Beers I have Been Having Recently

Just catching up but not taking the time to write out post on this stuff. Just know, I enjoyed this. Plus another 1001 or two. I will fix this at some point.



There goes one 1001, the 90 minute. Not my favorite of the group, but good. You know. I will further fill this one in when I get the the brewery... or if I come upon another bottle soon...

889 Bottle Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

1001 Beers: IPA

Beer Number 77: Stone IPA

So, I have had this beer already on the blog but I decided to give it its own post. I wish I could have grabbed a bottle of it... Hell, I know I will and I could have waited but I decided not to. So, Stone IPA.

They released Stone IPA as their first-anniversary beer, knowing it would then take a place in the regular lineup--and also establish the fact that each other Stone beers, the IPA sets itself apart because the recipe doesn't include any of the Cascade hops common in most West Coast hop-centric, beers--

So, not the day I am drinking this one, but the day I am writing this post happens to be the 17th annivesary of Stone and the day they sold their first keg of Stone Pale Ale to their first account. Pizza Port. And Pizza Port even came and picked up the keg. Just to give you an idea of how far I am behind in my posting... almost caught up though... Kind of...



As you can see, this beer is in its proper serving glass at the melting pot. A very nice and citrusy ale with pine character coming in and taking you by storm. A nice malt background and an amazingly dry finish. Classic Stone. Classic Beer. Classic, GET SOME!

924 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

1001 Beers: Ruination

Beer Number 74: Stone Ruination Ale

So, I wanted to do this review a year ago but totally failed at it. Not by my own doing... well, you know. But because I was not able to find Ruination X. I got lucky and they released RuinTen this year because it did so awesome last year and now I can finally do this. The reason I missed it last year is because of the beer wasteland I live in.

I tried to get up to Raleigh when it was released but things just did not work out... and not much of it made it here in the first place. I had a few guys saying they were going to mail me some, but that did not work out either... damn... so anyway, Stone Ruination Ale.

From the start, Wagner gave Stone's beers a different taste by forgoing the use of Cascade hops. "When I brewed at Pyramid Brewery (in Washington) we made a Cascade Pale Ale, and I was a little sensitive about redoing what we'd done at Pyramid," he says. So Stone declared itself completely Cascade free and charted its own happy hoppy way.

I wonder if this is still true, does Stone not use Cascade in any of their beers? Hmm... Just thinking of all the IPAs they have released along the years... hmmm... I mean, Stone has their taste, and it is unlike any other. Maybe the exclusion of Cascade is one of the keys...



This is just an awesome beer to begin with. Interesting to think how the Ruination X and RuinTen would even improve on that. Hop nectar on the nose, an in your face bitterness to open up, sweet caramel, grassy, citrusy, a bit floral and more hop nectar in your mouth. A very clean and fantastic beer.



Now, the "improvement" on an already great beer. I have no idea how this could even be thought of. I guess it comes down to the geniuses in the brewhouse.

Deep gold/amber with a small golden head. Very clean and bright, so sweet and sticky on the nose. Tropical and mango sweetness in your mouth, very thick! I found this to be very mellow compared in the bittereness department but it packed a ton more flavor. Juicy, resiny, delicious!!!

Honestly, a big improvement. Crazy to think. I hope they do bring this back year after year. It was hinted at on the blog, but some people at Stone say it is just a rumor at the moment... I hope they are just pulling my leg... 927 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!