IPA (India Pale Ale) - Stone Brewing Co.

TPoling

Texas

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

Imagine walking through a field of flowers. See the cool colors amid the green. Take in the fresh scents. Now drink it. That is the essence of Stone IPA.

This India pale ale from Stone Brewing Co. is the second of the company's well-respected beer line to make it into Texas. It follows the strong and malty Arrogant Bastard Ale, which endears itself to drinkers by declaring the prospective drinker is not worthy to drink it and probably won't like it.

Stone IPA is a little less heavy on the malt and leaves a crispness that lets the Chinook and Cascade hops shine through. This would stand up great to Mexican food, with the hops cutting through the heat of the chile and is refreshing enough not to add to the heaviness of the abundance of melted cheese, meat and lard-laden refritos. The bad news is they probably don't sell this in the same places you can buy a No. 2 dinner.

The first time I opened this beer -- with great expectations of taste -- it took a full five minutes before it passed my lips because the scent was so intoxicating. Even my wife, who does not drink alcohol, was pleased with the nose. Car air fresheners could be right around the corner.

If I could afford a case of this stuff at $3.79 a bottle, this would be my summer drink of choice and share a special place of honor next to the assortment of hefe weizens that crowd the beerarator when the thermostat gets over 90, usually beginning in March.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2003 13:59:45 | More by TPoling

BierReise

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice IPA but with the high ratings over this one I expected something more than exceptional. Has a nice marriage of malt/hop flavor and only a slight bitterness compared to most other IPA's I've had over the years. I still think the Alesmith beats this one though. I will definately drink it again, but there are many just as good as this one and better.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2003 09:33:34 | More by BierReise

scottum

Vermont

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours out a beautiful amber with a nice white head. I don't like this quite as much as ruination, but it is still an awesome ipa! The hops pack the punch here, but the grain taste adds its charm too. Sooo smooth and so creamy. Feels so good. Tastes so good. A nice big stone IPA for all of us!

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2003 07:27:17 | More by scottum

MJR

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a pale copper with faint gold edges. Good clarity. The head is a sticky, thin cap that leaves lots of lace on the glass.

Smell: The aroma is raw and pungent with hops leaping out of the glass. Pine, grapefruit rind, and a touch of citrus are the strongest scents. There's a decent malt backbone, but it merely serves to hold up the hop profile. I barely pick up on a whisper of caramel.

Taste: Hops, hops, and more hops! No surprise there... This one has a nice firm bitterness that tends to overwhelm the malt base. Is that apple I detect? The grains comes across as a bit fruity and more caramelly than anything else. There's a touch of alcohol on the tail end. Starts bitter, finishes bitter...a well done IPA.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat medium in thickness with a dry, crisp mouthfeel. Small swipe of alcohol on the finish. I really wish Stone would bottle-condition their beers...

Drinkability: Pretty good for the style. Believe it or not, I expected this brew to be bigger and with more hops... I much prefer their Ruination IPA to this. Still a damn good IPA though...

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2003 18:52:24 | More by MJR

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Although this is a wonderful beer,this is certainly not the best Stone has to offer. Then again, at the time of this review there are 5 stone beers in the top 50 so that's not really that negative of a comment. It's a golen color with a large white head. The aroma and taste is all hops. No surprise there. In my opinion, this isn't top 50 material. I always expect something big from Stone, but this is just simply a solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2003 16:44:39 | More by dmarch

Darkale

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy orange, full hops aroma, a short head with light lacing which revives with a quick shake.

Taste is not surprising. Hops, hops, hops! And just a bit less creamy sweetness than their Ruination IPA. But, still, more than enough malt to keep the hops from overwhelming the beer.

Aftertaste is a shade sharp and bitter from the hops, and lasts longer than the Ruination.

Hoppy, hoppy, joy, joy.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2003 18:36:23 | More by Darkale

BigHead

Arizona

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I felt like I was strolling along a hop field when I pour this beer and got a hint of the aroma. Hops, hops, hops, the floral bouquet of the hops are awesome!! The beer looks great as well, a good head on top of the golden brew with a slight cloudiness. Oh man, the taste is gooood. The character of the hops just taste fresh and citrus aftertaste with a feeling of hops blossomming on the roof of my mouth. The citrus and floral tones feel like a slight burn but a good one. The beer is very drinkable and a great IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2003 17:46:56 | More by BigHead

johnrobe

Tennessee

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Outstanding! This brew and SN Celebration are my two favorite IPAs. It pours a light amber in the glass with a thin white head. The aroma is very complex, heavenly! Citrus, pine, grapefruit, and sweet malt wonderfully intermingled. You'd swear you're standing in a Washington hop field during harvest. Layer after layer of hops flavors dominate the taste. Pineapple and grapefruit seem dominant; citrus, pine, and spice mingle in the background. There's a nice malty backbone to this brew as well. Lightly sweet and bready, like hawaiian sweet bread. Hops nirvana in a bottle!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2003 22:11:17 | More by johnrobe

kbub6f

New York

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought locally (Grapevine refrigerated shelves), a couple of days in my fridge, reviewed 45F-65F.

