IPA (India Pale Ale) - Stone Brewing Co.

Groomsy

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic. "Enjoy by" date of 03.03.13.

The pour on this yields a thick, fluffy head of bright white foam that clings all over the glass and leaves sheets of lacing. The body itself is a crystal-clear gold/honey color with nice carbonation from the bottom of the glass. A great looking beer.

Make no mistake: This is the definition of a West Coast IPA. Brimming with the smell of candied grapefruit, oranges, lemons, floral hops, and some piney astringency in the back, the hops are front and center on this beer. Even as a hop-forward brew, there is still a lot of sweetness; I'm getting a lot of ripe tropical fruit in the nose. This is all backed by just enough bready/biscuity malt profile to balance the abundant bitterness. Great nose on this one.

The taste profile follows the nose. On the front of the tongue, there's a big burst of citrusy bitterness, followed by some malty sweetness and tropical fruit (see above) on the middle of the tongue. Some floral and piney astringency hangs on the back on the mouth in the finish. Perfectly balanced, but hop-centered. All of the 3 Cs of the hop world are in full force here and are beautifully intertwined with each other.

Stone's IPA feels great on the palate. For a relatively high ABV for its style, the alcohol is well-hidden and stays in check through the flavors. Mildy carbonated and smooth, this is a dry and refreshing beer of which you can easily drink several. Its light body makes it easy to drink as well.

Through and through, this is a great and quintessential American IPA. You owe it to yourself to try this.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 02:16:53 | More by Groomsy

Remdog

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-25-2013 23:10:10 | More by Remdog

sludgegnome

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-25-2013 22:07:56 | More by sludgegnome

BlueMoon10

Mississippi

3/5  rDev -29.6%

05-25-2013 14:20:30 | More by BlueMoon10

iCabaLLero

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -35.4%

05-25-2013 07:39:58 | More by iCabaLLero

TheDoak

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-25-2013 03:26:12 | More by TheDoak

NormLobstah

Virginia

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-25-2013 03:25:00 | More by NormLobstah

mulliwater

Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -47.2%

05-25-2013 03:16:56 | More by mulliwater

Dogzbone

New York

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-25-2013 01:29:29 | More by Dogzbone

msinger1002

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-24-2013 23:15:55 | More by msinger1002

Spaz7

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-24-2013 20:11:38 | More by Spaz7

Dirksen

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-24-2013 18:40:43 | More by Dirksen

cozmohollis

Delaware

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

A: Orange in color with a white head a really good lace.

S: Citrus scent.

T: Orange and other citrus flavors with a good amount of hops from beginning to end. Really clean and smooth.

MF: Medium light body with medium carbonation. Crisp, refreshing, smooth and clean with a hoppy feel the whole time. Drinkable with a light and dry finish.

O: One of my favorite IPAs. I love how there are hops all throughout this beer but it doesn't over power it. A good IPA for any time, even summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 05:52:04 | More by cozmohollis

SwG237

New York

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-24-2013 04:02:43 | More by SwG237

MN_Beerticker

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-24-2013 03:09:11 | More by MN_Beerticker

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-24-2013 03:02:24 | More by LambicPentameter

Thecasehead

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-23-2013 23:36:50 | More by Thecasehead

Michael_20P

California

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-23-2013 23:21:12 | More by Michael_20P

VaporDome

New York

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%

05-23-2013 22:00:51 | More by VaporDome

DRTBrewster

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-23-2013 21:39:29 | More by DRTBrewster

jaswilson2

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-23-2013 21:25:43 | More by jaswilson2

sjanowiak

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-23-2013 20:17:20 | More by sjanowiak

visionaries

California

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-23-2013 17:16:48 | More by visionaries

pisano

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-23-2013 13:40:04 | More by pisano

FairyFunBoy

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Straw color with a red hue. White 3 finger head.
S- Burst of pine and sap with a great citrus undertone.
T- Orange, pine, biscuit malt. Overwhelms the palate in the best way possible.
M- for such a great beer the mouthfeel was a little light. Not too much malty velvet like I would prefer. Carbonation wasn't sufficient half way through the pint.

O- this is one of my go to beers. Stone is dependable, their IPA is a great addition to their suburb collection.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:57:56 | More by FairyFunBoy