Stats:
- Style: IPA
- Bitterness: 77 IBU
- ABV: 6.9%
- Malts: Not provided
- Hops: Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial
- Sampled: 12 oz. bottle
Description: "An 'India Pale Ale' by definition is highly hopped and high in alcohol - you'll find our Stone India Pale Ale to be true to style with a huge hop aroma, flavor and bitterness throughout. If you're a hop-head like us, then you'll love our Stone India Pale Ale! Medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops! Generous "dry hopping" gives this beer its abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavor." — Stone Brewing Co.
Random thoughts: This is the first of five Stone beers I'll be sampling. I'm a big fan of IPAs and I've been looking forward to tasting this.
The tasting: Golden straw (hazy) in color. It had a big fluffy white head that dissipated slowly and left lacing on the glass. Very strong aroma of grapefruit and floral hops. First, I tasted some caramel and sweet malts. When it hit the back of my mouth, the bitterness of the citrus hops kicked in a big way. Alcohol taste was not noticeable. It finishes dry with bread-like malts and resiny hop bitterness. Light to medium in body. It had medium carbonation and a nice effervescent mouth feel.
Rating: 4 star. Really Good! I want this again! I had high expectations and Stone IPA didn't disappoint. I thought the level of hop bitterness was similar to what I've tasted in other double or Imperial IPAs. Given Stone's in-your-face style, this isn't too surprising. Now I'm really curious about how Ruination IPA will taste. I'll brace myself for a full-on hop assault.
3 comments:
Stone's IPA is solid. Great tasting, easy drinking. Ruination will really smack you in the face with the hops, but in a good way. Not too many Stone Brews that aren't good
Jay, I haven't heard many negative comments about Stone's beers. I'll be ready for a smack in the face when I drink Ruination. Thanks!
Probably my all time favorite IPA.
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