A conservative pour gives up a medium-sized, dense, cream-colored head. The texture of this head is gorgeous: so creamy. This may be the nicest looking head I've seen. The beer is an amber/gold, with minimal visible carbonation.

Holy grapefruit, Batman! Hops out the wazoo in the nose. There's also a curious, coppery sour smell that isn't unpleasant. Strange. The front is grapefruit. The middle is full and surprisingly balanced against the extreme hoppiness. There's sweet caramel and cream. It gets almost a little chocolatey at temperature. The finish is hoppy, of course, but there are also some very nice roasty grains and a fresh, bready aftertaste.

This is absolutely outstanding. The malty balance puts it ahead of Ruination for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2003 09:31:52 | More by kbub6f

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Quite the interesting IPA, and not what I expected. Being a Stone beer, I expected a whole load of walloping hops. Instead this is a fruitier, sweeter IPA. Definitely an exceptional brew though. It's light orange in color, with a perfectly even balance between hops and a very sweet citrus aroma.

The most notable comparison of another IPA I can draw to this is Samuel Smith's, due to its toned-down character, lack of a biting hoppy finish, and the sweetness. Flavors of hops, grapefruit, and tangerines all come to mind. Mildly carbonated mouthfeel. This is hoppy, but not nearly as hoppy as others are. The fruitiness gives it a more unique character as well, and I certainly love that. This is a damn tasty brew!

Thanks to NeroFiddled for the 2 bottles!!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2003 16:40:55 | More by IrishRedRock

RBorsato

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Golden with a full light tan/beige head, decent carbonation, and leaves nice rings of lace. HUGE citrusy grapefruit hop aroma and a huge citrusy grapefruit hop taste ! Full bodied, smooth, and creamy. Well worth buying again.

Much better than Stone Ruination IPA. Stone's standard IPA is much better balanced than Ruination.

(22 oz. bottle / $3.77)

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2003 12:26:34 | More by RBorsato

cretemixer

Indiana

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

Slightly cloudy honey gold colored brew with a thick white head. The head fades to a thick layer leaving a solid, clingy lace.
Crisp, clean hop aroma that smells like a pine forest with pleasant floral notes.
Hop bitterness bites the tounge and an oily resin coats the roof of my mouth. Very nice. Aggressive hops, yet balanced with a sweetness too. Very crisp & clean like the aroma. A lingering bitter aftertaste reminds you that you've just had a "real" beer.
Full bodied, nicely carbonated, and very drinkable for the true hophead. I can't wait to try the Ruination. Thanks again Gusler for the great sampler pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2003 19:52:53 | More by cretemixer

Maestro

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The head on this IPA pours a little thin. The nose is amazing. There is a pineapple hint and an overall fruitiness to the aroma. The first taste is very floral and hoppy. There is a wonderful hop presence throughout the beer. The is an ever so slight dryness to the beer but overall it is quite complex. As you move to the middle of the beer you notice quite a lacing on the glass as well as a sweet maltiness holding its own. There is a good amount of carbonation in this beer and it has some refreshing characteristics that would make it great on a hot summer day. The alcohol content is rather high but the beer doesn't seem to taste high in alcohol. The beer finishes smoothly and has a nice, floral hoppy aftertaste. Well done, Stone!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2003 09:23:16 | More by Maestro

goz

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Light amber pour, with a thick white head that laces very nicely. First pour from the bomber had some large carb bubbles that trickled to the top pretty quickly. Aroma had a strong pine smell to it, like sniffing a freshly fallen pine cone. Taste followed the smell quite nicely, with lots of hops and a long trailing aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2003 09:24:51 | More by goz

Morris729

Texas

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a reddish amber color with a frothy white head that fades into a very sticky and clingy lace. Nose is dominated by strong floral hops with some underlying notes of fresh grains and Juicy Fruit bubblegum. Very smooth and creamy and while bitter hops are the key players here, they aren’t overpowering. In fact, the taste initially is sweet bready malts and lots of fruit that gives way to some notes of pine and raw hop leaf flavors that remain in the aftertaste. This is one damn fine IPA. I’m very happy to see this beer finally for sale here in the Dallas area, and I’m sure it will be a frequent purchase of mine. I can’t wait to cellar a few bottles to see how they develop.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2003 12:58:36 | More by Morris729

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice representation of the style. This shiny copper IPA is loaded with fresh whole hop flavors. The aroma is almost totally floral hop based. The medium/rich malt body doesn't provide much competition for the hops, but it plays a nice supporting role, while offering a trace herbal, earthy character. Full grapefruity, pine and citrus bitterness lasts. Lightly sweet with some noticeable alcohol kick that melds seamlessly with the hops. Lasting White Head and nice sticky lace.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2003 18:55:00 | More by BeerResearcher

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

NOTES: this is hoppier and a bit better in the 22oz bombers than it is in the 12 oz bottles.

