Barleywine Review #6 - Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 7, 2012

The problem with working on a project like The Barleywine Project here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights is that in order to be fair to each beer on The List they need to be reviewed in their current (or at least most widely available) state.  Barleywines age exceptionally well, but if I were to take a Bigfoot from 2007, a fresh Old Ruffian and a two year old Doggie Claws it would be tough to compare them on equal grounds.  That said, beers like Founders Nemesis are no longer being made, and therefore will have to be reviewed with some age on them.

The point is, that I strongly believe the beer I am reviewing today, the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale would do much better if it were of an older vintage, but in my effort to keep the playing field as level as possible I will be reviewing the 2012 vintage.  So, now that my little disclaimer is out of the way, here’s my review:

Location: Boulder Liquor Mart

Cost: $2.39 for 12oz. bottle

Glassware: Funkwerks Tulip Glass

ABV: 9.6%

IBUs: 90

Brewery Location: Chico, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.42 – Outstanding

My Beer Advocate Rating: 3.65/B - Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Current Rank: 2,430/1st

Brewery Description: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Bigfoot pours a deep, dark reddish brown that lets very little light through.  A foamy, white head rests on top with moderate retention before it settles down to a nice coaster-sized cap.  The lacing is very nice and covers the majority of the back side of the glass.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) A nice dose of malt hits the nose first with a helping of brown sugar and a mild roastiness.  A faint hint of grassiness also lies underneath a backbone of clove and other spices.

TASTE:  (3.5 out of 5) The fresh Bigfoot has a lot more of a bite than I expected with some bitter and citrusy hops smacking the palate up front and then returning to round out the end of each sip.  In between is a wave of sugary malt that highlights caramel, brown sugar and clove.  The 9.6% ABV is also apparent and when the hops return to close it out, they leave an intense grapefruit bitterness on the tongue that last until another sip is taken.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) This is a very well carbonated beer.  While it is rich and sweet, it also has some of the palate-cleansing properties more typical of a big, citrusy IPA.  Each sip starts out on the creamy side and builds throughout until a pleasant, dry and bitter finish takes over and clears the palate for the next sweet sip.

OVERALL:  (3.5 out of 5) As the name should suggest, Bigfoot doesn’t do nuance.  Instead, this is a big, bold, smack-you-in-the-face type of beer.  The hops hit with the right, then the malt connects with the left and finally the bitter, citrusy hops complete the combo with another right.  Do not ever use this beer to try to turn your fizzy yellow drinking friends into craft enthusiasts.  In fact, don’t use it to turn anyone on to Barleywines unless that person is a seasoned IPA drinker already.  Of course, all of that is said about a fresh pour of this beer.  Once it ages a few years it will be a completely different story.

Barleywine Review #1 - AleSmith Old Numbskull

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 7, 2011

It seems appropriate that the first beer reviewed for the Barleywine Project – AleSmith’s Old Numbskull – is from the very same brewery as the last beer of the DIPA project – AleSmith’s YuleSmith.  Yes, Review #1 of the Barleywine Project is from what is quickly becoming one of my more sought after breweries, AleSmith.  In addition to this beer coming from the same brewery, it also came from the same dude – ren, from Beer Advocate, who I think I can now officially call my “Beer Guy in San Diego”.

Ren and I have worked out a couple of great trades since I have moved here to Boulder.  I’ve been able to find him some amazing sour beers, including Immitis from Avery and he has provided basically all of the AleSmith beer I’ve ever had.  I am grateful for that.

Anyhow, tonight Emily and I finally split the bottle of Old Numbskull that he sent me a couple of weeks ago.  What a treat it was and although I am about to discuss this in greater depth below, I have to mention it here as well, AleSmith makes some really good beer, but they seriously make some of the best looking beer I have ever seen.

