Ruination IPA - Simcoe
Stone Brewing

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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 10.73%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
13
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 06, 2014
Added:
Oct 16, 2009
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by matt062286:
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Rated by matt062286 from Maryland

5/5  rDev +22%

Feb 10, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by sunshinethewolf from California

Apr 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by beernads from Florida

Aug 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Feb 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Slimpo from Minnesota

Jan 18, 2012
Photo of augustgarage
Reviewed by augustgarage from California

3.96/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Hand-pull @ Blue Palms, served in a nonic.

Not quite clear amber liquid with a fat even papaya-whip hat. Perpetual retention; smooth even lacing.

Candied ginger, orange zest, and not much else in the nose.

Simcoe (clean pine/citrus notes) intermingles on the palate with vanilla and biscuity malt. Pure smooth strong bitterness throughout with a sweet hay-like flourish towards the end as the malt makes its belated/muted appearance.

Creamy, medium-bodied, with a bit of oiliness from hops.

My palate is far from "ruined" after imbibing this, the cask is quite flavorful but seems to tame and integrate the hops compared to the base bottled version; still, good flavor with improved drinkability.
Oct 07, 2011
Photo of bld81
Reviewed by bld81 from Missouri

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Cask serving poured into a snifter:
A: hazy yellow serving, thick, large bubbles with good retention
S: fresh tropical notes of hops and fruit, juicy and sweet
T: luscious citrus coats the tongue, with succulent grassy yet sweet flavors
M: creamy and smooth due to the rich resin and oils
O: a really nice treat, I would seek this out again if it becomes available, but a bomber will more than suffice!
Jul 09, 2011
Photo of JizackFH
Reviewed by JizackFH from New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had on-tap at Rattle 'N' Hum in New York, NY on 6/8/11.
Review taken from notes.

A - This beer pours a beautiful reddish copper color. It has a nice fluffy 2-finger slightly off-white head on it. The head has amazing retention, and it leaves some nice sticky lacing on the glass. Looks glorious.

S - It smells of glorious juicy hops and some sweet caramel malt in the background. There are big notes of pine, grapefruit, and citrus. Hops are definitely the main focus of this one.

T - It starts off with a bit of the sweet caramel malt backbone. Then, before you know it a big burst of hops go off in your mouth like a flavor bomb. There are big grapefruit, pine, and citrus flavors. There is a big mouth puckering bitterness that sticks to the palate and holds on for quite a while.

M - This has a medium body and good carbonation. It goes down very easy and has a super creamy feel to it. There's a big bitterness that sticks to the palate for what seems like forever. Very nice mouthfeel.

O - There is great drinkability here. It goes down easy, and the flavor is just awesome. Overall, I thought this was a great beer. I really enjoyed this one, and I think it's an awesome DIPA. I'm very glad I got to try this one. It was a perfect beer to have on my birthday brunch. Cheers.
Jun 10, 2011
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.7/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On cask at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a hazy pineapple yellow with a bubbly thick cascading cask head, good lace.

S: Tropical fruit/pineapple, some citrus, light malt character, Simcoe comes out in a big way.

T: Endless white grapefruit, the citrus in this beer is crazy. That's the flavour, if you like grapefruit you'll like this.

M: Soft carbonation, medium-bodied at best, but an elegant carbonation and feel on the palate.

D: Solid, I like the different casks that Stone sends out, and the Ruination can be really good, but for now, I'll stick with the bottle.
Feb 13, 2011
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served on cask at Al's of Hampden into a nonic pint.

A - Pours a hazy gold with a one and a half finger head that leaves thick, sticky, lacing down the glass.

S - Smells just like the normal version but with a fresh infusion of grassy, piney, Simcoe hops. While the hops dominate the nose there are faint hints of a sweet malt backbone and a little bit of a boozy aroma.

T - A little sweet up front from the malt but the hops come on strong after that. Huge amounts of grassy, citrus hops. The Simcoe hops are a nearly perfect match for ruination. I don't think they could put any more hops in this one.

M - Fairly light body and flavor. A little bit of a bitter finish thanks to all those hops. This one is very well balanced but it could use a tad bit more carbonation.

D - Very high. A great cask offering from the guys at Stone. I could drink this all night, and I just might.
Nov 12, 2010
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A handpull at Al's.

A: The ale is lighter, clearer than I was expecting. It's amber radiance has been enhanced by the cask. A small, spacious off-white head screams cask.

S: The nose is Ruination, hopped to the point of no return, but with a twist. The medicinal, citrusy blast of simcoe ups the bitterness substantially. Are grains even used in this beer?

T: More tastebud-numbing bitterness. The hops, lots and lots of hops, are a sheer wall of flavor, impenetrable by anything else. Citrus is sharp and omnipresent, an oily thick feel that coats my entire mouth. The addition of simcoe, an influx of more flavors and bitterness, is nearly too much. It's like chewing on hop cones. The cask has calmed the ale down, allowed the flavors to linger and perhaps that is the most significant aspect. There are no bubbles to clear away the bitterness and, believe me, that bitterness doesn't go anywhere.

M: The spectrum of flavors is hard to fathom, especially when the ale isn't that strong. Simcoe fits in nicely, standing out amongst the morass of lupulus.

D: I stayed with one glass and by the end the enamel was being stripped off of my teeth. It's almost too much. Almost is the key there.
Nov 12, 2010
Photo of scubazook
Reviewed by scubazook from California

4.12/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served on cask at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens.

Appearance: Amber. A bit hazy. A cappuccino-like three finger off-white creamy head, good retention.

Smell: Perfumy sweet citrusy and a bit piney hop aroma.

Taste: Smooth citrusy slightly piney flavors. Over 100 IBU so significantly bitter yet sweet and fruity. Not overpowering bitterness. Great balance.

Mouthfeel: Creamy smooth mouth feel for cask condition.

Drinkability: Excellent. A very delicious well balanced DIPA with a significant hop aroma with a slight sweetness.

Very tasty but personally I prefer the regular version Ruination IPA.
Oct 17, 2009
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.32/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
If these "one off" casks of ruination weren't so damned good, I think eventually I might become somewhat annoyed that Stone keeps on making them. On cask at Max's the other night.

The beer pours a solid gold color with with good head retention and lacing. On the nose, mama mia does this beer smell great! There is just simcoe hop goodness everywhere in this beer, which imparts a skunky, perfumy, bitter citrus, coupled with noticeable pine. My, my... The mouthfeel is very soft in this beer, which I attribute to the cask conditioning and relatively low carbonation. On the palate I get a fruit cocktail flavor profile, which is gently pushed aside by the massive hoppy bitterness. This beer is so perfumy on the nose and palate, I'm just loving it. The light sweetness to this beer finishes with a dry, hoppy wash on the back palate. Alcohol is well disguised and drinkability is really pretty good.

For hopheads only. This is very nice stuff.
Oct 16, 2009
Ruination IPA - Simcoe from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 13 ratings