IPA (India Pale Ale) - Stone Brewing Co.

sessycuban

California

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Another Stone favorite that I've never bothered to review until now. 12oz bottle poured into my Stone IPA glass.

A - The beer pours a medium golden color. It is a little bit above standard for an IPA, with fluffy head and great lacing.

S - I'm getting pine, citrus, grapefruit especially, floral hops, and even caramel. This pretty much has everything one would want in an American IPA.

T - Wonderful! Hops, hops, hops. Lots of citrus with some carmel sweetness. The beer finishes slightly minty, with plenty of lingering bitterness. Very good.

M - The beer is medium bodied. You can either make this one a sipper or a swiller; it is very versatile.

D - This beer is incredibly drinkable. I, for one, am very happy that Stone decided to sell these in sixers. One of Stone's finest brews.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2007 17:42:49 | More by sessycuban

secondtooth

Indiana

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy gold, with a large head of foam.

Nose is big and floral, with an unmistakable grapefruit/citrus hops character.

Taste is clean and bitter, punchy and explosive on the palate. A little sweet malt to balance.

The relatively high ABV (6.9%) is hidden well.

Packed with big flavor and freshness, this is a top-tier brew with character and guts.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 20:50:41 | More by secondtooth

devinoconnor

New Jersey

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stone is always a pretty safe bet, so I was extremely excited to try their classic India Pale Ale.

Pours a golden citrus color. Smells of hop and bitters, a little citrus in there as well.

Taste is a wonderfully balanced pairing of hops and bitters. Although Stone claims its filled with hops, I didn't find it to be overly hoppy like so many other IPA attempts.

Goes down very smooth and it's a very easy drinking beer as far as IPA's go. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 21:59:22 | More by devinoconnor

Snow81

Minnesota

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Light orange clean tint

Head: Big frosty white head that stays for the length of the beer

Smell: A nice bright Citric and grapefruit on the nose

Taste: Sweet malts with a very subtle citric hop

Weight: Light body with a low to medium carbonation

Finish: Nice bitterness creeps in and soaks into the palate with a little stickiness on the lips

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 04:22:53 | More by Snow81

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful amber color with a generous white head with great retention. Lots of lacing down the glass makes for a pleasing visual experience. The smell is out-of-this-world good. Loads of citrus hops hit the nose with a wallop. The taste is all hops. Delicious grapefruit flavor with touch of pine. Plenty of bitterness makes this a hop-head's dream, and not for the faint-of-tongue. If there was ever a beer deserving of being called exceptional, this is it.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 23:30:57 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

les1721

Oregon

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Serving type; 22 oz. bottle with awesome artwork. Got to love the Gargoyle.

Appearance; A rich golden, orange hued beer with a nice thick head that's lacy and sticks around.

Smell; Very piney, citric and fruity. Very aromatic and pungent and a little earthy and herbal. Its smell is awesome, they should make cologne that smells like this.

Taste; The taste is divine. Hops are the first thing you taste. Very piney, a little citric, herbal and intense. The hop profile is profound and the bitterness intense but not overwhelming. Very grapefruity. A nice subtle malt profile balances it out and the finish is very clean yet lingers. Sweet but crisp. Almost contradicting, this beer has it all.

Mouthfeel; Medium mouthfeel with a perfect amount of carbonation.

Overall; This is a perfect beer for me. Strong and hoppy, but balanced and not overwhelming. Complex but crisp. I really think if God was going to have a beer this might be it.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 05:00:15 | More by les1721

t2thebro

Iowa

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle

A- golden yellow, with a slight greenish tint. Thick two finger head that stays put. Heavy lacing.

S- this beer smell made me giggle! That's a first. Like pure hops on Italian bread. Perfect balance light bread, floral, fruity, earthy.

T- wow!!!! Thank you may I have another!! Starts
Earthy and just a bit of breast malt. Smooth floral to follow. Slight but not over powering citrus notes. Finishes dry with the perfect balance of hops and malts which makes the aftertaste seem like a dessert. A little hint of smoke which I think is the secret of this brew.

M- light airy, and a bit of oil. With the flavor this don't matter much.

O- wow! Light enough to enjoy a few, with the flavor composition of a double ipa. No greasy aftertaste, not a huge filling beer. All flavor! Amazing!!!

