If you are seeking a truly intense hops experience, you could:
A) Walk through a hops field at the peak of harvest, scoop up two big handfuls of fresh hop flowers and cram it all into your mouth at once.
Or …
B) Pour yourself a Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing Co., San Diego.
I recommend the latter course.
IPA stands for India Pale Ale. The style originated in Great Britain, where brewers learned their beers held up better on the long sea voyage to colonial India if they hopped the heck out of them. These days, most microbreweries try their hand at an IPA, and the style is a favorite among hopheads everywhere.
The hoppiest IPA I have ever tried is this one. There may be something even more intensely hoppy out there; Bell’s Brewery in Michigan makes a legendarily hoppy brew called Hopslam that I have yet to sample. I lean toward dark stouts, porters and Belgian strong ales, but I buy an India pale ale now and then for a change of pace. For now, Ruination is my personal best for hops intensity. If you know of something even hoppier, feel free to mention it in comments here (but check your label; you may simply be drinking pure hops extract …).
Ruination is a pretty gold in the glass, with decent carbonation and a shallow but persistent white head.
The nose on this is all hops, and my wife detected it from across the room. Our dog, Loki, apparently is a hophead, because he won’t leave me alone when I pour this. Calling this beer fragrant is to damn it with faint praise.
The first sip is all hops up front — intense and bitter, it sort of grabs your palate and shakes it around. It holds 100+ International Bitterness Units, whereas most IPAs I’m familiar with top out at 60 to 70. Do not hand one of these to your friend who prefers Keystone Light. It’ll kill him.
All this is not to say that Ruination IPA lacks balance. There is a nice maltiness here, and sufficient body. The malty tones are in there, but not right away. It’s all a big wave of hops, followed by some malty goodness, followed by a long lovely lingering hoppy finish.
Ruination is 7.7 percent alchohol by volume.
Many people recommend serving IPAs with a peppery roast beef or strong cheeses, but as I was drinking mine the thing I most wanted was a nice spicy pizza with lots of banana peppers, onions and Italian sausage. I saved a bottle until I had just such a pizza, and I was not disappointed.
I also think this beer would be a great partner with good bourbon for you shot-and-a-beer types.
A walk on the hoppy wild side is wonderful now and then. I’ve enjoyed IPAs from Great Lakes, Samuel Smith and other fine brewers. I particularly enjoy the very assertive Liberty Ale from Anchor Brewing Co. of San Francisco. I am quite happy to add Ruination to my list of go-to brews when I want a wild hoppy ride; the only drawback is the price. I found it in Ohio for $16 for a six-pack, and had it not been payday I might have passed it up. So I’ll probably save Ruination for special days. Then again, it’s always a special day when you’ve got good beer …
My bottom line on this one: If you’ve ever passed up a beer because you thought it was too bitter, run like hell from this one. Don’t even try. If, however, you’re the type who gravitates toward beers that others declare to be too hoppy, prepare to fall in love all over again.
– Steve
Just want to see what comments look like. So there.
By: Steve on January 27, 2010
at 3:45 am
[...] shelf, I spotted a pale from Stone Brewing Co. I have recently become very fond of Stone’s Ruination IPA, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to give Stone a head-to-head shot at knocking Sam Smith off of [...]
By: Stone Pale Ale, Stone Brewing Co. « Brewologist on February 22, 2010
at 3:35 am
[...] as you might expect from the nose. I did not find the hops taste to be as intense as that from Stone Brewing Co.’s wonderful Ruination IPA, but it is very strong nonetheless. This brew rewards the drinker who seeks bold flavor, but may be [...]
By: Hopslam, Bell’s Brewery Inc. « Brewologist on March 5, 2010
at 1:42 pm