Alright, onto the specs:

Location: Home

Cost: In Trade – One bottle of Avery Immitis + (Cost of that bottle $6)

ABV: 11%

IBUs: 99

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.17 - Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.1 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in the Top 20: 340/15^th

Brewery Description: Old Numbskull

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (5 out of 5) After just a very limited experience with AleSmith’s brews, if there is one thing I know about them it is that they know how to brew an amazing looking beer.  The YuleSmith (Summer) took home the 20 Beers in 20 Nights award for the best looking beer of the entire DIPA project.  Well, as the first beer in the Barleywine Project, the Old Numbskull is sure to be in the running in the same category.

The color is a solid, opaque, copper penny red with an exceptional, big, foamy and white, two-finger head.  The retention, as it was with the YuleSmith, is outstanding.  I poured this beer, then prepared myself a plate of cheese and crackers, then ran around the house for three minutes doing small errands for Emily, then sat down and began to write this review…and guess what?  The head is still there.  It is just about an eighth of an inch thick at this point, but this is retention at its finest.

The lacing, again, just like the YuleSmith is exceptionally strong, covering roughly 80% of the back of the glass, about 50% on the sides and somehow managing to keep a few wisps hanging in there on the side that I am drinking from.  I am stunned that one brewery has been able to produce two different beers with such a great look.

SMELL:  (4.5 out of 5) A quick sniff under the freshly popped bottle cap reveals hints of a big, booming aroma.  My initial reaction was that it smelled like a big, malty Double IPA.  As it pours into the snifter that malt aroma become more apparent.  A boat load of caramel hits the nose right up front as vanilla and a touch of piney hops sneak in as well.  As the head fades the aroma does as well, but it remains strong even after a coaster-thick head settles into place.

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The first impression the Numbskull gives the drinker is that of balance.  A nice, moderate, brown sugary sweetness greets the palate with each sip.  That sweet, caramel-laced flavor slowly fades and gives way to a fairly bitter finish that showcases a surprisingly grassy taste along with a touch of anise.  The wave of flavor from front to back and from medium-sweet to medium-bitter is one of the smoother rides of balance that my palate has ever been on.

MOUTHFEEL:  (3.5 out of 5) The carbonation is there, but only provides a slight tickle.  Otherwise, this is a sticky, yet not a mouthcoating beer.  The dry, hoppy finish (in fact, much dryer than most Barleywines) cleanses the palate quite nicely for such an otherwise sugary beer.  It feels like a big Belgian with the finish of a big, crisp and bitter DIPA like Ruination.  I only wish that the carbonation was stronger.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) This is a dynamite example of a Barleywine.  In fact, it almost seems like a prototype for the style; big, complex, malty and hoppy.  While this is not the best Barleywine I have tasted it is right up there amongst the finest and it really is an excellent example of what the style should be.  If someone were to ask me to give them a beer that epitomized Barleywine, this would make an excellent offering.  

Review #20 - AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer)

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Aug. 11, 2011

Ironically, my very first post as a resident of Boulder, Colorado is also my last review for the DIPA Project.  Yes, I finally tracked it down, drank it and reviewed it - a bottle of AleSmith’s YuleSmith Holiday Ale – the summer version.  As it turns out, it was a fantastic finish to the project coming in as the 20^th most reviewed beer on The List and the 20^th beer that I reviewed for the site. 

By the way, I have to give a BIG thanks to ren on Beer Advocate for the bottle.  He actually sent me two bottles along with an extra Port Brewing Mongo Double IPA – a pretty awesome extra that I’m very much looking forward to trying. 

Anyhow, I finally cracked this bottle open this afternoon and took it outside to the patio to enjoy some 90 degree Colorado sunshine.  I’m not quite sure if it’s the altitude and the sun talking, but this is one of the best beers I have ever had.  Wow!  Again, what a fantastic beer to close out the list with?  I expected to like it more than the average DIPA on The List, but I did not expect to be completely blown away.  I have to say, for my first AleSmith experience, this one is a winner and I hope I can obtain more of their stuff in the near future. 

