Tonight’s review is another Stone Brewing winner: Ruination IPA. I’ll go ahead an ruin (heh) it for you: this is one of the best India pale ales I’ve had. It’s that good. Though technically it probably qualifies as a "double" IPA since it’s 7.7% alcohol… but no matter. Go buy this beer.

Appearance: Orange, pours mostly clear. Reddish hue. Head—not a lot; tan-white.

Smell: Floral hops—Simcoe/Cascade Northwest signature hops. Malt—kind of a rich caramelly bread.

Taste: Powerful, explosive hops—bitter, steel-cut grass, slightly floral, a bit resiny… fresh but not green hops. Strong alcohol. Malt is drowned out, but the hoppiness is very good.

Mouthfeel: Perfect for an IPA… thick but not syrupy or chewy. The hops pack a kick and an aftertaste.

On BeerAdvocate it soaks up the accolades and scores 91 out of 100 with 99% approval. Same story on RateBeer: 4.07 out of 5, 99th percentile.