IPA (India Pale Ale) - Stone Brewing Co.

hawks10

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle - Best by 2.16.11 - Poured into a pint glass...

Pours a clear golden amber with tons of fluffy white head, leaves tons of lacing behind...

Fairly strong floral and piny hop aroma, resinous. Strong toffee malt background...

Piny hops, but somewhat weak. Taste falls a bit thin, bitter but not much else. Malt doesn't add any sweetness in the finish...

Medium bodied, lower carbonation. Bitter lingering finish...

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 04:28:24 | More by hawks10

blakelive784

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into a pint glass:

A - Pours a light golden/honey color. Semi-transparent with a 1 finger head that recedes pretty quickly. Nothing special.

S - Sweet, floral, and perfumy tones. Aroma is balanced very well. Other subtle notes come out as it warms; honey, berries, and candy. Mild for the style.

T - Hoppy, yes. Citrus, tart fruit and some malt on the open. Climax is dull and a bitter aftertaste. Fairly well balanced for an IPA.

M - Crisp, and dry on the finish. Works well.

D - Definitely one of the better IPA's I've had. Well built and drinkable (especially considering I'm not a huge fan of the style). Not great, but I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 02:35:12 | More by blakelive784

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

PPours a pale golden color with big hop aromas of grilled pineapple along with some herbs. Very pungent happy smell, its very nice

Big upfront spices hop taste with a fruity tart like sweetness on the lips. Pungent dry hop finish on the back of the tongue. Malt body lingers as well as the hops but not in a bad way. Flavors are layered well rather than blended. Body is a bit thin on the finish.

Very very spicy herbal ipa. I thought the bitterness would be abut more brutal but its not (not that its not rough). Some fruit flavors and a very very subtle malt body which probably lends to the slightly thin finish. Better than expected though.

Hop bitterness builds slightly but its not intolerable like some other beers that probably use the same type of hops.

The beer is definitely different for an ipa. It actually showcases the huge flavors one would normally find in a double ipa which is impressive but not exactly what im looking for when I want an ipa. Not bad though at all

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 01:55:01 | More by jtierney89

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Glad to see Stone finally get into Iowa!

I was filled with intrepidation when pouring this into my perfect pour glass. It's a light amber color with 2.5 fingers of foam, almost overtopping my glass. The aroma is definitely hop-centered and strong, but not overly interesting. The flavor I was wather disappointed with. There was the acidity from the hops but not much flavor. I'm use to IPAs that have notes of floral, citris, mellon, honey, but there wasn't much of that at all. It seems the type of hops in there had a singular focus of the hop acidity but nothing else to add any entertainment or side-story.

It's a good IPA, but I've had many that are more interesting. It's not weak, but it's kinda boring.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 17:41:52 | More by DesMoinesMike

shererjt

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy reddish-amber with a huge, billowy head and tons of carbonation. Nose was piney/citrusy hops all the way. Lots of fruit. IPA smell to the extreme, and one of the better-smelling beers around. Plenty of hop flavor and bitterness, though not quite enough malt to balance it. Still, very tasty if a bit over-the-top. Body was on the light side of medium, which I found rather interesting considering the hop wallop it packs. Drinkability was pretty good.

I like this one, though (apparently) not as much as some. The aroma is top-notch; just think it needs a bit more caramel sweetness to smooth it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2006 03:00:32 | More by shererjt

wanker

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

This beer is definitely for hop heads.It is a complex beer, with citrus and stone fruit flavors (peach and tangerine?) underneath a serious hop zing.

To tell you the truth, the hop flavor was so strong that it was difficult for me to finish my half of the bomber I shared with my wife. I liked the fruity undertones, but the intensity of the piney hop tastes killed the drinkability for me.

That said, I'm really a stout and porter guy, so ignore this review if your tastes don't run in the stout/porter direction.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2006 21:17:47 | More by wanker

doppelmeup

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Honey yellow color with only a slight head. Lacing remains throughout.

Bit of skunkiness, reminding me of some pilsener beers I've had. Slight grapefruit. Not the best smelling IPA I've had.

Taste is ok. Moderately bitter with grapefruit flavors leading, followed by some sweet malt. As it warms, flavor improves.

Slightly sticky, slightly dry mouthfeel. ABV well hidden, goes down very easily.

Overall, a good beer from Stone but not all that memorable.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2007 14:12:02 | More by doppelmeup

westweasel

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz. bomber bottle.

Appearance - The beer poured out a nice hazy, golden, light amber color with a one-inch bright white head that sticks to the glass on the way down.

Aroma - I'm getting a soft citrus scent - grapefruit - and a light floral smell. the smell is predominantly biscuits and bread.

Taste - This beer is very well-balanced - It has a strong bitter aftertaste, that reminds me of noble hops. I'm also getting a light lemony taste. The majority of the up-front flavor is a strong malty bread taste.

