Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Pours into my trusty tulip with a golden hue and two fingers of slightly off white head that dissipate slowly.

Smell – Huge piney and citrus hops, pine resin, a bit of alcohol. No sweetness to be found!

Taste – Blast of resiny hops up front. Not as bitter as expecting; sweet malts abound, though there is the obvious bitterness reminiscent of all stone products. Bready malts, slight booze, and grapefruit bitterness.

Mouthfeel – One of the highlights. Nice and creamy, oily if you will. Moderate bodied, decent carbonation.

Overall – Coincidentally, this is a somewhat “balanced” beer by Stone, meaning it isn’t a 100% hop bomb. I will pick another for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 03:00:36 | More by SpdKilz

DCRA

California

4.95/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow, this is beer is pure ecstacy. This is like Citra on steroids with so much flavor and pure hop joy. One of the best DIPA I have ever had. I can't believe Stone this is going to be a limited release. This beer is dangerously smooth at 10% abv, I drank this bomber in under an hour. If I were to nitpick I would say that there is a tiny tiny lingering alcohol mouthfeel but it is pretty well hidden.

Please Stone, make this beer year round. Perfect beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 02:47:04 | More by DCRA

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz silk screen bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours a dark caramel with a 2" light beige head. Small strings and clumps of lacing remain on the glass.

S- caramel, grapefruit, orange rind, pine

T- sweet caramel, followed by nice citrus and bitter orange peel. Bitter pine finishes off this beer.

M- full body, medium carbonation. Slick, slightly oily and abv is noticeable but not hot.

O- good dipa and better than the regular Ruination too me. Abv is a little to noticeable and leaches a lingering mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:21:37 | More by kawilliams81

rodkin

Missouri

4.31/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours about a reddish, goldish amber color, pretty clear. Has about a 2 finger head that reduces slowly, leaves nice lacing. Visible carbonation running up the bottle. This is a pretty beer.

Very strong smell. I can smell it a good 3-4 feet away from the glass. Really great floral citrus aroma. Pineapple, citrus, a little bit of peach, some pine. This may replace zombie dust as my favorite smelling beer. Wow, that's just really nice.

Yum. Nice and bitter upfront, strong citrus and pine. Not really getting the juicy fruity flavors I picked up in the aroma, which is disappointing. It's very hoppy and quite bitter, but it has a nice malt backbone to smooth it out a bit. Not as balanced as Pliny, this beer definitely lives up to the name.

Mouthfeel is fine. Nice, smooth, but nothing exceptional. A hint more carbonation wouldn't hurt.

This is a great DIPA, but drinkability is hurt a bit by how bitter this is. It's pleasant, but I don't think there's any way I could drink a whole bottle of this. This is one to share with friends!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:54:32 | More by rodkin

DM1293

California

4.45/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Snagged this one at a fair $7.00.

Appearance: A nice, rich, gold copper. Nice lacing on the glass. Head was prominent but didn't last too long.

Smell: Citrus hops. TONS OF IT. Its a very nice sweet/citrus/pine smell, with bits of malts. Smells great.

Taste: Wow. Every bit the palate-wrenching hop that Ruination is, only it feels a little smoother on the afterbite and initial bite. Really strong pinehop bite, some citrus to round it out. This one, it ruins your palate, but its like you don't care, and you revel in the taste.

Mouthfeel: A little sticky but otherwise fine.

Overall: It really is a souped-up version of the classic DIPA they've come to brew. Its got a lot better balance; its actually kind of nearing the balance that Pliny The Elder had for me. Its not nearly as smooth, but from Stone, this is a damn fine showing. Good malt, good hop, big flavor and good drinking. This is a limited-time release, so if you love Ruination or DIPA's, this is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 03:37:23 | More by DM1293

McStagger

California

4.05/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am excited about this one. Ten bucks a bomber...

A: Pours a murky, hazy orange with one and a half fingers khaki white head. Retention is stellar. And I mean stellar. Not a lot of carbonation visible. Truly impressive looking.

S: Big bruising caramel malts with spiced grapefruit leaping from the glass. Fragrant aromas of lemon and pine needles are also present.

T: Rich malted toffee/caramel sweetness leads turns into citric hop madness of grapefruit and meyers lemon. This transitions to an ashen bitterness that takes a turn for the astringent before another wave of alcohol sweetness overtakes. The bitterness can't hide the syrupy or boozy undertones.

