Stone - Ruination IPA

Stone Brewing is here!  It's taken them 15 years, but they've finally decided that Minnesota is worthy of their presence.  Hopefully this will be the first of many....Russian River, you better be taking notes.  Minnesota needs you also.

Stone is based in Escondido, CA, and was founded back in 1996.  They've been one of the fastest growing craft breweries in the US over the last decade, which probably feeds into their brewing arrogance.  Arrogance in the world of craft beer can be justified, even celebrated, if the beer tastes good enough.  That seems to be the case with Stone Brewing, although I've only tasted a sample of their Ruination IPA in Vegas, so for me the jury is still out.  Ruination is a year-round offering with 7.7%ABV and 100+ IBUs.  The featured hops are Columbus and Centennial.

The beer is clear, golden, and effervescent with a nice layer of pure white head.  The nose is full of tropical fruits - pineapple, mango, and some grapefruit.  Very resiny, with a just a hint of pine.  This beer smells a lot like Surly Wet fresh-hopped brew, which is a very, very good thing.  The flavor is, surprise surprise, full of hops!  Not nearly as bitter as I expected with all the talk of ruination and palate destruction.....the hops are full of flavor.  Grapefruit, some almost-ripe pineapple, and resiny pine oils.  The finish brings an oily, sticky feeling that hangs around for a while afterwards, also revealing a soft floral scent.  The body is medium, and the carbonation is spot on - perfect hop delivery system.

Overall Rating:  (5.3 out of 6.0)  Stone set some high expectations with all of their hop-talk around this beer, and in my opinion, they hit the bar that they set.  This is a hop-monster, but it's not overdone to the point where drinkability is affected.  In fact, just the opposite...this beer is scarily drinkable.  If you're a Minnesotan like me that's been excluded from the Stone distribution channel for all these years, go pick this one up, stat!