Monday, July 5, 2010

Stone Ruination IPA: Review

7.7% abv. It is in a one pint 6oz bottle. $7.00 for a bottle.

As I have always said about IPA bombs – Why would you want to drink something that ruins your taste buds for the day? Food does not taste the same and if you change to drink something else – forget it.

Stone Ruination proves my point. It is written on the bottle. “So called because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate. The moment after the first swallow, all other foods and drink items suddenly become substantially more bland than they were just seconds before.”

When I have smoked some of my fuller bodied cigars with other IPA’s the IPA just made the bold flavorful cigar a nasty bitter tasting lump of coal. And, the bitterness of the IPA went through the roof as well during those pairings.

Don’t get me wrong, I “like” a good IPA. I am not a hop head. I don’t mind having one now and then at the end of the day. When I know I will not eat anything else.

The Notes
You know you are going to get a grapefruit bomb here – it says on the bottle 100+ IBU. The IBU numbers, you see on some beer bottles or the company’s website or their menu boards at the breweries, stand for International Bitterness Units.

Wow, not the huge bomb I thought it was going to be. The grapefruit-citrusy hops are at work though. Along with those pine notes that drag across your tongue like a pile of pine needles. As this ale warms up there is a nice floral hoppiness that mingles, ever so slightly, with the strong citrus style. To me there seems to be a cedary woody note left on the palate. Cedar! – I think I might try a cigar with this one. The Casa Magna may be a good choice.

Overall I have to say I liked this one. I do plan to buy another bottle to do that cigar pairing. This ale did not ruin my taste buds overall. Oh, it did have a solid pucker power and left that woody-citrusy after taste. Other IPA bombs left me thinking, ‘why would I ever drink that again?’ After this one my thought was, ‘I would like to try that again.’ And, YES at the end of the day.

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