M: Full bodied, to put it mildly. The carbonation puts up a small fight, but ultimately relents to the malt monster that this beer is.

O: Not as good as the regular Ruination. Or even the regular IPA. Still, this is a damn fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 09:42:50 | More by McStagger

kevanb

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a really nice copper color, hints of light amber and orange peel when held to the light. Atop the beer sits about 2 fingers of stark white head, loose bubbles that has moderate retention but leaves behind really nice lacing around the glass. The aroma is actually really great, I was expecting the same earthiness and grassiness readily apparent in Ruination, but was pleased to find an abundance of fruit and citrus forward hops. A great floral bouquet pops out in the middle which transitions to astringent alcohol and sweet caramel malts. The nose is quite inviting, and despite the highly apparent alcohol, doesn't come across as too abrasive. The flavors match nicely, starts with a big juicy blast of tropical fruits, pineapple and mangos, a great grapefruit kick hits right at the end of the fruit flavors, a bit of pine comes out as well, nice balance between the bright citrus, fruit and floral notes and the more bitter pine flavors. The alcohol really comes out in the flavor, a bit more than I'd like, even from Stone, it definitely cuts the brightness a bit at the finish and punishes your tongue. The body is great, big, full and juicy, super sticky at the finish with a nice dry bite.

Verdict: This is pretty excellent stuff, definitely a palate wrecker, which is certainly the intended mission. The high alcohol could probably be hidden a bit better, but the brightness and floral elements are really pristine.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 05:37:05 | More by kevanb

OTB

California

4.95/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Absolutely everything about this release is world class. From the amazing deep orange coloring capped off by snowy white peaks of head this just hums on every cylinder. The nose is Citra dominated hops, so intense and gorgeous. The taste profile slides in in perfect unison, citrus fruits, mango, and pineapple dominate. The mouth is a balancing act of sweet malting and uber bitter hopping, 110 IBU that is so well balanced it's amazing. Not just the best brew Stone has ever made, one of the best DIPA ever made, an absolute joy to sip and savor.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 02:05:44 | More by OTB

snpub540

California

3.85/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper hue with a khaki colored head that leaves some pretty good lacing on the glass.

Nose is very powerful. Tropical fruit and citrus with some caramel notes and a whiff of alcohol sweetness pull you right into the glass.

Taste is grapefruit upfront with a nice grassy, savory aftertaste. Very bitter but with enough malt bready flavors to back it up.

Mouthfeel is nice almost tacky. Hops are resiny and delicious. Alcohol isn't overpowering but I definitely felt the effects. This beer made me realize why I started drinking Stone beers about 9 yyears ago.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 19:27:27 | More by snpub540

Zorro

California

3.88/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thick orange colored beer with a small tan colored head. It is decidedly IPA orange in color.

Smell is strongly of tropical fruit. Strong hop scent, pineapple, papaya, menthol, eucalyptus, and orange. Best smelling DIPA since Lagunitas Sucks.

Starts out sweet and savory with an onion taste at first. Lots of malt and the onion flavor persists. Taste is completely unlike the smell. This is malty and slightly bitter with a strong onion taste.

Mouthfeel is good, it's a sipper.

Overall this is a strong beer that packs a punch, but the onion taste hurts it.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:49:23 | More by Zorro

drewskie1123

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great golden/orange color. Initial smell gives off a citrus scent, but not too strong. Pouring from a bottle, 1/2 inch head, just the right amount of carbonation. I expected a power punch of hops with a rough after taste, but it went down smooth and had a very pleasant taste in the back that came on late. Great beer. I suggest out of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:32:28 | More by drewskie1123

Reveille1984

California

4.85/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:

- Nice deep orange/red color to the brew. Pours nice with a massive, foamy head. Great lacing in the glass as well.

Smell:

- Huge nose on this one with godly amounts of citrus hop scent and dashes of grapefruit and caramel.

Taste:

- Nothing else to say about this bad boy except that the flavor is perfect in my opinion for the style. Huge juicy hop flavors up front mixed with bready sweetness and a dank, resiny wallop that sticks to your tongue. Finishes out very clean with a nice, dry sweetness. Extremely easy-drinking for the ABV, little to no alcohol heat or presence.

Mouth Feel:

- Resiny and smooth, with a bitterness that sticks around in the mouth for a good long while. Medium carbonation and very mellow.

