue. More citrus apparent in the flavor than in the aroma. Tastes almost like a traditional sunday morning breakfast I had as a kid: grapefruit with a bit of honey on top to sweeten it up a bit. Not enough of a malt backbone, though, the thin body takes the tast down a bit.

Mouthfeel: Body is a bit light for the amount of alcohol and hops present.

Drinkability: Definitely feel the alcohol hit you, due to the lighter body. I don't recommend drinking this on an empty stomach (bad idea). But, I would get it again if I saw it on the shelf (and I prefer it to the other Stone brew I've had so far: Arrogant Bastard).

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2004 05:10:10 | More by PartyHatjo

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.A cloudy golden color with white frothy heading. That stays throughout the session. Smell is very alive very hoppy citrus notes and the smell of grapefruit.Taste is very malty with alot of earthy taste, bread, etc. Aftertaste is very dry again exactly like grapefruit. After the good thing's I heard about this beer I said to myself I must try but did come out a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 23:26:22 | More by TheFightfan1

prg1976

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoy by: 5/30/11

Pours a clear pale amber color. Thin white head, some retention.

Smell is citrus hops with a little alcohol and a little malty sweetness.

Tastes pretty much like it smells. Hops are there, but fading. Still fairly bitter, but a good bit of sweetness in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is good, not too carbed.

Overall, probably a little closer to faded than fresh. Still a pretty good beer, but it doesn't blow me away.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 23:45:17 | More by prg1976

danielsonc

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I thought this beer stood up to the typical stone philosophy - bold hoppiness. I do enjoy a great IPA and this is definitely one of those. Though this beer does not tickle my IPA tongue fancy. The bitterness of the beer is not balanced with anything. I feel like stone just put a bunch of hops in without anything else. If there is anything else added to the beer it cannot be tasted due to the overpowering plethora of hops. I think a delicious IPA needs to have that bold hopiness added with a nice balance. The nose on the beer is amazing and choc full of hops. The taste and mouthfeel left me wanting something to counter the bitterness a bit. Overall a great beer for straight up hops but my taste buds wanted something that mellowed that boldness

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 04:16:09 | More by danielsonc

Jparkanzky

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Split a 12oz bottle with my wife, poured into a pint glass.

A) Light/golden color, small white head that lingers but doesn't stick much to the glass.

S) Some hops and citrus are the most prevalent.

T) Wow.... a lot of citrus and hops fight for center stage.... overall it's a very citrus-heavy DIPA.

M) Dry, and overall typical of the style, but I think there is a little more alcohol bite than I would expect from a beer with such a low ABV at 7% or so.

O) Tasty, I just wish the weather outside would cooperate so I could enjoy this refreshing brew even more. I have the remainder of the 6-pack that I'm sure to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 03:17:31 | More by Jparkanzky

CBFanWish

New York

3.48/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A light, almost straw colored IPA by Stone with little head. The smell wss very fruity, almost citrusy. The taste was very fruity, yet semi bitter. It had a very hoppy taste as well. This was not as good as Arrogant Bastard. I found it to be somewhat unballanced. Too hoppy for my taste. I'm a big fan of IPA's, but this one doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2003 22:42:44 | More by CBFanWish

mactrail

California

3.48/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Overall a workmanlike IPA with all the standard equipment. Classic amber color in the pint glass, topped with a fine-grained foam. Rich and fruity. Plenty bitter-- you wouldn't mistake it for anything but an IPA. Serious resins are the main flavor. some pineapple and a little lemon peel.

Medium body with a pleasant burst of flavor. Nice big sudsy mouthfeel. Still, it gets bitter and not much else after a few sips. But a decent choice for a hop blast.

Why is this supposed to be a Double? It's an IPA. Maybe there has been some category creep since this was first released. On tap at Bergie's Pub in Old Town.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2012 06:36:36 | More by mactrail

Running4beer

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out an orange color with thick off white head that dissappears slowly but leaves a sticky lace on the glass. Smell of hops is obvious and some malt. Tasted intial chocolate malt but that was soon overtaken by the strong spicy hops with a slight bitterness at the end. Very little carbonation and a medium but dry mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2003 21:21:02 | More by Running4beer

RedwoodGeorge

California

3.5/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a bright straw yellow with a surprisingly thin head which quickly dies to a white ring around the top of the brew. Moderate amounts of lacing is left on the glass as you progress through the drink.

The smell has slight sweet notes of caramel with pronounced piney and floral hop notes. Taste follows suit with a minimal malt presence and a very floral, lavender like hop bite. The malt is quite thin with only hints of bread or grain while the hops has a somewhat bitter, acrid aftertaste. There's no hint of alcohol sweetness or burn to detract from the taste.

Carbonation is wonderful - whatever's missing from the head is present in the body of the brew as very fine, sharp bubbles that do a good job of clearing the palate after each sip.

Frankly, I'm not that excited by Stone's choices of hops for their IPAs. Maybe I'm biased toward the Pacific Northwest "Four C's" hops styles and expect more of that sort of taste from a California IPA - that's not to be found here. Stone's hops are more floral, acidic and bitter without much of the richness you'd normally find in a West Coast brew. Personally, I'll be looking quite a bit further North when I'm looking for an IPA (or double IPA)

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2005 05:58:33 | More by RedwoodGeorge

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I don't rave about this beer the way everyone else does. Yes, this beer is loaded with hops, and I love hops- but- its a pretty one dimensional beer. Give me a Dreadnaught any day of the week over this beer.

Poured a sligtly hazy golden amber. Off white pancake head that quickly fizzled.

Nice citrusy piney smell of- hops. Maybe a little of sweetness on the finish- butter cookies?

The taste is all big hops- spicy, earthy, piney, grapefruit peel.A wintergreen finish. A long lasting bitterness. All in all, pretty raw and unbalanced. I am a hophead, but I like some balance in my beers. Either from a malt backbone or some fruity esters to play with the hops. This is a little harsh. I like the long bitter finish, I just wish it were less one dimensional up front.

Good body for this beer, maybe a little overcarbonated, but fine. Dry finish.

Just okay drinkability for this beer. Yeah, its big and hoppy, but its also unbalanced and a rather simplistic interpretation of a DIPA. I'll have one, and I'll enjoy it, but no real intrigue to draw me back.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2006 09:00:53 | More by Georgiabeer