Rocket 2 Ruin
Two Roads Brewing Company

A: crystal clear; deep gold in color; 1 finger finely pored off white head that receded to a wispy cap with a thick tight collar; nice lacing;

S: not especially aromatic; what's there is pineapple and orange;

T: follows the nose from start to finish flavor is a bit brighter toward the end; moderate bitterness on the finish;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish; mild hop burn;

O: I'd been looking forward to tasting this beer since it was released; maybe my expectations were too high;

Purchased at Giant, Souderton, PA. $10.99/6pk-12oz cans

Pours a golden honey color, semi-opaque. A half-finger, off-white head on the initial pour.

A piney, hoppy aroma.

A quite delicious imperial IPA. An in your face bitter, resinous piney hops flavor with sweet malts, caramel, lemon and some pineapple. The ABV is slightly noticeable but isn’t overpowering.

Medium consistency with tight bubble carbonation. Dry, bitter aftertaste.

Overall, one of the better IPAs I’ve had in a while. Definitely on the bitter side which I enjoy. Well done, Two Roads. Cheers!

 

Better than all the other roads, but strong!
A - golden body, copper tones, clear.
S - Pine hop, lemon, frat floor, and alcohol.
T - Adds lemon, tea notes, pine resin, wet shellac, and peppery hop bitterness.
M -Warmth from the alcohol, solid medicinal resin.
O - Bring it when you want a big resinous IPA.

 

 

 

 

Two Roads Brewing Co. "Rocket 2 Ruin"
12 fl. oz. can coded "BBE 01 JUN24 17:51:39". Sampled on 09 FEB24
$2.99 @ Total Wine & More, Claymont, DE

Notes via stream of consciousness: A hazy deep golden body displays a fair amount of bubbles rising beneath a two finger thick head of lightly off-white foam. I'm watching it, waiting for the head to drop, but it's not budging. At 9.5% ABV that's impressive. In the nose I'm getting some herbal and citrusy hops over a bready malt base. Not surprisingly the flavor is very much the same. It's fuller of course, and there's a tropical fruit side to it as well with some papaya, mango, and nectarine. It's somewhat resinous/piney, and I'm finding it a little minty, floral, and even tea-like as well. The alcohol is present but not biting, and I always say that in a strong beer I not only expect some alcohol, but I enjoy it. If you make a strong beer and the alcohol is really well hidden it becomes dangerous; and the alcohol is an extra component that adds to the complexity. NOW, if it's hot, burning, and unpleasant that's something else all together; I've had my share of those :( It's nicely balanced and dry and bitter in the finish with, unfortunately, the alcohol lingering a little bit longer than I like. Ehhh, it could certainly be worse, and there's some malt, resin, and a twist of citrus that's nice. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and gently crisp. I like it but it's not a game changer for me. I should also note that there's a fair amount of thin lacing left behind on the glass but the time that the head held up was better.
Review #8,918

 

Excellent appearance: strong head production, good retention, and very nice lacing. Body itself is burnished gold, and transparent enough to read through, although there is a slight chill-like haze (nothing like a hazy IPA).

It's a little bit difficult to get a good read on the nose. Are the hops leaning tropical and honey-like, or is that the sweetness of the malt base? There isn't much of a sharpness to the profile (e.g. pine, citrus), so I suspect this is mostly the hop expression, perhaps a bit restrained due to the cold fermentation. It smells pleasant, even slightly floral, just not particularly strong - at least, as far as IPAs go. The aroma definitely suggests a sweeter, maltier IIPA.

Sure enough, the malt base immediately makes its presence known - and it's a lasting impression, with big notes of bread, white dough, and honey lasting well into the finish. However, the hops do come to play, in particular with a resinous note mid-sip. It does come across as maltier and sweeter than the original Road 2 Ruin, and despite being given the Cold IPA treatment, it isn't really more drinkable; rather, it seems like they used that process to make a big, assertive IIPA even bigger, without making it overly hoppy or hot. Plenty of bitterness, with a classic lingering dry grapefruit peel aftertaste, but that bitterness mostly presents as resin more than citrus.

Overall, a very good beer, but I can't say it's an improvement on the original, nor a necessary offering in today's beer climate. It doesn't bring much originality to the table. Still, if you're looking to hammer your palate with a modestly approachable imperial offering, it's solid.

 

 

A - Pours out a rich golden body, with copper undertones, short white head fades to a bubbly cast over the surface, and extensive fine bubbled lacing, a curtain over the glass. This is a pretty beer, for sure.

S - A big hit of alcohol and pine hop notes, a bit of lemon and tea herbaceousness.

T - The lemon and tea notes do come forward, a bit of resin through the middle, and a dry, pithy bitterness in the finish.

M - For the ABV, this is light on the tongue, a touch of warmth from the alcohol, and a definite build of resin over time.

O - There is nothing wrong here - this IIPA is a straight ahead brew, and pretty drinkable. Tasty enough but not particularly memorable.

 

While it's not apfelwein, Two Roads Rocket 2 Ruin looks to blast off like a rocket. It's advertised as a 9.5% imperial cold IPA. It pours a yellow copper with a white head. The nose smells like an IPA, and the flavor matches, though it has typical "imperial" characteristics. It's got an aggressive alcohol flavor mixed with usual IPA notes. I'm not sure what the best time of year would be for this, but to each their own.

On tap at Fins in Bethany Beach DE. Pours a hazy honey-gold with a ecent off-white gead. Great lacing! Initial impression is grapefruit, mango, orange, pineapple, and a hint of sweetness. Mouthfeel is fairly thick. Finish fades to a slightly sweet citrus. Overall, a very good DIPA. Would definitely revisit. (In fact, I did: I had two!)

Oasis in a boring sea of New England IPAs.

 

Cloudy amber/gold body with a small white head that left light lacing. Boozy, hoppy aroma offered up bit of resin and a hint of citrus. Taste stayed focused on the hops while a sweet malt presence snuck in from the back side. Noticeable alcohol bite in the finish. Crisp, medium bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel.