Stone / Keri Kelli / Kyle Hollingsworth Collective Distortion IPA
Stone Brewing

stevoj from Idaho

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I like the added elements here, elderberries and coriander, that make this IPA lean towards Belgian territory. Dark copper color with initial medium beige head. Aroma comes on like a Belgian strong ale. Taste has an even malt and hop duality, rich and toasty, sharp and bitter, all at once. A step beyond the IPA class, nicely done.

May 18, 2016

hosehead83 from Ohio

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bomber bottle into a standard pint glass.
Deep apricot in color, with a moderate, bone-white head of foam.
Aroma-Sweet toasted malt,floral hop notes
Taste-Floral, flowery hops, subtle berry and fruits. Interesting flavor.
(Bottle vintage 5-10-15)

Mar 21, 2016

Phocion from Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from phone. Bomber poured 9/9/2015 into a pair of Darkness tulips.

Cloudy light amber, frothy and retentive white head.

Massive fruity aroma. Bright citrus notes consisting of grapefruit, orange peel, and lemon zest along with a healthy dose of tropical fruits, mostly pineapple and a bit of elderberry. Honey and a touch of caramel. Coriander is present as it warms up.

Interesting flavor. Similar to the aroma with all the assorted fruity notes. Bit of honey with a touch of spice. Noticeably alcoholic and a slightly astringent finish, but not overly so.

Moderate carbonation. Medium-bodied with a healthy oaty presence. Soft, velvety.

Overall very good, but missing something.

Apr 22, 2015

JackDempsy from Arizona

3.69/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

This is the first beer from Stone that has not rated better than a 4.0
I typically like collaborations and this was a better than average effort, but just slightly. The blueberry and coriander did not go well together. Don't try to be so creative and just keep giving us great Stone IPA's - that is what Stone does best.

Mar 07, 2015

Wrigfen from South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Another classic in the long line of Stone IPA's. I wish they would make more of this one, than a one time. Had it on tap and it was one of the better beers I tasted. Bought a growler, looking forward to enjoying it tomorrow.

Dec 20, 2014

TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, fruity citrus, caramelized malts and touches of berries and spice.

T: The taste starts out with a strong burst of grassy hops bitterness. Then some sweetness comes in from flavors of citrus and caramel. I did not pick up much of the elderberries or coriander until the after-taste. The malt character is hearty and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, it’s a decent beer but there are better choices within the style that I would pick first.

Nov 29, 2014

B-J-B from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

Pours without any noticeable head. Intensely fruity aroma - pineapple, grapefruit, lemon peel. Less malty than one would expect from a beer with a comparable ABV. No noticeable yeast flavors, but relatively strong and lingering bitterness. No noticeable trace of the coriander or elderberries, at least as far as I can tell. As with other Stone offerings, seems a little one-note to me, but very drinkable nonetheless.

Nov 26, 2014

BigC88 from District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -23.7%

Stone is one of my favorite breweries, that said, this one disappointed me.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Piraat tulip glass. The brew date was printed onto the glass with that easy to rub off yellow ink, which, alas, rubbed off. Maybe this beer was stale, I have no idea.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, amber-honey. Head is bone white and subsides to a thin collar.

Bouquet: No flowers here. The initial smell is hop-forward, resin. As the beer warms a bit, the aroma became strong rum, rum raisin, and alcohol.
Taste: Alcohol is the first flavor, followed immediately by the bitterness of a grapefruit pith. A clawing sweetness exists as well from the malt. Finish is an aggressive, pithy bitterness. After a few sips, perhaps after warming up, the beer started to smell and taste like a bad Christmas ale, like Sam Adams Fezziwig or Sam Adams Winter Lager (I can't remember which).

Overall: While I love many high alcohol, double/imperial IPAs, and I love a lot of what Stone does, I did not enjoy this beer. I don't get the elderberry at all. Everything seems drowned out by an unpleasant hop flavor, a warm (not burning) alcohol presence, and an overly sweet malt profile. Stone has great IPAs, this isn't one of them. I give it a 3 because I think some people enjoy IPAs with just the pithy grapefruit bitterness and no other hop profile. Perhaps this is your beer; it's certainly not mine.

Nov 07, 2014

HopBomb515 from New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orange tinged amber with pinkish hues, white head that builds then fades, big lacing down the glass. Resinous piney hops, grapefruit, alcohol, earthy spice and berries in the nose. Opens with big grapefruit, pine, and peppery notes. Caramel, bread and honey provide big backbone. Finish brings done of the berry flavor and alcohol heat. Medium chewy body, sticky feel, very dry finish with lingering bitterness. Interesting DIPA flavos work well but the base beer could use cleaning up.