One of the best IPAs out there IMO. This beer pours an amazing clear peachy colour with a minimal head. This beer has a strong aroma of hops, with some malts sneaking in the aroma as well. This beer tastes just like a strong APA should...like hops! This beer has a strong, fresh, citrus-y hop taste to it but the malt still comes through strong! This has a very creamy mouthfeel and an excellent drinkability as well...
Stone, are one of the best breweries out there!
Amazing!
Cheers!,
F.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 15:23:28 | More by francisweizen

BittRnessabounds

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is the pleasant and appetizing golden amber that is common for many IPAs. The carbonation level was just about right to produce a good level of head after a slightly vigorous pour, and lace remained for quite a while. The smell was pure hops. There may have been more complex smells there as well, but I was too happy inhaling the hops aroma to notice. The taste was mostly hoppy with a bit of sweet malt to balance. The taste buds were awakened nicely by the hop bitterness, yet it all finished very smoothly. Overall this is a very good IPA, and if you are a hophead you will love it. Considering this is just Stone's regular IPA, I can't imagine what their Ruination IPA is like, but I can't wait to try it.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2003 17:31:26 | More by BittRnessabounds

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Magnifcant, how do they do it? Stone just knows how to make amazing beers that's all they make. I have never tasted one of their brews that I wasn't satisfied with. Pours a lucious copper tone with a screen of haze over it. My two finger head on the is a great complement of white clouds, and the retention is good here with lace already lining my glass I am ready to hop in. The hops are diffusing through the air coming for me like a trained asassin. Huge hop aroma with earthy tones I love it, some citrus and floral scents also intrigue my senses. First sip I love it, I am going to say right now this is my favorite all around IPA!!!! Yes, it's that good with the hops consuming most of my palate, the malt sweetness comes to save me from making a bitter beer face instantly forming a smile on my face. The hop resins make the mouthfeel a bit oily, but in a good way lubricating my palate to partake in one hell of a beer. Medium to light rediculously drinkable in every way imaginable. No off flavors only a hop head's dream beer is sitting in my pint glass right now.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2003 11:28:14 | More by WVbeergeek

Admiraldinty

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I have somewhat mixed emotions on this brew. Poured a three finger foam (with good retention) over a copper-gold with some sediment. The aroma is at first citrusy (especially grapefruit). Also, some very pungent alcohol and hops, but there seemed to be some other scent that was present, that I just couldn't place, but I didn't enjoy.

Taste was obviously very hoppy, but it was also somewhat grainy. A very dry, bitter finish.

At 6.9 % abv. this one will sneak up on you. Overall, I very tasty brew, but I prefer Hop Devil to this.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2003 19:37:27 | More by Admiraldinty

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well, I'm not a hophead, but you've got to give it's due; this is an impressive brew. The color is a cloudy, peachy amber; pretty. No head on this to speak of; light lacing. The aroma is complex as it immediately screams citrus, yet has buttery caramel underneath. The taste is a rush of hops with a strong start and a longlasting, pleasant bitterness to finish. Flowery overall sense. This grows on you, but slowly.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2003 19:50:40 | More by AtLagerHeads

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a rich golden peach color with a fluffy, creamy, sticky white foam lace; with very good retention. Decent carbonation. On the nose the aroma of raw hops, and a hint of fruity esters. On the palate there is an intense hop assault on taste buds, sharp bitterness, light biscuit and grain flavor, light malt sweetness, pear, sour apple; fruity esters, and pine. Body is medium. Mouth feel is crisp, sharp/bitter, and smooth. A very good IPA... a hopheads delight.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2003 06:19:56 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

HopheadEd

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A hazy orange color that is just a shade too light for me, IMO, for an IPA. Great head, lasting and lacing through the bottom of the glass. Sweet citrus hop smell, slight alcohol, and a little hop aroma, to say the least. Hops lead off the first taste, mellow malts, and sweet, oily hops. Very nice, not overwhealming. Spicey, short and crisp mouthfeel and aftertaste, very nice and very drinkable. Stone is now my favorite West Coast brewery!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2003 17:25:14 | More by HopheadEd

freed

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This IPA followed an even hoppier one, though the virtues of this beer were obvious. The bright citrus color, the beautiful golden color, and the saliva abating qualities of an IPA ring true. I enjoyed this beer quite a bit, but didn't realize what a kick it had until later.

It might have been partly due to the lack of moisture in my mouth, but this made for an excellent sipping beer. I wasn't in any hurry while I enjoyed this. I'm actually starting to salvate again right now. What time do they open?

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2003 08:38:19 | More by freed

mickstepp

Ohio

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

Another fine offering by the venerable Stone Brewing Company. Orange color with a big thick frothy head. Citrusy smell of hops with a little yeast background. Nicely structured with a medium bodied, creamy texture. Good strong hop flavor which is what I expect from a Stone brew. This is an American Pale Ale standard along with Burning River, Avery, Three Floyds, Hop Devil and other strongly hopped, refreshing and delicious examples of the style. A very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2003 17:41:38 | More by mickstepp