Stone Ruination IPA…Extreme Hoppiness

Stone Brewing Company‘s Stone Ruination India Pale Ale is certainly an extremely flavorful beer but why should I extoll on its virtues when certainly, I can’t improve on the following unabridged “Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop” written on the back of each and every pint………

“Stone Ruination IPA. So called because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate. The moment after the first swallow, all other food and drink items suddenly become substantially more bland than they were just seconds before. By the time you develop a taste for this IPA, you may find that you are permanently ruined from being able to enjoy lesser brews. Good. We freely admit to doing this. On purpose even! People are sometimes crazy enough to thank us for this assault. To which we reply ‘You’re welcome’.

Out of the smoldering ashes of the Stone Anniversary IPAs, the Ruination IPA is born. Rising like the phoenix comes this over-hopped jewel, bringing with it not the acrid sting of smoldering embers but the abundantly pungent aroma of hops. Bountiful hops. Glorious hops. If you are not already a confirmed hop head; if you have not already converted your palate to the glory of the righteous joy that the miraculous little green flower brings to the senses, then this is NOT the place to start, for it will bring you nothing but shock. All its richly layered subtleties will be for naught. Intense hop character will only be perceived as binding and blinding bitterness. Does the experienced hop lover perceive this in a different way? Well, yes and no. The matriculated imbiber is not numb to rambunctious rush of bitterness — however they are also able to look beyond to the well spoken yet understated malt presence. The aromatic alcohol tones. The swirling meld of naturally occuring complex flavor compounds courtesy of our little friends known as ‘brewers yeast cells’. God bless the yeast, the malt and the HOPS!”

photo and “Liquid Poem” courtesy of Stone Brewing Company