O- wow!! Light enough to enjoy a few with the flavor of a double ipa

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 02:01:33 | More by t2thebro

bensbeers

Maryland

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served in a pint glass.

Loved the fruitiness of this beer. Everything about it - the color, smell, and taste - reminded be of mangoes. A brew with a huge foamy tan head that left a layer of foam the whole way down the glass. Being the Cali ipa that it is, it packs a huge hop punch. Piney, grassy hops on the nose and slick fruity ones in the mouth. Mostly tropical - sweet mandarin oranges and pineapple. Mouthfeel is just how I enjoy it - lightly carbonated, thirst quenching, but still leaves you looking for another sip.

Overall a damn good beer. Maybe even one of the best I've had to date. Loved how drinkable it was and really enjoyed the fruitiness created by the hops. Would highly recommend this beer, as I really don't think it gets much better than this. Drink on!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 03:24:13 | More by bensbeers

Joshpu

California

4.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A: Golden orange in color. One finger of white head. Quite a bit of carbonation. Very nice lacing. It's pretty clear.

S: Piney hops and citrus.

T: Very hop forward beer, citrus notes.

M: Light to medium bodied, very crisp and dry. Very drinkable.

Overall this is an excellent beer. This is exactly how I want an IPA to taste. A nearly perfect tasting beer in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 07:20:33 | More by Joshpu

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A beautiful frickin' beer no matter how you slice it, on tap this absolutely kills.

Above most any Stone beer I've experienced the maltiness is damned divine: doughy, gooey, in the forefront.

But the malt isn't what makes this beer so sublime: its the hops, man. Citrusy nose only hints at the spectacular overload you'll get on the first sip. Wicked hop burps like this was pulled out of the tanks yesterday.

Wow. I forgot how damned good this beer is. Blew SNCA out of the water in a side-by-side tasting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2004 19:12:11 | More by GreenWBush

TheBungyo

Washington

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pablo Piccaso would have trouble crafting a masterpiece such as this. The stiff white cream head finishes off this brew as you'd imagine a master chef with a perfect garnish would. Nose is massive pine, followed by a mix of grapefruit and caramel. I have to be honest, the smell is as devine as any beer lover could hope. Taste is a tour of hops ...pine, graprefruit, lemon, peach and finally caramel. This is probably the perfect IPA. Mouthfeel is suitably creamy and drinkablility is near perfect. A rugged yet sessionable beer that everyone with any sense will respect. Thank you Stone!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2006 05:30:02 | More by TheBungyo

TheDeuce

New York

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow...

Appearance-big headed goodness comes out of the bottle, light color head booms up but remarkably settles afterwards into the glass, good looking beer.

Smell-hoppy as all get out, alcohol is totally hidden by hoppiness no other aromas to speak of, smells like it was just brewed a second ago.

Taste/Mouthfeel-amazing, easy drinking, substantial hop flavor but no burn or rashness, balanced with a dash of malt, maintains a light texture but still substantial. Even those who don't like hoppy beers or are just starting on them would probably like this.


Drinkability-easy to drink, clean finish except for a small trace of hops, just how you would want to do it, 7% alcohol for those who don't know.

Overall-Simply put one of the best IPAs I've ever had, it's taken me forever to try Stone beers and now that I've had one I can't wait to try more. Astoundingly good.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2007 21:30:25 | More by TheDeuce

pwoods

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-Tap at Dilly Deli poured into a pint. Reviews based off notes.

A: Pours golden orange and coppery. 1+ finger head that reduces and stays at about a 1/4 inch. Patchy lacing.

S: Strong floral hops and fresh piney scent. Makes my mouth water thinking about whats coming. Alcohol stays hidden nicely. Slight nutty malt aroma peeks through toward the end.

T/M: Strong peppery spices and amazing hop bitterness. I love this in bottles but its AMAZING on top. Getting a piney/sappy bite. Nutty, buttery malts show their face just before the end. Medium body that turns slightly creamy at the malts and finishes bone dry.