Oct 28, 2014

Jadjunk from Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

"We all enjoy turning things up, and that is represented in this collaborative offering, an imperial India pale ale ably backed by Nugget, Comet and Calypso hops, and amplified care of generous dry-hopping with Vic's Secret, a new Australian hop, adding citrus and tropical fruit oomph. To five this modern masterpiece some soulful, classic character, we traced the roots of brewing to the days when Old World herbs were used to spice beers, adding in coriander and, a first for us, elderberries." Brewed in the style of an American Imperial India Pale Ale. Available in limited run 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a Stone Brewing pint glass. Served above 51 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy cream head of a light tan color over a moderately hazy smooth copper-amber body with light, relaxed carbonation Retention is very good and lacing is light and spotty. 4.25

(Smell) Soapy, grapefruit and resinous hops form an accessible but delicate hop nose with a modest potency over a lightly toasted caramel malt body with a soft sweetness. Deeper exploration reveals a subtlety of elderberry, somewhat tangy and brisk but suggestably sugary sweet. Altogether it doesn't clash, but things fairly simple. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) The flavor is notably more bitter and hoppy up front, with resin and pithy citrus most dominant, fruitier and floral notes more to the background. The malt profile is standard light toasted crystal syrup with a dash of roasted grain lingering in the background, perhaps a touch milder on the malt graininess than the median Imperial IPA, if not slightly distracted by the subtle variations. Sweetness is moderate but not cloying or sharp. Elderberry and coriander are both nearly too overlooked in the flavor to make a significant contribution to this beer overall, although the finish is where they are best revealed, especially a lingering juiciness as the hoppiness pulls away that nods to the elderberry. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) The texture is slick, lightly chewy, moderately dry. Carbonation generates a soft crispness for a smooth, frothy mouthfeel. The body is medium for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is slightly bitter over sweet. The alcohol presence is mild and there are no discernible off characters. 3.75

(Overall) From the first sip, it's hard to view this as much more than another Imperial IPA with nothing out of the ordinary. The more interesting notes of Elderberry and especially coriander are just not audible enough for even the distinguished drinker to notice. Coriander, an especially potent spicing ingredient in beer, is supposedly overshadowed by the bitterness of the hops. Considering that Stone crafts an excellent year-round DIPA on a routine basis, this isn't an overly impressive or even distinguished beer for their profile. Anything that makes it original is drowned out in the sound of the bitter and audible hop profile. 3.75

Stone Brewing Co.'s
Collective Distortion IPA
3.66/5.00

Oct 04, 2014

BucannonXC5 from California

3.67/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Type: 22-oz. bottle
Glass: Stone Ruination IPA pint glass
From: Costco in Mission Valley (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $5.79
Purchased: Aug. 26, 2014
Consumed: Aug. 31, 2014
Misc.: Bottled on May 19, 2014

NOTE: Review below is actually for Mission St. India Pale Ale, but the ratings are correct. Because of that, I'm not going to change it.

Poured a caramel, orange, hazy color with two fingers of khaki-white head. Above average-to-good semi-layered, foamy lacing on the sides of the glass. Good retention on the top all the way down. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled a whole mix of different flavors. First got a dose of earthy, rye hops. Then caramel, wet Cascade hops, citrus hops, coriander, floral hops, orange zest, tropical spices, mango, buttery malts and touch of soured fruit. (Smell - 3.50)

Tasted pretty much like I thought it was going to, a lot like the nose. Earthy, grainy, rye hops, citrus hops, bitter orange rind, coriander, caramel, wet Cascade hops, floral hops, boozy, mango, tropical hops, tangerine rind, honey wheat, grassy notes and light buttery malts. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, boozy, bitter finish. (Feel - 3.50)

A decent IPA and a great beer for the value ($5.99). I’d have this again, but I do prefer their pale ale. (Overall - 3.75)

3.67 | 83 | B

Sep 18, 2014

arizcards from Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

Picked up a bomber from the Alpine Frontier Liquor store on Sunday this week for i believe $7.99. Bottled on 5/19/14.

Beer poured a darker orange with a beautiful white head that is leaving lacing behind.

Nose is floral and citrus hops.

Taste is very floral and earthy, coriander makes it a dry bitter finish. Berries are definitely in the background.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and decently carbonated.

