If only they made scratch-and-sniff computer screens, you'd be able to smell the heady hop aroma coming out of this glass. It's pretty intense. Almost as intense as the beer itself: to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of their groundbreaking Ruination IPA, Stone Brewing Co. crammed a total of five pounds of hops into every barrel of their celebration ale. That, my friends, is a lot of hops.
Beer Details: Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA from Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA (Double IPA, 10.8% ABV, 110 IBUs)
Appearance: Hazy straw-gold with a super thick cap of yellow-tinted foam that clings to the sides of the glass as its goes down.
Aroma: The hop aromas come pouring out of the bottle almost as soon as you crack the cap. Lots of straight up hop flower in there, mixed with apricot and fresh herb aromas.
Taste: For the crazy amount of hops crammed into this beer, I thought it was incredibly well-balanced. Or maybe my tongue just went numb. In either case, there is so much happening here that it's hard to catch all the flavors.
This double IPA has a chewy soft caramel center ringed on all sides by hopitude. The tart fruity hops are up in front: apricot, mango, and lemon zest. These get nudged to the side by the rich and creamy malts, but then come back again in a long and lingering bitter finish. So good.
This is one of the best double IPAs I've had in an extremely long time. It's smooth and tasty, balanced and nuanced. It doesn't taste alcoholic despite the high ABV, though you'll certainly feel it the next time you stand up! This is a beer worth seeking out.
Food Pairings: As if the beer itself weren't enough, I also thought it paired really well with food. I sipped it along with chips and salsa and some barbecue ribs. It was a good companion for the spiciness in the former and the rich fattiness of the later.
Have you had a chance to try this beer yet?
Related: BrewLab: A CSA for Homebrewed Beer
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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The beer in that glass is definitely NOT the same beer that is in the bottle. I just poured a glass, and it is no where near that color.
Good beer though!
Hey, Joobacca - It is definitely the same beer in the glass and in the bottle, and this photo is pretty much straight out of the camera (no sneaky photoshopping!). It was set against a window with late-afternoon light coming in, though, so maybe that made it look different? What does yours look like?
Could be the lighting I guess, but mine was definitely clearer, and more of a dark gold. I have another bottle of it, so once I crack it open I will report back. I am a huge fan of the Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing, which is a similar color to the beer in your picture, so I was a bit disappointed when I poured my glass, and it was not the same! Ah well. Cheers :)