OK, now that all my gushing over this beer is out of the way, let’s get on to the specs:

ABV: 8.5%

IBUs: Roughly 100

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.29

My Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.75

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 20^th/827

Brewery Description: AleSmith YuleSmith

Bottled On: Sometime in the Summer of 2011

APPEARANCE:  (5 out of 5) This might be the best looking beer reviewed on 20 Beers in 20 Nights so far, check that, it is the best looking beer I’ve reviewed here so far.   It poured a bright golden yellow color and was very lively.  Hundreds of bubbles of varying sizes floated to the surface for several minutes after the pour.  A nice, stark white, fluffy head rested on top this is where it started getting interesting.  Five minutes and about three sips into this beer half of the head was still hanging strong.  Not much lacing was present at that point, but that seemed to be because the head was still there just sloshing around.  Given that it was a relatively heavy head, it dragged whatever would-be lacing back down with it.  From this point on, however, the lacing became exquisite and full, covering a good 70% of the backside of the glass.  Bubbles continued to filter up half way through the pint, keeping the head alive.  This may be the only beer I’ve ever had that began with a normal sized head that was still intact when I took my last sip.  It was the most incredible head retention I’ve seen on a beer. 

On a slightly separate note, something should be said of the bottle as well.  It is very attractive in its simplicity – colorful, simple and very good looking.

SMELL:  (4.5 out of 5) Before I even poured the bottle I took a quick whiff through the top and got a nose full of pine.  That got me excited and as soon as the YuleSmith was poured I could smell it and again, nothing but wonderful pine.  A more serious sniff revealed…well…more pine.  This smells like a classic West Coast IPA, it reminds me of Sierra’s Harvest Ales a bit.  A little resin could be detected as the beer warmed, but it took a minute for it to come out.  The resiny smell then continued to build and got stronger as the beer went down.

TASTE:  (5 out of 5) Again, what a great beer to finish this project with.  It is big, bold, piney and very hoppy in a classic IPA sense.  A burst of hops and pine upfront smack the palate before a grapefruit and a touch of anise create a bitter rinse for the finish.  The aftertaste is clean, but bitter.  It really prepares the palate for the next sip.  I am very impressed.  This beer is delicious and much like the label, beautiful in its simplicity.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) This beer is not flat!  That much is for sure - it is extremely lively and exciting.  Tiny bubbles tickle the tongue and scrub the bitterness into the palate.  This beer seriously has some solid carbonation.  The mouthfeel of the YuleSmith is not simply another piece of the puzzle that makes up this beer, rather it is part of the framework that pulls the rest of it together.  One word to describe both the beer and the mouthfeel would be playful.

OVERALL:  (5 out of 5) The reviews on Beer Advocate were mixed and I am sure I will get plenty of disagreements with my review as I can understand how some IPA fans would not find this beer terribly unique or different.  What makes this such a solid beer to me, though, is the fact that it is simply so spot on for the style.  This is what a Double IPA strives to be – elegant looking, full of hoppy aroma and packing a bitter punch all while staying balanced enough to enjoy throughout the entire pint.  This is the first beer I have ever tried from AleSmith and it certainly is a winner.  I hope I can get some more of this deliciousness sometime soon.  I am just thankful that I have another full bomber and the bottom of this pint glass, which at the time of this writing I was just getting to, is not the end of the beer.

DRAWBACKS:  AleSmith pretty much drilled this one.  All I can say is that it wasn’t outside the box in any way, shape or form, but I also don’t really care.  If I wanted to get extremely nitpicking I would say that the resiny aroma that built throughout the pint eventually became a tiny, tiny bit more than I would have liked, but really this is almost a perfect beer for the warm summer afternoon I enjoyed on my back patio in Boulder.

SOUND:   I went back and forth on the sound for this beer.  The first tune that popped into my mind is a very obscure piece by a goofy, but brilliant hip-hop artist named Paul Barman.  The word playful is often the best way to describe him and in particular, his song “Burping and Farting” is a ridiculously playful, but intelligent piece.  The YuleSmith effortlessly pairs well with it, but at the other end of the spectrum is a more serious and maybe (given the name and the overall experience of this beer) a slightly better fit – Herbie Mann’s version of “Battle Hymm of the Republic”.  This was the song that Hunter S. Thompson would have made the National Anthem had he ever gotten his say.  Given that this beer is brewed specifically for the 4^th of July I think “Battle Hymm” is the more appropriate sound – a patriotic tune for a patriotic beer that truly represents the best of American craftsmanship and creativity.  