D: If I hadn't had a big lunch, I would probably have to stop after 2 or so, but I could really drink this for quite awhile before experiencing palate fatigue. Extremely tasty and easy to drink. Without a doubt one of my favor brews.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2007 20:32:31 | More by pwoods

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Another brilliant brew from Stone. Pours a hazy amber color with a frothy white head. This beer is dominated by hops but is balanced out by a sweetness that doesn't make it too bitter. Not as good as their Ruination IPA but excellent for a single IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 08:24:23 | More by corby112

charliedango

Illinois

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Stone IPA is by far one of the finest india pale ales that I have ever had. It has the heavy hops one comes to expect from an IPA, but it's smooth and far less abrasive than other brewers takes on IPA. It's a drag that you can't get Stone in Illinois, but well worth the drive to pick up a few bombers.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 02:08:48 | More by charliedango

bobhits

Kentucky

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In most styles of beer I take a standard somewhat generic beer and I hold all others to it. The APA for example is best shown by seirra nevada. I'd never call that a great beer, it's average in most of its efforts. With IPA's I used ot judge them to dogfish head 60 minute but stone ipa honestly is easier to get and all IPAs end up being graded down because they aren't stone.

The nose is other worldly, served in a stone iPA glass the nose is just breath taking. Floral, fruity, spicy, piny, and hell if I could have this as a perfume I'd buy it for all the ladies. This is the best smelling beer I've ever been with.

The appearance is cloudy off yellow/copper, an unimpressive head on this pour but normally it does far better. Leaves a decent but not amazing lacing. Not much carbonation.

I'm an atheist, but this beer makes me want to thank god for the taste. It's citrus, crispy, with malt COMPLETELY in the back seat but at the same time perfectly complementing the hops.

Look, I've given beers 5's before. This beer is the best beer I've ever had when I really truly sit back and judge fairly. I can't give the appearance a 5 though...again a flaw in the bro's scores. Many beers have exceptional qualities. This beer in many places is perfection...and there is no 6 to give.

In the quest to try every beer on the planet one often forgets about the easy to find and cheaper offerings. Well IPA lovers...there is no better staple. There is no beer I come back to as often and trust me I've got about 40 different beers in the fridge...this one will be bought again before all of those are even sampled.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 11:20:09 | More by bobhits

rmwtsou

California

4.97/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the best IPA in a bottle that I have tasted so far. It is very hoppy, simply delicious. I am happy to report that now it is available at Costcos for $25.99 a case (at least in the Torrance, CA Costco.) Bought 2 cases and now I'm happy.(9-10-2011)

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 21:59:04 | More by rmwtsou

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.98/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer was served out of a 12oz. bottle dispensed into a glass....

Presentation - Stone label and artwork are just the coolest. Label is painted or embossed not sure which. Gives it top notch feel and look.

Appearance - Pours out a golden yellow/orange color with surprisingly dense 2 finger white foam head. Head retention is about average, sticking around for about a minute before dissipating into an airy foam covering. Leaves excellent lacing.

Smell - Smell is truly amazing. A HUGE aroma! Smells of strong citrus hops with hints of tropical fruit. IMO, falls more on the Piney hop side than the floral hop side. Very faint hints of malt scent throughout.

Taste - Taste is just as amazing as the smell. A malty start gives way to intense hop flavors. The combination of citrus/piney/sweet tropical fruit-like hop bitterness is amazing!

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Starts off very crisp before turning smooth slightly creamy on the back end.

Drinkability - Smell/taste/mouthfeel combo make this extremely drinkable. Cant just have one!

Best IPA that I have ever had and one of the best beer I have ever had PERIOD! One of the few beer that made me say "Oh MY" when I had the pleasure of trying it. As good as this is out of the bottle, I had the joy of trying this fresh when I visited Stone while out in San Diego in the Summer of 2011 and its even better!!! A real treat! Worth the little extra $$$$ IMO!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 21:43:09 | More by thegodfather1076

joecast

Australia

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

ok, i really should be going to bed right about now. but i cant wait. and what better way to end the day, than with a stone ipa??

pours a hazy yellow, with a slight orange hue. minimal carbonation. the head actually grows as the beer is poured into the glass. finishes off reaching about an inch, and slowly settles to about a centimeter (yes!! standard and metric!!). very stable. nice lacing. lightly tanned in color. somewhat enjoyable to watch as bubbles grow and burst, only to be replaced by more, smaller bubbles.

