Stone Ruin Ten IPA - Beer Review

I'm not sure how I feel about really big IPAs. In some ways, they're like the brewing equivalent of the deep dish pizza. Just as any joker can pile copious handfuls of mozzarella on top of a crust, any brew monkey can toss barrels of hop pellets into his wort. I say this with a smile, and I don't want to trivialize the efforts of anyone in the culinary or brewing world, but it's disappointing when one ingredient is used to cover up the lack of quality of other components in a product (however, I would still rather drink an unbalanced, overhopped IPA than some swill of a light lager from a swirly-necked bottle or a color-changing can).

That being said, I do get a taste for deep dish pizza every now and then, and sometimes I like well-crafted imperial IPAs. They can be novelties, but they have a special place in my heart. Hoppy beers have a way of drawing people into the craft scene, especially those overflowing with a citrusy dry hopped essence. The first time you smell a beer that is brimming with lupulin is a moment that you'll never forget. I remember sharing a bomber of Two Brothers Hop Juice (now known as Hop Centric) with my brother a few years ago. Its nose, depth of flavor, and smoothness in spite of high ABV and IBUs made the tasting an inspirational experience. We were both amazed that a beer could be that way. My palate seems to change every few years, and I'm not as into IPAs as I used to be, but big beers like this take me down memory lane.

Stone Ruin Ten IPA is definitely one of these big beers. At 110 IBUs and 10.8 ABV, it is a monster. Stone markets Ruin Ten as "a stage dive into a mosh pit of hops," which is a fitting metaphor.

I poured Ruin Ten into a snifter from a bomber after removing it from the refrigerator and letting it warm up for about a half hour.

Appearance:

Impressive clarity. Looks viscous as it is decanted; barleywine consistency, although a shade lighter in appearance. Initial swirl of large bubbles, but they quickly fade. Random, solitary bubbles slowly rise and collect in a modest ribbon of head. Aggressively swirling the snifter briefly boosts the head, but it dissipates within seconds. Reveals a thick, syrupy sheen on the side of the glass that runs down in heavy legs. The SRM is a caramelly amber color; approximately 12 on the scale.

Aroma:

Caramelly, piney, junipery, and alcoholic. Emphasis on resiny hops; faint lemon zest. Pomaceous fruit notes. Hint of burnt sugar, crème brûlée. Golden raisins and orange peel.

Body and Texture:

Malty and sweet, although not as cloying as expected. Hops quickly peel away sugars and plaster bitter resins to the back of your tongue. Warming and bready.
 
Aftertaste:

Powerful West Coast hop flavors; Columbus, Magnum, or other high alpha acid varieties. Finish lingers with the peppery bite and warmth of rye whiskey. The staying power of hops on your tongue becomes overwhelming; this is one that I wish I paired with an aged cheddar. It demands food to fight back against the powerful bastion of hop resins.

Overall:

Fun to share with friends and marvel at its potency. Not really balanced, but I don't think it's supposed to be. It's pretty impressive that Stone packed in this much malt and hop flavor. There are many sharp cheeses begging to be served alongside a snifter of Ruin Ten. It's like Stone Ruination after a visit to the Biogenesis clinic; drink one before it's suspended for the rest of the season.