Thank you to everyone who has read, participated, traded beer with me for this project or helped out with the blog in any way.  In the next week or so I plan to begin a new project and also to post a wrap-up of this one.  It will include what I learned, my awards for the best of the list and hopefully, a spreadsheet with the specs and rating of each beer.

Review #13 - Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

April 25, 2011

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid.  Lucky Review #13!  I did not realize this until I actually sat down to enhance my notes on this one, but it is fitting to review a Lagunitas beer for #13 on The List.  Their Lucky 13 Red Ale is one of my favorites. 

Anyhow, this is the second beer in a row that I obtained without much fanfare.  I went to Binny’s, bought it, took it home and cracked it open.  Given some of what I’ve gone through to track down several of the others on The List, I guess this seemingly simple story is a deviation from the norm here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights.   

Here are some stats on the Lagunitas Hop Stoopid:

ABV: 8%

IBUs: 102

Brewery Location: Petaluma, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.18 – Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: B/3.65 – Good

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 1,338/8th

Brewery Description: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) Quite a nice head on this one, the Hop Stoopid seemed to be bursting at the seams trying to get out of the bottle and it was very looked very lively once it finally ended up in my pint glass.  The color was a nice copper with a touch of haziness.  Typical left-right lacing, which was nothing special, but not bad.  Overall, this is a good-looking beer.

SMELL:  (3 out of 5) The Hop Stoopid has been a go-to beer at one of my local hang outs, and for some reason whenever I am there it smells strongly of weed - no, not the establishment, just the Hop Stoopid.  When I have tried it at home, however, the weed smell (and the overall aroma for that matter) is much less intense and seems to have more of a floral and grassy (as in regular, fresh cut grass) smell.

TASTE:  (3.5 out of 5) Again, this is a beer I am fairly familiar with, but it seems to change depending on my surroundings.  My other Lagunitas favorites (IPA, Maximus) don’t seem to vary at all.  In fact, more so than many other great breweries, they seem quite consistent.  So it is hard for me to believe that the brewery is responsible for the inconsistencies.  It just really seems to be impacted by the environment I find myself in more than other beers.  The point is, that when I have had Hop Stoopid at the bar (and out of a 22oz. bomber, just like I am doing now) it has always tasted sweeter to me.  At home, I get a much more bitter and hoppy experience.  I enjoy it both ways, it is just worth noting.  I’m curious to hear whether or not anyone else has had this experience with this or any other beer.

Given that I am sitting at home right now, I am getting more of the bitter flavors.  A quick, burst of sugary pine hits the tongue immediately, but a grassy and weed-like bitterness takes over promptly, allowing the palate to feel all 102 IBUs this one packs.  The tongue is left with hops and a hint of citrus on the palate and with each successive sip the sweet burst up front becomes weaker.  By the end of the glass, Hop Stoopid is exactly what its name implies.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) As the strong and lively appearance hinted at, Hop Stoopid is strongly carbonated, particularly for a DIPA.  It is quite dry (at least in my current environment) and it does a number on the taste buds.  Non hop-heads will find the mouthfeel wretched while a seasoned hop veteran will love the effect on the palate.  Just don’t try to review a different beer right after this one.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) The Lagunitas Hop Stoopid is a strong beer overall and much like its brother Maximus, it holds its own against some of the top DIPAs in the world, but doesn’t necessarily stand out.  It’s relatively wide, year-round availability, though, is a big plus.  Aside from Dogfish Head 90 Minute, it is probably the most accessible beer on The List.

The funny thing about this beer is that the last time I reviewed it (over a year ago) I came up with the exact same numbers, but for very different reasons, at least in the taste department.  For example, I initially thought it was too sweet, whereas this time, I was actually pleased by the lack of too much sweetness.  The mouthfeel was also great both times, but this time I appreciated the dryness of it, when last time I just enjoyed the pleasant tingling sensation.    