Overall the nose and the taste are definitely a juxtaposition. It was fun to try but nothing that makes me seek out again.

Sep 06, 2014

Daktyls from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%

A: Poured into a standard pint glass. Hazy golden amber in color with a half finger head that receded in the time it took me to find the "type a review" button. Lacing left is a big patch in the middle and most of the head clinging to the sides of the glass.

S: Aroma is typical IPA notes, citrusy, piney hops and there is a small nose of alcohol towards the end. There is also a bit of berry sweetness detectable but fairly faint.

T: Much like a typical double IPA here. Bitter citrus and piney hops with little else detectable. Some of the coriander may be present but is quickly overwhelmed by the hoppiness.

M: Mouthfeel is that of typical IPAs. Bitter hoppiness overwhelms. Slight amount of carbonation and slick feeling on the tongue.

O: Overall a good beer. I was hoping for some more pronounced notes of elderberries but they were not to be found.

Sep 01, 2014

damndirtyape from Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +4.6%

22oz bottle (bottled on 05/02/14) poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Hazy orange-amber with a hint of purple to it. Initial thin off white dense foam died back to a ring at the edge and the barest skin across the top. Fine strands of persistent lacing.

Smell: Citrus, orange, leafy, floral, with a hint of elderberries at the end.

Taste: When first poured (and still cold) a lot of hops with a lot of malt. Citrus, grapefruit, orange, with a hint of pine for the hops. Malt on the sweet side with caramelized flavors dominating. The elderberry is mild at first and really comes out as the beer warms out, being a strong part of the finish and lingering on the palate. I rather like elderberries and that tartness really works well as a lingering finish. I'm not detecting any coriander though.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and nicely thick - approaching creamy. Light carbonation. Gets a bit sticky and sticks to the teeth towards the end as the beer warms up.

Overall / Drinkability: A delightful DIPA and the elderberry tartness serves as a nice accent/finish to the beer. I wish I had picked up a second bottle of this when I saw it in stores. Dangerously drinkable. Went well with food (tarragon chicken with cream sauce, rice, and green beans) and probably would be good by itself, but might be too much without food.

Aug 31, 2014

snaotheus from Washington

4/5  rDev +1.8%

22oz bottle at fridge temp served in a large snifter. No date that I can find, but it's 2014. And probably only one batch. But what do I know?

Pours pretty clear amber-bronze with a big, slow-building, slow-fading off-white head. Lots of carbonation. Smell is straight up IPA. Hops in the pine and slight lemon zest variety; straw-like malt. Doesn't smell awesome, but smells good.

Taste is brutally bitter (sorry, Rogue, you didn't name yours aptly), very long slow finish, but nice bright fruity splash up front. Strong lemon zest bitter in the middle.

Mouthfeel is nice -- not too heavy, not too light, a little dry to keep you thirsty. Overall, quite nice.

Aug 28, 2014

chinchill from South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%

22 oz bottle.
Aroma rigthly proclaims this to be a juicy, fruity IPA. Elderberry is more apparent upon tasting. High hop load nicely balanced by malts and oats.

Aug 27, 2014

Dwreck from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

Burnt orange and hazy. One finger head that faded after a couple minutes to a thin layer. Hops not as bright as expected in the smell. But theyre still there, just softer. Still piney. Lots of tropical fruit and floral taste the nice hoppy flavors mask the 9.3 abv. Bitter hops on the back end. Creates several flavors at different stages. As i sipped this brew the elderberry/coriander flavors really kicked in. Awesome. Medium carbonation. Mouthfeel helps with letting the flavors shine. Fantastic brew.

Aug 17, 2014

KVNBGRY from Florida

4.06/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottled in May of this year.

Ap - Brilliant deep amber that's kind of lively. The head is a steady off white that leaves a nice spotty, sticky lace. that settles to about an 1/8th inch head.

Ar - Fruity hops, Sweet malts, bitterness that comes across almost as alcohol.

T - Not a huge hop bite, but it's present. This is almost a bit too boozy for me, but! for what they're going for, I'd love to drink this at a concert?

M - Slightly sticky, sweetness lingers.

O - I don't get the coriander. I honestly don't know exactly what to expect from elderflowers... I suppose they're both in there, but I get lingering tropical sweetness. Presumably it's from the hops and malts used.

