The Beer Circle » Beer, Budget, Imperial IPA, IPA, Stone Brewing Co. » Budget/Nonbudget Showdown: Stone IPA vs. Stone Ruination IPA
Budget/Nonbudget Showdown: Stone IPA vs. Stone Ruination IPA
I’m known for my, well, “inexpensive” tastes in beer. One of the greatest rewards in my craft beer quest is finding those special brews that offer taste competitive with the big and rare beers, for a fraction of the price. In the interest of furthering this pursuit, an interesting idea popped into my head while browsing the aisles of Total Wine & More Chantilly.
As I passed a Stone Brewing Company display, I noticed sixers of both Stone IPA and Stone Ruination IPA sitting side-by-side. While these are certainly different beers, at vastly different levels of intensity, they share the same root style (IPA), and the same brewery (Stone). Based on this, despite their differences, I should be able to draw an interesting comparison between them, particularly given the differences in price. I was able to pick up the Stone IPA six-pack for $8.99 (not even $1.50/12-oz bottle), and the Stone Ruination IPA sixer for $15.99 (~$2.67/12-oz bottle). Based on my previous musings, I believe this would firmly place the Stone IPA into “budget” territory for me, while Ruination finds itself outside of that range.
Stone IPA is widely considered by many to be one of the standard inexpensive, quintessential IPA offerings, along the lines of Sierra Nevada or Dogfish Head’s offerings. Inexpensive and easily found, it should be accessible to nearly anyone, and would serve as a good introduction to the style.. Stone Ruination derives its name from its effect on your palate; at 100+ IBUs, there’s not going to be much left of it after this. However, when the gloves are off, and Stone’s budget offering takes on its much more robust sibling, who comes out on top?
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These are both great beers. Their impression on me was nothing but great, and communities such as BeerAdvocate seem to agree, their scores earning them both “World-Class” status. All in all, while Stone IPA is an extremely solid choice for the price, to get that extra kick in the head from hops (which I crave sometimes), you have to be prepared to pony up a little extra cash. My suggestion? Buy both. Reach for the Stone IPA for your general sessioning any day of the week. And when the thirst for adventure and a bit more punishment for your palate comes from within, you’ve got the potential to lay some serious Ruination down.
Written by Garrett Miller
Garrett brings a somewhat different perspective on beer to the table. While always thrilled to try any new, exotic brew that finds itself his way, Garrett finds that he's often quite satisfied with reliable, common craft choices. As such, Garrett is a fan of trying and reviewing these (admittedly less expensive) beers, and using them to introduce the exciting, flavorful world of craft beer to those not-yet-acquainted. Garrett’s favorite styles are IPAs and bourbon stouts, but won’t turn his nose up at anything.
Filed under: Beer, Budget, Imperial IPA, IPA, Stone Brewing Co. · Tags: Dogfish Head, Imperial IPA, IPA, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Stone Brewing Company, Stone IPA, Stone Ruination IPA, Total Wine & More
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