DRAWBACKS:  The volatility of the Hop Stoopid is a bit of a turn off to me.  There are times that I have just adored it, times I have been disappointed by it and times like this where it simply seemed to do the job.  Given the variety of experiences I have had with it, if I am looking for a beer to treat myself with, this probably won’t be it.  However, when it is the only DIPA available when I am out, there is a good chance I will buy one. 

SOUND:  If we add up all the variables here - a tendency to smell and possibly taste like weed, the brewery’s description (which is worth clicking on above), and the fact that it was brewed in Northern California, a hop, skip and a jump from the Haight-Ashbury I can only come to one conclusion – the sound of this beer must be a Grateful Dead song.  The image that is coming to mind for me here is that of me sitting on my old stoop in the Haight (just a block away from the old Dead House), listening to “Friend of the Devil” on a sunny weekday afternoon while sipping on a big bottle of Hop Stoopid.  Yeah, I like that thought.

Finally Pliny! Review #10 - Russian River Pliny the Elder

Posted by: Stonecipher

Mar. 28, 2011

Finally!  A Russian River Pliny the Elder!  I have been to the top of the mountain and I have seen the Pliny!  Seriously, I pretty much had to go to the top of a mountain to finally get my hands and taste buds on this thing.  After a brutal disappointment at the Falling Rock Tap House in Denver earlier this week, the woman and I trekked up Highway 36 to Estes Park, Colorado.  Our target was a pizza place called Poppy’s that was rumored to have the Pliny on tap along with some outstanding pizza.

Before getting into this review, though, I need to say a few words about Poppy’s – it was downright awesome.  In fact, I believe that for many years this will be one of the more memorable experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant. 

For starters, Russian River’s Pliny the Elder was actually on tap at Poppy’s and it was brought out to us by Rob, the owner of Poppy’s.  He asked if we had ever tried it before and when we told him we had not he spent about five minutes talking to us about it.  One of the things he wanted us to take note of, aside from the spectacular aroma, was the color.  He loved the color of the Pliny and really wanted us to appreciate it.  We did. 

This, of course led to more beer conversation and to make a long-story-short, after finishing our fantastic dinner Rob stopped back at the table and spent about 20 minutes with us talking beer and bringing out samples of some of his favorites.  He helped us narrow our dessert beer down to two Barley Wines and when we finally settled on one, he brought out a bottle of the other for us to take home. 

Since you may be wondering, the Barley Wine we drank in the restaurant was Moylan’s Old Blarney Barleywine, a tough beer to find, and it was outstanding.  The other was a Canadian Barley Wine called Solstice d'hiver from a Montreal's Brasserie Dieu du Ciel.  Anyhow, enough back story, here’s some specs on Russian River’s Pliny the Elder before we begin the review:

ABV: 8.0%

IBUs: 100

Brewery Location: Santa Rosa, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.59 – World Class

My Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.53 – World Class

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 1,999/4th

Brewery Description: Pliny the Elder

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE: (4 out of 5)  The Pliny was poured into a couple of tulip glasses and just as Rob instructed, we took note of the gorgeous, orange and ever so slightly hazy color.  The head was not enormous, but bubbles continued to flit to the top of the glass throughout the pint making the beer look very lively.  The lacing was solid with a thick wall of lace on the opposite side of the glass.

SMELL:  (5 out of 5) I know that at some point in my beer reviewing past I claimed that some other beer was the best beer I had ever smelled.  Before I tried a Pliny I remembered what that beer’s name was.  Now if anyone asks what’s the best smelling beer I’ve ever had there will be no hesitation or pause to think – the answer is clearly Russian River’s Pliny the Elder.  As my notes say, the Pliny “…smells like flowers.  Like delicious, hoppy, magic flowers.”  I had my nose in the glass for about five minutes before taking my first sip and I kept sticking it back in throughout both glasses I had.