aroma? well, it hit me before the bottle cap hit the counter top. pine, followed by some pine, and finished off by a bit of pine. seriously there could be other aspects to the aroma, but i dont care. this smell should come standard with all new cars!

bitterness adds some heat to the flavor, backed up by some biscuit maltiness. sort of reminds me of arrogant bastard, but that was a long time ago. a fullness to the hops in bitterness and flavor that is admirable. leaves a lasting impression on the palate.

mouthfeel is full, without being too filling.
good lord this is fantastic! . each sip increases the desire to take another sip. wish i had better access to other highly rated ipa's to compare this with. but until then, this will have to be: 5.0 - exceptional

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2005 15:20:45 | More by joecast

Avagadro

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Huge egg-white frothy head that lasts. This beer has a beautiful light-amber color that is crystal clear. Looks very drinkable in the glass.

S: Wow! This beer fills the room with its aroma. Limes, citrus, and pine. This brew has an incredible aroma.

T:Taste follows the aroma with a huge hop presence. Citrusyand piney from the hops, and sweet from the ethanol.

M:Medium body with slick mouthfeel. Carbonation tingles on your tongue,, a nice complement to the hoppy bitterness.

D: If I had the money, this beer would be in my house at all times. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2007 23:09:17 | More by Avagadro

2wheeledpirate

West Virginia

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the only beer I have ever had and even thought of scoring a perfect 5. And yes, as the tips suggest, I would say with conviction that nothing could be improved in this beer. It pours a medium brown with a thin head. The nose is pure hop and the first taste backs that right up. Then the pleasant surprise is a "fruitty" pop at the back end, but the bitterness of the hops still hang around. This is "the" beer for me. The "stuck on a desert island with only one choice" beer. Try it, you will not be dissapointed.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2007 23:25:16 | More by 2wheeledpirate

giblet

Ohio

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

purchased a 6 pack of this beer hoping that it was like the other Stone beers as far as quality.

wow!!!

i guess i did not believe that there could be a perfect beer, imo this is it. poured beautiful into my glass. nice color, excellent head, wonderful lace throughout. the aroma is knock you on your ass with a smile on your face hops and citrus. man the hops! the taste is everything the aroma promises. excellent hop with a hint of malt. nice smooth dry finish but not scrape your mouth with sandpaper dry.

this IPA is the best i have had to date. this is why i give it all fivers.

suckem up and movem out!

giblet

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2007 10:16:52 | More by giblet

twade

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Great IPA.It was a suggestion from a bartender at a great place in Boyertown Pa. called union jack's.It's down a dirt road and you would never expect it to be there.They have over 250 bottled beers and 25 or so on tap.I have had alot of great IPA's at this place ,but stone is my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2007 14:55:07 | More by twade

BigJim5021

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Stone's IPA ranks neck-and-neck with Bell's Two Hearted as my absolute favorite beer. The only difference between the two is availability. At any given time, I can go to numerous liquor stores (or even my own workplace) and pick up a sixer of Two Hearted. On the flipside, I can get 22 oz. bombers of Stone's IPA at something like two liquor stores on my side of town. Oh well. I guess this stuff makes for an immaculate treat.

Like Two Hearted, Stone IPA pours a hazy copper with a slightly off-white head. The lacing is all over the place.

The aroma is goddamn glorious. Floral hops out the ass. If I could get air freshener that smelled like this, I'd gladly buy a case.

The flavor reflects the smell. The floral hops are massive and bitter and Jesus tapdancing Christ, it's delicious. And like Two Hearted, there's just enough smooth maltiness to balance things out. And man, oh man, is it dry. We're talking Oscar Wilde dry here.

Mouthfeel is medium, crisp and about as good as it gets.

At 6.9%, I would still drink this stuff all night if I could just get someone around here to carry the elusive 6-packs. I can never have enough of this amazing stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 05:09:52 | More by BigJim5021

noknife83

California

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

All bow down to the beer gods...Thank you Stone for this, this liquid poem of great beer. I wish I could put into words how much I love this beer. It is my all time favorite beer. Everything about it is great, the slight caramel taste it starts with, followed by a twinge of metallic, finishing with a slap in the face of hops...Also got to love the fact that its 6.9 abv. I love that 2 or 3 of these and I'm feeling really good...Thank you Stone...

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 06:42:16 | More by noknife83