Stone Ruination 2.0

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Enjoy By 07/05/2015)

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 8.5% 
Reported IBUs: 100+

Earlier this year, Stone announced that they were killing off their Ruination IPA. No one in California blinked, and Tony Magoo smoked a bowl. But Stone's Ruination is back. Version two point oh. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

The Ruination 2.0 is brewed with Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, and Azacca hops. And the rest is pretty much Stone.txt. 

Stone Ruination 2.0

This has clear golden-orange tones, with dotted carbonation and a sea foam white head that is hanging around like your loser kids and leaving webs of lacing that would impress Peter Parker and Peter North. Kudos to Stone for putting on the Enjoy By date, but I feel like this is going to a very different beer in July. I would not want to be popping this on July 5th.

Stone's Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By series all have a similar vibe with dank hops on top of aggressive, sugary caramel malts. The Ruination 2.0 smells like a departure with a thinner, cracker malt base, and lots of tropical fruit hops. I'm getting mango, pine, honeydew/melon, peaches, passion fruit, some resin, pine, pine sap, and some sweet hemp. The nose is fairly subdued, and leans towards the hops.

The taste matches the nose, which a nice departure from the insanely sweet hops and insanely sweet malt/caramel base that Stone was delivering in their Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By. This beer wears its 100+ IBUs, with an intense hop note that cuts right through the beer that is raw as hell. I don't even know what it is...I've never tasted it before in a beer. I'm guessing it is from the Azacca hop? I'm getting a ton of melon, pine, shades of peach/mango, some resin...and that sharp hop note. It's kind of earthy, and kind of pithy....if I had to reach for a description, I would compare it to tobacco, grass, lawnmower trimmings, or unsmoked weed in a bag.

This is really solid, and a welcomed departure from the sugar bombs that Stone has been cranking out for the past few years. This reminds me of Stone's IPA, which has held up well over these years. This is medium-bodied, and doesn't feel too bitter or too boozy. Palate depth is good, with long duration that cuts into nice dryness. This never gets too woodsy/woody/dry, but you definitely feel the punch of the pine and the 100+ IBUs. This is moderately complex. The thin malt profile is welcomed, with lots of melon and sweet fruit up front that gives way to bitter pine and resin and hemp, with nice drying on the back. Also, this is affordable. Nice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Light Above-Average. I would buy this again, and I think Stone nailed this beer. This is a big, hoppy, hop-forward Double IPA. The malts don't get in the way of this experience, and this isn't sweet. I would pair this with strong, spicy foods. 

Random Thought: DAE DARK LORD DAY?!?! I'm so happy I will be embracing my warm bed, the forecast calls for rain and cold.