Overall:

- Hard to say that any beer is perfect, but this is about as close as it gets for me in this style. On par with other top huge DIPAs out there, including Pliny. Dangerously drinkable and extremely tasty, all of the great features of this brew meld into something that is really special. I wish they'd make this a regular staple.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 21:37:17 | More by Reveille1984

vkv822

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz : tulip snifter

Clear orange, with a thick, foamy off-white head.

Big citric fruity hops, resiny spice.

More big resiny citric hops. Light spice, along with alcohol warmth.

Medium body-full body, quite bitter finish.

A very good DIPA. Big bold flavors, but none become brash or over bearing. While not one I would feel the need to have routinely, I do hope I have a chance to enjoy this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 08:32:06 | More by vkv822

Docer

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: (4.0)

- Nice dark copper brew, mostly clear with only the slightest haze. Big fluffy ruination-like bubbly head foams up to a couple of fingers, and then settles to a spotty misc-bubble mess with lace alla bout the glass, and a blanket of foamy bubbly madness over the madness.

Smell: (4.0)

- Big citrus sweet hops. Dank dank fruity hops with a caramel roast. I think this beer is so big that the aromas are too much for itself. Nice sharp hop with a lovely spice. Almost burning the nose hairs with hops. Big caramel sweetness, bready and biscuit, and concentrated hop madness. Madness is the key word here.

Taste: (4.0)

- Wonderful blend of malts, bready character, severe aroma hops... big citrus, spice, apple, grapefruit, zesty pine, grassy earth, and overall caramel sweetness. Surprisingly this has been done very well for such a big hitter. Hardly any alcohol flavors tho speak of. Truly a masterpiece.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- Nice heavy body, not overly creamy at all though, and chewy as all get out. Nice dry bitterness without an overly sticky sweet aspect. I am amazed at the feel only because such big double IPA's are usually so sticky and cloyingly sweet. Not this bad boy.

Overall: (4.5)

- I am already buzzing pretty good just from the lovely 'after-warmth' of just a few small pulls from this beer for this review. It's still relatively balanced for such a heavy number, while not showcasing any hard and sharp alcohol flavors. The body is great, the feel is great, and it is quite drinkable. This might be one of the better double IPA's as of late. As if the regular Ruination wasn't already?

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 02:50:51 | More by Docer

FosterJM

California

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1351st Review on BA
Bottle to CCB Snifter

Thanks to Callmecoon for sharing

App- A very clear orange with yellow streaking throughout the glass. A nice small white head was there and dissapeared rather quickly.

Smell- Super hoppy with a bitter quality behind it. Wasn't overly floral or citrus as I was hoping for. Solid aromatics, just a bit thick with pine and resin to back it up.

Taste- Suprisingly dank for a hopped up version. I was thinking this was gonna be like a Citra subsititute but behold that didnt happen. Clearly it was more malty version and amped up ABV. A little one sided for me. It was good, not great like I expected.

Mouth- A fuller medium body with a ample medium carbonation. Residual pine and malts without a lot of that citrus note I was looking for.

Drink- It was good, wasn't great. I did grab another bottle to give it a shot in a better glass and more calm setting. (I might update this one)

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 23:58:45 | More by FosterJM

HopHead84

California

3.63/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

6/15/2012

Snifter.

A: Yellow orange. Very hazy with a monstrous beige sea foam head. Very good retention with lots of lacing. I wonder if this is chill haze. I guess I don't know.

It was chill haze. The color is a dark orange with perfect clarity.

S: Pungent pine and citrus notes with a little floral influence. Sugary malt with notes of bread and a bit of caramel. Alcohol is noticeable. Orange blends with tangerine, generic melon, and a touch of guava.

T: Prominent pine resin notes with a firm sugary sweet bready malt foundation that matches the intensity of the hop onslaught. There's a little caramel in there with noticeable booze. This is very bitter with pronounced grapefruit rind and orange pith citrus characteristics. Alcohol presence is stronger in the finish and it gets to be a bit much when the beer warms up.

M: Upper medium body with upper medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth, dry, and a touch heavy.

Overall: This is pretty good, though it falls short of my expectations. If you're hoping for a bigger version of that dry classic you know as Ruination you'll need to adjust your expectations.

