IPA (India Pale Ale) - Stone Brewing Co.

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Probably my favorite ipa, only now getting around to reviewing it
bottle with a 11/1 enjoy by date into a pint glass

Pours a dark gold with a silk white finger and a half of head. Retains quite well, laces beautifully down the glass. At the end of the beer I was able to see where I took each sip on the inside of the glass. Holding it up into the light there are tiny suspended shards of hops, mildly filtered. Mild carbonation spaced evenly along the inside of the glass.

Smell of strong hops, grapefruit, pine, some citrus, a hint of juniper, and some alcohol. Very mild malts in the background break through despite the potency of everything above. One of the best smelling beers I've had

The beer wastes no time and throws a huge hop flavor up front. Grapefruit, citrus, a nice tropical tinge peak through the after taste. Modest malts are nicely represented but the hops are what really take the spot light. With 77 ibus this is one of the stronger ipas I'm aware of, and is guaranteed not to be touched by anyone but myself at a party. Needless to say, not for people who aren't familiar with craft beer

Mouth feel doesn't disappoint either. Bitterness is upfront and wastes no time over whelming the palate. The carbonation is strong enough to give my tongue a tingle but not enough to distract or cover any of the flavor. Very dry finish, very drinkable

Overall this is one of my staple beers. It's cheap and holds over my hop fix between the couple double ipas I get each week. Something I do and will continue to buy often, this is my bench mark for west coast ipas

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:17:49 | More by lordofstarside

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

Cobrito

Georgia

4.79/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Not sure there's much point in rating a beer that already has more than 5,000 reviews, but here goes for my faithful reader(s).

Bottle with enjoy by date of July 17, 2013.

I find that Stone IPA's excellence sneaks up on you. The appearance and head are fine but nothing dramatic in terms of size or museum-quality lacing or anything. The aroma is somewhat tightly wound, at least coming from the bottle, and it is subtle though nicely complex--dank hops with with a surprising, orangey-grapefruit fruitiness that tells me this beer was made by people who have a sense of composition and desire to combine flavors in an at least somewhat out of the box way. So then I drink. And drink. And it goes down so incredibly easily, but the complexity of the nose is still there in the palate, and the finish on the back of the tongue, while somewhat short, has a pleasant bite, and it is so tantalizing. Can I do that again? And again? In part because of the company's over the top ad copy, there is this sense that Stone is bad ass, but this standard IPA seduces slowly but completely. The Billie Holiday of IPAs?

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 22:46:34 | More by Cobrito

EduardoOrtega01

Panama

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-22-2013 20:56:39 | More by EduardoOrtega01

BigbROB

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-22-2013 16:09:46 | More by BigbROB

DStoked

Ohio

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-22-2013 13:33:57 | More by DStoked

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-22-2013 13:23:31 | More by SpdKilz

Kuaff

Alaska

4.41/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served from a bottle into a tulip glass around cellar temperature.

Stone's IPA has a nice two fingers of a white, frothy head, and the beer itself is a remarkably clear, golden amber color. Such pure clarity... very beautiful.

The smell has strong pine, some citrus, and a little bit of candy-like honey sweetness. This is exactly how I like an IPA to smell.

It tastes much like it smells... great! I get all the classic IPA flavors in abundance. Like the bottle says, it's brewed with simply "barley, hops, water, and yeast." It's amazing how such simple ingredients can be melded together so perfectly. The bitterness is impressive. If you can stand to wait a few minutes before the next sip (challenging as it is), you'll still be able to taste the bitter hoppy goodness long afterwards.

The carbonation is right where I want it, just like everything else with this beer.

Bottom line: this is an outstanding IPA that delivers a plentifully flavorful punch that puts some lesser DOUBLE IPAs to shame. Stone rules.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 09:07:30 | More by Kuaff

jwat

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-22-2013 04:17:58 | More by jwat

gamanley

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-22-2013 03:04:14 | More by gamanley

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-22-2013 02:41:43 | More by SmellsofMahagony

jmcgahran1

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-22-2013 01:37:57 | More by jmcgahran1

scoot64

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-21-2013 23:22:54 | More by scoot64

VirginiaJeff1

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-21-2013 19:29:47 | More by VirginiaJeff1

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-21-2013 19:06:30 | More by Beerandboards

jakecattleco

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-21-2013 17:59:20 | More by jakecattleco

verge

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-21-2013 17:59:06 | More by verge