TASTE: (4.5 out of 5) The Pliny takes the palate on precisely the balanced ride that it is supposed to go on with every Double IPA it encounters.  It may sound odd to say, but Pliny the Elder is a very technically sound DIPA.  Starting out sweet and piney the hops kick in towards the end of the sip along with strong floral flavors and a hint of honey.  Elegant is Pliny the Elder in a word, at no point does it taste too sweet or too bitter.  It is a near perfectly balanced beer. 

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) As I mentioned above, bubbles continuously floated to the top of the glass throughout the entire pint and that kept the beer lively during the whole experience.  It was certainly better carbonated than many DIPAs, but it also had a slightly oily feel to it.

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) I am very happy I was finally able to track down a couple of pints.  The hype is well-deserved, but may have also served to disappoint me just a bit.  This is everything a Double IPA, and in my mind, a beer should be - almost perfect balance with an absolutely spectacular nose, but not quite the life-changing event some have made it out to be.  That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and it would have been easy to keep drinking this stuff all night.

DRAWBACKS: There are very few holes to poke in Pliny the Elder’s quality, but I will say it was not quite as exciting as I thought it would be.  While I appreciate the accuracy and precision with which Russian River crafted this Double India Pale Ale, it did not become my favorite beer ever.  It may very well have been the best beer I have ever had, just not my personal favorite, which is what I was expecting from all of the hype.  My favorite beer needs to have something distinctive, something that sets it apart from the rest. 

SOUND:  Some of the most technically sound music I have ever heard has come from James Brown and his musicians.  One particular song that stood out to me as one of the finest examples of the Godfather of Soul’s talent and precision was “Give it Up or Turn it Loose” – a perfect song to sum up the same precision that is Pliny the Elder.

Review #9 - Lagunitas Maximus

Posted by: Stonecipher          

Mar. 27, 2011

A couple of weeks ago I had a rare moment on my own to stop in at one of my favorite local beer bars – Prarie Moon in Evanston, IL.  I have probably consumed more of Lagunitas’s Hop Stoopid at Prarie Moon than I have at any other place on the planet, so I thought about reviewing that, but given my limited amount of time and the need to function at a fairly high level for many of the remaining hours of the day I decided that a 22 oz. bomber of Hop Stoopid might be a bit much, so I went with the other Lagunitas beer on The List, Maximus.

ABV: 8.2%

IBUs: 72.41

Brewery Location: Petaluma, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.91 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.93 – Very Good

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 993/13th

Brewery Description: Lagunitas Maximus

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (3.5 out of 5) Poured from a 12 oz. bottle a brilliant and crystal clear light copper color with an eighth of an inch head on top.  The bubbles were medium sized and very homogeneous.  They seemed to hang around for a little while, but once the first few disappeared the rest toppled and the whole bubbly structure quickly vanished.  As the surface level dropped in my glass, yet another mysterious case of lacing only showing up on the left and right side of the glass developed.   What made the Lagunitas’s case different was that I did not drink this from a snifter like I did with the other left/right lacers.  This was in a pint glass.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) The Lagunitas Maximus may be a hop bomb, but it is also a malt bomb and that comes through strongly in the nose.  The aroma does fade fast with the lack of head, however, so sniff this one quickly.  A faint smell of grapefruit is noticeable as well. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The sweet, malt flavor erupts on the palate upon impact.  It is intensely malty with a bit of toastiness.  A brown sugar-like flavor is also present and some orange and grapefruit notes creep in on the side and back of the tongue as well.  On the back end, it seems as though the moment you become fully distracted by the sweetness, the hops and their bitterness kick in.  The tail end of this has a strong hop presence, but it is just a short burst of hoppiness and the untrained palate may miss this altogether until the aftertaste, when all 72.41 IBUs kick in.  Wow, that grapefruit really builds too.  By the end of the glass the grapefruit flavor is much more pronounced than it is in the beginning.  Whereas some of the DIPAs reviewed here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights have taken us on a roller coaster ride, the Maximus takes the drinker on a long, slow-coasting ride from one point on the IPA plane to another.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) Lively is the first word that comes to mind when drinking the Maximus.  It is well carbonated with tiny bubbles that tickle the tongue on the way down.  Despite the teasing, tickling feel on the way down, the sweetness and the malt do cause this offering from Lagunitas to sit fairly heavy. 