(slightly drunk review)

Aug 12, 2014

rajendra82 from Georgia

4.31/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear orange body, and a two finger thick head were certainly attractive, but not distinctive enough to distinguish from many other DIPAs. The aroma was subdued for the style, with herbal hobs, coriander, and cut hay being smelled. The taste is where the beer took an aggressive turn. Based on the smell I was expecting a balanced bill of malt and hops, but the bracing bitterness too me by quite a surprise. It was accentuated by spicy note mid palette, and a lingering herbal presence in the finish. The body felt extremely light, especially in consideration of the high ABV. The beer was very easy to drink, and got a little rounder and sweeter, as it warmed, developing flavors of papaya, and honeydew melon. A lot more complex than it seemed at the first glance, which is always nice.

Aug 09, 2014

chefhatt from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a glass, it has a burnt orange color body with a thin foamy head. The smell has a rich pine aroma to it. The taste is a little bitter, hop forward, I don't get the elderberries or the coriander. The hop flavors are very good. The mouthfeel is very good and overall a good dipa.
Drinking this for national ipa day,2014

Aug 08, 2014

SportsandJorts from Virginia

3.57/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: burnt orange to reddish orange color. two fingers of a foamy head that leaves behind a fairly strong lacing on most of the glass. opaque due to haziness.

Smell: passionfruit and other tropical fruit. some of the fruit comes off almost candy sweet. a whiff of an aromatic honey

Taste: unlike the nose it starts off with coriander along with malts, bready, some lemon bread sweetness, rich caramel and some strong flavorful honey. back end is full of fruit, but not quite the hoppy tropical fruit found in the nose. Some slight alcohol to it.

Mouthfeel: medium to full bodied. extremely dry and very strong lingering bitterness. some alcohol warmth.

Overall: The last to IIPAs from Stone were very good so i decided to give this one a chance. I am always a fan of experimental IPAs to change the pace. This one is good not great. the smell and taste are almost completely different and the taste might just have a little bit too much going on to do the most good. all in all a cool beer to try but not a must have.

Aug 07, 2014

Brackh from Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells incredible, pours hazy with a little to non existent head. The taste and the smell don't match up for me. I think it is a bit bitter on the back end but I am glad that I got to try it.

Wife's Review: "It's ok. Tastes like beer."

Aug 06, 2014

beerjunky413 from Massachusetts

3.36/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark orange with a thin lacing. Aroma brings notes of various tropical fruits with hints of spice with the high alcohol content contributing a slight but pleasant solvent aroma. Tastes like oranges/tangerines with subtle coriander spice. The elderberry works well with the hop selections. Warming alcohol is present throughout the beer but is especially evident at the tail end of each sip. I think knocking down the abv a few points or attempting to mask the barleywine/imperial alcohol notes would have made this more enjoyable. Also, on a non flavor related note I'm not sure what collaborating with the keyboardist from The String Cheese Incident brought to this beer. If you're looking for a hoppy DIPA this isn't it. Drinkable, but I would not buy this again.

Jul 29, 2014

russpowell from Arkansas

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazed & effervescent amber with 2+ fingers of ivory colored head. Stellar lacing, almost as good head retention

S: Breadyness & pineapple, & woody hops

T: Woody hops, breadyness, pineapple, coriander, pears, & leafy hops up front. Orange peels, a little bit of caramel, pineyness, mango & grapefruit as this warms; some grassiness as well, a little boozeyness. Finishes with grapefruit, a little lemon, much pineyness, woody hops & pears & boozey

MF: Medium bodied/chewy, subtle carbonation, decent balance, warming

A nice DIPA, not their best, but on the cusp of it in many aspects, the off-beat additions drag this down a bit

Jul 29, 2014

superspak from Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 5/19/2014. Pours moderately hazy dark orange color with a 2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big peach, pineapple, tangerine, mango, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, elderberry, herbal, floral, grass, pine, light caramel, bread, light coriander, and floral/grassy earthiness. Very nice aromas with juicy citrus/tropical hops, light-moderate spice, and moderate malt sweetness; with great strength. Taste of juicy peach, pineapple, tangerine, mango, elderberry, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, floral, grass, pine, light caramel, bread, light coriander, and floral/grassy earthiness. Good amount of pine/citrus rind bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of peach, pineapple, tangerine, mango, elderberry, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pine, floral, grass, light caramel, bread, light coriander, and floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops, light-moderate spice, and moderate malt sweetness; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, crisp, lightly creamy, and moderately sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent spiced DIPA. All around great complexity and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops, light-moderate spice, and moderate malt sweetness; and very smooth and crisp to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

Jul 26, 2014