Mouthfeel - Medium with a noticeable bitter dry finish.

Drinkability - Very good. I'm not a big noble hops fan, so I probably wouldn't drink many of these at one time. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2007 21:32:45 | More by westweasel

raoulduke37

California

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - golden with orange hues, similar to a good cognac.

S - Definite hop scent here, pine, citrus

T - Good citrus flavor, lacks some complexity, bitter hops are not evenly balanced by malt.

M - Smoother than most IPA's I've had, nice carbonation but not overwhelming.

D - Dry finish leaves you a bit puckered, wouldn't be easy to drink too many of these in a row.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2009 04:41:05 | More by raoulduke37

ferrari29

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

A - Light amber/copper color body; 2 finger beige foam; rocky foam formed with lots of lacing: low amount of carbonation

S - Hops & spices hit the nose first; subtle malt and nut tones; light airy larger scent; smells crisp; scents not very powerful

T - Bitter taste hits at the beginning of drink until the end; tart sensations over the sides of the tongue; subtle hint of sweetness; flavors lingers from a while then ends with a light bitter aftertaste; bit dry

M - Thin viscosity; alive with bubbly carbonated feel over tongue; slight foamy feel

D - Not a bitter as I expected; lots of hype for Stone, I thought I was going to get a heavy hit of flavor; I could definitely sit at the bar and drink a few and recommend it to others who enjoy a light IPA

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 02:57:58 | More by ferrari29

vandemonian

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Stone IPA has a nice orange colour and a good 1cm head that that fades to sparse lacing after about 3 mins. It smells faintly of hops, citrus and yeast. Very hoppy up front with some bitterness. The aftertaste is metallic and slightly bitter. This beer is watery in the mouth. This beer is ok, but get the Arrogant Bastard instead if you want something hoppy from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 03:11:27 | More by vandemonian

bluto25

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-This beer generated about two fingers of fallen that diminished to about one finger after 3 min. it had a light amber color and was cloudy.
S-Smell was fruity with a slight bit of malt.
T – Hops taste was quite strong and remain for a while. Slight astringent flavor.
M – Mouth feel is good and a little bit on the thin side.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 16:35:29 | More by bluto25

joemeister

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, golden yellow. Head is white, sudsy, and about 3/4" inch.

Smell: no surprise here. Spicy hops dominate, with a vague suggestion of tropical citrus in the background. Like mango or something, but its weak.

Ooh. I did not expect that. The obvious flavor commencement is citrusy hops, but it follows with a surprising grilled, smoky flavor to finish. The aftertaste is almost buttery (my brother says he tastes bacon). This beer would satisfy the hophead who enjoys a little more three-dimensionality in their palate. I appreciate it, but the smokiness is not what I expect or enjoy in an IPA. I like the finish to be a little more sweet. With that said, this is definitely worth trying. It has a uniqueness as compared to other run-of-the-mill IPA's, but I find myself largely indifferent.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 20:42:52 | More by joemeister

simpliciter

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - yellow --- not a lot of character in the appearance (bad pour?)
S - slightly floral, but not very distinct
T - [[no notes on the taste of this beer survived this evening.]]
M - slightly coats the mouth, finishes clean
D - lingering bitterness

All in all, not as impressive as the Cali-Belgique version of this same beer. Belgian yeast, woo!

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2010 23:29:32 | More by simpliciter

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a vibrant golden orange, with a bright white head that dissipates quickly. Not too much lacing going on.

S: Strong presence of pine and citrus hops, with a certain sweetness. Smells tasty.

T: Very underwhelming. Not much hop bitterness, but the pine taste is very upfront. There are also great notes of juicy citrus-grapefruit flavors that saves it. Enjoyable to a degree.

M: Medium body, decent carbonation, but not as smooth as I would prefer.

D: I've had this on tap and in bottle several times, trying to get into this beer, with all the hype around it. I've been disappointed every time. I doubt it's a freshness problem (having it fresh out of a new keg), I am trying to like this, but there are too many other good IPAs out there to give it another chance. The only Stone product I never plan on buying anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 14:56:41 | More by mostpoetsdo

ThirstyBehr

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- copper colored body with about an inch of sea foam head that quickly dissipates , well carbonated.

S- i get sticky citrus hops heavy, malt is very present and welcome, a wonderfully sweet combination.

T- initiallyi get a bite of bitter hops, a lot more piney hops in the taste that weren't present in the nose, taste is good but the nose was very misleading.

