Stone are at it again. The blurb on this bottle of Ruination IPA isn't as polarising as that of Arrogant Bastard, but the need for the brewers at Stone to talk to consumers is just as strong.
I've waited some time to try this beer. It is supposed to be a must have for hop lovers but I am not drawn in by the 100+ IBU boast on the bottle. It's bitter; big deal. IPA and hop bombs are about hop flavour and aroma to me and thankfully this beer has this trait in spades. Lots of citrus and sherbet wrapped up in oily resins. And of course it is bitter, but not shockingly so, and it certainly wasn't the ruin of my palate. Along with all the hop goodness is a sugary but not too cloying malt body that gives up a distinct alcoholic warmth. It suits the rich golden colour of this beer, but the bits floating in the glass suggest I left this one a little too long before sampling. Or perhaps the floaters are the very essences of hops precipitating out of the beer before my eyes.
3 comments:
Nice, it is pretty damn drinkable! It's excellent on cask as well as Proper Real Keg.
I really enjoy this particular IPA. I don't care about the 100 IBU rating either. What I care about is complexity, and balance. This has both in abundance. I like hoppy beer, but thankfully the malt stands up to it enough as to remain quite drinkable. In the USA, from whence I hail, this sort of "craft and connoisseur" brewing has finally gained a strong foothold. Unfortunately, most men still prefer the weak piss of American Lagers. I, for one, am ashamed of them. I'm sure it is the Welsh and Scottish in my veins that rails against that sort of almost-beer. My mothers maiden name has been traced to a pub in Glamorgan, Wales that has been open for many hundreds of years apparently. I forget the name of it, as I don't speak any y Gymraeg.
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