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) At the time I first reviewed this beer it was one of my all-time favorite beers, but I was not very well versed in the world of Double IPAs.  It is still a fantastic go-to, and although it is certainly worthy of being on The List, it does not particularly stand out when up against a Hopslam, a Burton Baton or a Ruination.  What it boils down to is that the Lagunitas Maximus is just an average best beer in the world - which isn’t too bad.

DRAWBACKS:  The head was a bit weak, but decent retention and halfway decent lacking saved the foam from being too much of an issue.  The smell could be a touch stronger and I would really like to experience the hops for a slightly longer period of time during each sip.  The grapefruit coming on strong towards the end of the glass certainly helps in this regard, but I wish it was more consistent throughout the whole beer.

SOUND:  Something good, but popular, maybe Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On.”  Like the grapefruit, you just seem to get more and more into this song as it goes on.  You might not be ready for it or completely be into it at first, but by the end you’re singing along.

Review #8 - Stone Ruination IPA

Posted by: Stonecipher

Mar. 22, 2011

Sometimes when I say tomorrow, I really mean next week, especially when I forget to factor in the fact that it is the week of St. Patrick’s Day and I work at a large Irish Pub in Chicago and that I had a major project due the day before St. Patty’s at my other job. 

Oops. 

Anyhow, as promised in last week’s preview, here’s the full review of the Stone Ruination IPA.  Let’s start with the basics:

ABV: 7.7%

IBUs: 100+

Brewery Location: Escondido, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.29 - Outstanding

My Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.68 – World Class

Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 2,384/2nd

Brewery Description: Stone Ruination IPA

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (3.5 out of 5) The Stone Ruination IPA has an odd color for a Double IPA, most are more copper in color, but the Ruination pours a pale yellow.  A bubbly and light head rests on top of it and, as if its name were Rover, it sits and stays…and stays.  The excellent head retention, however, only results in minimal lacing, which is a big disappointment.

SMELL: (4 out of 5) In general, I prefer a very strong and in your face aroma, but the smell wafting up from the glass of Ruination is more like a subtle warning to the palate.  It smells like a hop bomb that is going to rip the taste buds apart, but again, in a subtle way.  The aroma is not overpowering, rather it is just enough to whet the appetite and cause trembles in the hands of those who fear the hops.

TASTE:  (5 out of 5) The Stone Ruination certainly delivers on its promise to have “ruinous effect” on the palate.  As the bottle explains, all other flavors become bland after sipping it.  This beer does not taste like hops, it is hops.  This is what hops were designed to do and to taste like.  On one hand this beer seems very simple; it is just beer being itself, bitter, hoppy and delicious.  On the other hand, it is clear that the Ruination is a finely crafted product made with love and care.  Somehow Stone managed to make this beer both subtle and extraordinarily aggressive at the same time.  That combo could not possibly be obtained without a lot of thought and effort.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out of 5) Unlike many other bitter beers, the Ruination goes down very smooth and while it is dry and taste bud-ripping to a certain extent, it seems to allow your tongue to recover after each sip and doesn’t completely dismantle the palate like the Moylan’s Hopsickle did.  Instead, the bitterness just builds in a delightful way that is bound to make any hop head happy.

OVERALL:  (5 out of 5) The Stone Ruination IPA is an amazing beer.  As I have mentioned on the site before, I have always enjoyed very strong flavors.  Blue cheese, bourbon, spicy food, BBQ, bring it all on.  I love to have my palate pushed to the edge so it comes as no surprise that the Stone Ruination pleased my palate.  What made it more interesting to me was that just as spicy food often hurts, but simultaneously makes me crave it even more with each bite, the bitterness built throughout the glass and made me crave more with each sip.  One of the only drawbacks is that it made me want to push the 100+ IBUs even further.