M- thin to medium body, moderate carbonation, mildly bitter aftertaste

O- i loved the smell of this beer but i was a little let down by the taste, a little too bitter for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 17:27:06 | More by ThirstyBehr

PSUDREW

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very nice (light) amber color. It had a modtly hop flavor to it right off the bat.the malt IS there, but this, by defiination is a hoppy beet. Smells nice a citrusy on the the pour, and it has a nice follow thouw when you go through it. All in all it has the prolific hop flavor that most Stone products have, and, all in all, it is a very nice brew, Find, and enjoy, it if you can

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 05:12:42 | More by PSUDREW

mattster

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Opened 12oz bottle and poured into pint glass.

Nice light golden brown color, somewhat hazy but still translucent. Very little head that dissipates quickly, light lacing on top.

Smell is hoppy, slight citrus notes. Taste is even hoppier, also with a good hints of citrus and a little spice.

Little aftertaste, pretty pleasant brew. After consuming most of the beer, I noticed that it was stamped "enjoy by 12/11/07" but I've had this brew before and didn't notice any major change. Generally, IPA's are made to last for longer periods of time. I feel comfortable saying that this brew would probably still taste good a month from now.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 07:24:12 | More by mattster

chaunur

Kentucky

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

First, I an NOT a hophead so this isn't a beer I would purchase, it was given to me by a friend who didn't like it. Having said that this wasn't a bad experience. It poured an slightly hazy orange tan into a pint glass, produced a nice 2 finger head that stuck around for awhile. Of course it had a very hoppy aroma with overtones of floral and citrus. I was surprised by the flavor, while the hop flavor was pronounced it was well balanced by a touch of malt sweetness.Thought the carbonation was on the spot and the brew went down easy. But I dont think this a beer I could drink more than one or two of in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 22:10:48 | More by chaunur

Kirch

California

3.43/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Glass: Double old fashioned inward taper
Aging Notes: None
Bang for the Buck (oz*%/$): 72*6.9/11 = 45.2

A: Yellow, slightly turbid.

S: Smells like pot. Citrusy and lightly floral, maybe lemon.

T: Lemon citrus. Late lingering metallic notes.

M: Refreshing

O: Overpriced, overrated. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 09:19:42 | More by Kirch

Nutleybeer

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got a chance to try this on tap. Stone beers seem to be popping up all over now a days.

It had a typical, floral-like smell, which is common in most IPAs. Actually pretty strong, which made it so deceiving the flavor was quite mild and not as hoppy as I would have expected.

I am not the biggest IPA fan, but this was pretty good. As noted, I didn't find it overly hoppy, so if that is what you are looking for, you may want to try something else.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2006 12:26:32 | More by Nutleybeer

DrunkenMaster

California

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler from Consumer Beverages. Bright orange color with a nice head. I like the color of this. Aroma is fruity and floral with some sweet malts. Starts out with lots of malt sweetness but gets more bitter and dry towards the finish. Not bad, but a pretty average IPA.

Serving type: growler

07-20-2008 15:34:39 | More by DrunkenMaster

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a dark golden, almost orange with a one finger crisp white head. Doesn't really look like most IPAs...but it looks nice. Love the color of the head. Laces beautifully and gets an extra half point for that.

S- faint...getting a lot of orangey hops. But you know what...it actually smells really, really good.

T- very bitter. In fact...all I'm really getting is bitterness. Pine, pine and more pine...getting some very vague hints of grapefruit, but thats all. Disappointing.

M- feel is...interesting. Its got a thickness to it. If you look at the color and think its going to be light and thin, you're not going to get that.

D- I'm not really sure about this...I've had IPAs I've enjoyed more, and because of how bitter this is, I'm not sure if I'd come back to it. I don't get many flavors aside from the pine, and its a huge turnoff to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 23:46:50 | More by bigfnjoe

sweemzander

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into an imperial pint. Best by 10-06-10. This is literally the freshest bottle I found in almost 3 states of the midwest, so I am rating this since I cannot find anything fresher in all the stores I have visited.

(A)- Pours a clear golden yellow/orange color that produced a huge foamy/fluffy white head with great retention. Tons of lacing left behind as it very slowly dissipated.

(S)- A huge burst of pine-like citrus with some lemon and lime fruits. Slightly dry, but otherwise the piney hops take center stage.

(T)- A dry pine-like wood profile up front. Some minimal lemon and lime citrus behind that. Very subtle honey-like sweetness.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A decent balance, but it really is primarily a very dry bitter pine profile of a beer.

(D)- I can see how this can be a good IPA, but it would be nice to see how it is fresh since I am unable to find it as such in either IL or WI where I have gone.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 18:48:10 | More by sweemzander

benmiliron

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Paid $3.99 for 22 oz. Good smell, good taste, maltyness washed away by the dominating hops. You could drink a lot of this, but I'd spend your money on a cheaper IPA as this isn't anything terribly special. A great brew from Stone, but they've got many other far better beers than this.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2003 23:17:22 | More by benmiliron