The first half of the bottle was more pleasant than the second half. If I'd had one cold 8oz pour on draft at Stone I'd rate this higher than I did, but a full bomber with adequate warming shows me this is a pretty solid beer but overly malty and alcoholic while lacking the bright hop expression I find in fresh Ruination. It's more akin to a Barleywine than the Double IPA I was hoping for. Well crafted, but not the sort of beer I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 05:37:56 | More by HopHead84

rtaps

California

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark clear orange with a pretty small off white head that hangs around for a little bit leaving spotty lacing behind

Great nose a lot of pine and floral hoppyness,I want to say I get a honey like character in it too, but I could be off on that

Ya that's a tasty beer. Lots of hops (as expected)kinda hot still which I like and didn't expect. It's piney, florals and bitter

It's light to medium bodied, and carbonated. At first it gives a very wet mouth feel that quickly drys out after swallowing

Overall it's a pretty damn good DIPA

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:22:21 | More by rtaps

EnglishB0B

5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Way to stay with tradition for this ten year celebratory edition. this is the best Stone mash up so far. Take time to enjoy every sip of this one boys. Hurry up to secure your supply now or take the pilgrimage to the Stone Brewery, well worth the trip, ask Howie.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:35:46 | More by EnglishB0B

Halcyondays

California

3.93/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On cask at Beachwood I,

A: Pours burnt orange with a medium white head, leaving thick lace.

S: Lots of great hop notes. Heavy grapefruit and grass, pineapple.

T: Hop heavy, pine and grapefruit. The booze is apparent, almost giving a barleywine feel even though the malt is clear DIPA.

M: Full-bodied, very resiny and green, very long aftertaste, again some ethanol character.

O: A big monster DIPA for sure, certainly enjoyable, but nothing to go crazy for, I prefer regualar Ruination to this.

Serving type: cask

06-15-2012 23:41:02 | More by Halcyondays

H0wieDewum

California

4.98/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Nice bronze color, whispy white head, dirty ringer...

S: Heavy citrus - grapefruit & orange. PINE!

T: BOOM! Hops in yo mouf!

F: Initial big hoppy bite that remains "sticky" even over the crisp finish.

O: Smashing example of an American IPA. Another example of Stone setting the bar. Good work Gents.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 22:58:23 | More by H0wieDewum

wethorseblanket

California

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours clear and golden with a thin white head which fades to the rim and leaves a bit of lace.

N: Shines with citrus such as grapefruit, orange, and tangerine. Some pine and tropical fruit notes also.

T: Follows nose with plenty of sweet malt to balance things out. Resiny and fresh green hops really stand out but the sweet malt wins on the finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Dry and bitter. Notable ABV here is hidden but certainly present. Perhaps a tad too sweet for me.

O: Big, complex, balanced, and powerful. A nice tribute to a classic.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 16:04:57 | More by wethorseblanket

Sixt9coug

California

4.9/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bought it at the local Total Wine today. Could not resist tasting it tonight with dinner.

Poured it in an Arrogant Bastard pint glass. A slightly off white head appeared and I was left with a gorgeous amber gold colored beer. Reminds me of Knuckle Sandwich as far as color. Absolutely, beautifully clear.

Smell was beautiful. Slightly sweet but loaded with grapefruit, pine and citrus. Grapefruit is the predominant scent here for sure. Juicy, juicy!

Taste was a little odd at first. It wasn't as citrus bomb as I expected. SMOOOTH comes to mind as far as taste. Hoppy but not overly so when cold, as it warms the hops come out a bunch more. Velvety smooth was my description of the taste. The finish came through with that lovely hop oily bitterness. That hung around a good chunk of time too.

Velvety smooth, oily mouthfeel. Heavier bodied than regular Ruination. Great feel.

Overall, well... I bought one bottle. I'm going back out tomorrow to get two more. It's a great beer. I'm reminded of Pliny the Younger when drinking it. For the $6.49 a bomber, it's a steal. Go get it, drink it and enjoy it before it's gone.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 06:23:39 | More by Sixt9coug

ehammond1

California

4.58/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle (2012)

Liquor Stop
San Marcos, CA

Clear, dark orange with a hint of amber and a moderately sized off-white head that lasts for quite some time, eventually leaving messy, irregular webs of lace down the glass. I've never seen a prettier DIPA.

A tremonds bouquet of hops in the aroma: big pine and citrus notes, a good amount of resin and dank marijuana, tree sap, and some caramel sweetness. Bold, expressive, and fresh!

Big bitterness, huge amounts of pine, citrus, and sap hop flavors, lots of floral elements, along with some citrus and malt sweetness. Complete and delicious. This smacks you over the head with hops.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, as well as a touch oily.

A world-class DIPA. Better than Ruination.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:02:42 | More by ehammond1