DRAWBACKS:  If the Stone Ruination IPA were interviewing for a job, I am certain that it would knock at least one question out of the park.  If it were asked what its weaknesses were, I think it would have to answer that it has two.  One, it would have to say that it is so good and focused on doing its job well (which is just simply being what a beer should be, a hoppy masterpiece) that some people often see it as pretentious, aloof and arrogant even though it is not trying to be any of the above.  Additionally, and maybe more impressive, it would say that those who do actually understand it are so impressed that they are left wanting more, and most of those people do not understand that to give just an inch more would be to go too far, to go over the edge and ruin everything.  “Why can’t you push just a tiny bit farther?  Why can’t you be just a little more bitter?” they ask.  For those that are truly enlightened, however, the Ruination understands that to be excited and left feeling the desire for a little more is far better than to have crossed over the edge and regretted it.

SOUND: As I sipped this bold and delicious masterpiece I thought about how this beer would sound and I came to the conclusion that the music for this beer would have to be something with a strong, driving beat, something that sounded almost noble, but also aggressive.  The song that kept popping into my head was “Elements of Style” by All Natural, a group from right here in Chicago, Hyde Park to be exact.  
 

Preview of Review #8 - Stone Ruination IPA

Way back in February of last year I posted the following plea on Beer Advocate:

I'm a long time drinker, but I'm new to the wide world of good beer. I used to be almost strictly a bourbon guy with the occasional gin and tonic on a warm summer night or rum when traveling to the southern U.S. or Latin America.


Anyhow, point is, I have completely fallen in love with American Craft beer - particularly our west coast IPAs. Early on in my beer exploration phase I experimented with some Belgian and other European beers, but nothing has even come close, in my opinion to what we're doing with hops here.


Furthermore, aside from bourbon, it seems that beer is the only thing we're making better than the rest of the world, so I truly feel a strong desire to preach the good word about the amazing craft breweries in this country.


That said, my recent dive into the world of great beer has left me somewhat unsatisfied - I still have not found that one, perfect beer.


I have come close, but it hasn't ever really happened and I think the B.A. community is much better equipped than I am to help me find it.


Sure, I have soaked up every bit of information I possibly could from B.A., from bottle labels, from my distributors at work (I'm a bartender) and from other beer nuts, but so far it hasn't led me to that one beer that I feel like I've been looking for since the day I was reborn as a drinker - a good beer drinker.


Here's what I want - hops. I don't want anything else - no sweet malty flavor, no floral, no citrus, no sugary flavor, I just want bitter, hoppy deliciousness. I understand that most IPAs are going to have some malty, fruity and floral flavors, but there has to be something out there that assaults my taste buds without making me feel like I'm eating a candy bar - and I'm hoping you guys know what it is.


So all of you more experienced and wise beer advocates out there please help me out. Help me find that beer I am looking for - tons of hops, tons of bitter - nothing else. My initial thoughts were that I would find this beer in the IPA/Double IPA category, but I am realizing that many doubles are just overwhelmingly sweet. What should I do? Where should I go to find a straight hoppy, bitter delight?


Thanks in advance for the advice B.A.!

My post ended up with hundreds of page views and dozens of replies.  The BA community was very happy to help out a newbie and I got a ton of good advice.  One thing that kept coming up, however, was Stone Ruination.  According to one commenter “Ruination is your beer.”

At the time, we were a little more than a month away from having access to any Stone products here in Chicago, so I had to wait.  Even once Stone finally arrived I was initially unable to find Ruination and then just forgot to get around to it.  Eventually I found a glass on draft, but I was in a social situation where pulling out the iPhone to review a beer would have been totally inappropriate.  I remember liking it, but not being able to pay close attention. 

In the mean time, as I have developed my palate by trying every IPA/DIPA I can get my hands on, I have come around to being able to enjoy some of the sweeter tasting beers.  In fact, beers like Hopslam, Lagunitas Maximus and Ska’s Decadent DIPA are among my all-time favorites now…and they are all pretty sweet.   That said, there is still this lingering desire to find that perfectly bitter, hoppy beer that I know must exist out there somewhere.  Well, the Stone Ruination IPA certainly comes close to being that beer, but to find out how close it came to perfection you’ll have to bookmark this page and check back tomorrow for the full review.