Foundation Galacticon

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA, Triple IPA
ABV: 9.4%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.39/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.47/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Galacticon Triple IPA pours a hazy gold color, showcasing the beautiful flavors of papaya, melon, mango and white grape layered over an underlying dankness that is the hallmark of Australian Galaxy hops. Exclusively and aggressively hopped with Galaxy and Citra both in the whirlpool and the dry hop, Galacticon unleashes all of the intensity of these hops with little bitterness. The flavors and aromas of Galacticon are best enjoyed as soon as possible."

Pours out golden orange in color with a murky body and a finger of white head.

The aroma has a good amount of orange rind and citrus acidity. Some subtle dank bitterness is here too as well as a tiny bit of creamy sherbet and grapefruit.

The taste is bitter up front, bitter in the middle, and bitter in the back. However, it is also balanced with delicious citrus at the same time. Up front the dank Galaxy provides a good hop bite, but that is quickly rushed away by intense citrus zest and pulpy orange juice. As it hits the middle of the mouth, some sweeter citrus notes of clementine and tangerine take over, but the back end goes immediately back to some lingering bitter flavors and a big thud of hops on the finish. There's a minor fusel alcohol taste on each sip, but it is nearly undetectable.

Mouthfeel is full with a creamy texture. It is nearing 9% abv, but the body is in no way syrupy or thick. It drinks more like 7.5% and that can be deadly.

Galacticon was a flavorful and incredibly drinkable Double/Triple IPA. Every step of the way, the bitterness ran rampant, but it was so easy to drink that you forgot this was knocking on the door of 10% abv. The bitterness and citrus matched perfectly in this beer and it has earned its place alongside some of the better New England IPAs out there.

Rating
9.1/10

Lawson's Finest Liquids Triple Sunshine

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA, Triple IPA
ABV: 10.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.63/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.65/5 (Top 250: #31)
- RateBeer: 4.02/5

"This lupulin-laden India Pale Ale is packed with juicy tropical fruit character, bright floral aromas, and exceptional layers of flavor. Store cold, pour carefully, then close your eyes and enjoy a tropical vacation in a glass."

Pours a beautiful sunset orange with a completely murky body and a finger of white head.

Pure orange juice with acidity bursts from the glass to my nose. It's not very bitter, but a citrus hop presence is here as well as orange rind and grapefruit. It has a hop syrup smell to it, but at over 10%, it isn't surprising.

The taste is a showcase of sweet citrus. Mango and tangerine come to me first, but the overall flavor is a thick juice extract. Elements of both earthy and grassy hops are just as influential as the citrus as I get pine, moss, and tree bark as accents to the orange and grapefruit flavors. Like the nose, pure hop juice and syrup seem to be the go-to flavors on this one. This wasn't bitter on the nose, but a bitter hop presence is emerging here, especially on the end of each sip and it even lingers in the aftertaste. A heavy malt presence adds another layer of flavor, and given the overall sweetness, they probably used a lot of it.

Mouthfeel is full and thick at times, but again, it's an IPA clocking in at over 10%, so I am not going to act surprised. There is a touch of alcohol here and there, but it is not going to ruin the beer. That syrupy feel lets you know it is a Triple IPA, but in turn, it doesn't make it the most drinkable offering you'll ever see.

Triple Sunshine came as advertised: A massive Triple IPA with a thick body and plenty of sweet, citrusy hops. The hop presence was subdued due in part to the lupulin powder, but it didn't stop this from showing all the characteristics of a 10 % Imperial IPA. In comparison to other TIPAs, the lack of true bitterness helps with drinkability, but the massive nature of the beer itself still makes it a sipper. I'd say this is better than most Triple IPA's that try to go balls to the wall with the amount of hops as this was easier to drink, but was still flexing its muscles.

Rating
8.5/10

Mystic Post-Apocalyptic Xanadu

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.2/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.53/5
- RateBeer: 3.62/5

"This triple IPA is loaded with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Summer and Ekuanot hops using a mixture of Lupulin Powder and pellets and has strong notes of Papaya and tropical fruit."

Pours out rusty orange in color with a murky body. Got some sediment in the glass, but we like it. I got a finger of white head.

The aroma is sweet and syrupy with a kick of pine. Lots of hop resin and a touch of booze.

The taste is equally hoppy and sweet. Clementines and tangerines kick in sweet fruit flavors, but it is just as big with its resin and pine. The amount of malts used must have been as big as the hops because this is unrelenting in its sweetness. It's not a knock against the beer, but hey, I gotta say it. At the end of each sip, a noticeable spice presence adds a real thud after each swig. I can't help but pick up a hard candy or Jolly Rancher flavor, which only adds to the other sweet flavors. There's a warm, gentle hug of alcohol on this one, but I welcome it here as it breaks up the resin and oils. Citrus acidity also plays a role throughout with some lingering sherbet tossed in for good measure.

Mouthfeel is syrupy, but there's enough carbonation to swiftly move it along the palate. As I said before, alcohol is slightly noticeable with some warming on each sip. This isn't trying to hide the fact that it is 10%, but it works well.

Post-Apocalyptic Xanadu was a big bastard of a Triple IPA with a surplus of sweetness and hops. It's a thick, syrupy, resinous, hoppy 10% beer that manages to be surprisingly drinkable and not too intimidating. You'll have to scrpae the hops off your teeth after each sip, but I enjoyed the ride.

Rating
8.9/10

Bell's Hopslam

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.33/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.46/5 (Top 250: #152)
- RateBeer: 4.19/5 (Top 50: #49)

"Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire.

Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style."


Pours out a darker shade of orange bordering on copper with a transparent body and two fingers of frothy white head that stuck around forever.

Tart grapefruit and pine dominate the aroma. A sweet blueberry or strawberry character and noticeable mossy, earthy qualities also add layers of complexity. Big pine and hop resin resonate as well.

Sweet citrus of tangerines and acidic grapefruit come forth on the taste which is reminiscent of classic West Coast IPAs. A little less pine resin here and more of a straight up pine tree taste. Is the sweetness attributed to the one of many fruity hops they used, or is it the honey that is responsible? Honey might account for that sweetness, but it has more of a caramel or toffee taste (in a good way). This does pack a bitter punch, but it isn't as intense as I thought it would as the hops are providing more sweet citrus rather than dank bitterness. Still, the bitter character is a nice exclamation point on each sip and the overall finish.

The body has a medium feel and is surprising smooth and almost too mild for its own good. I won't go as far as to call it "clean", but I was pleased to see that my palate wasn't destroyed by the hops. ABV gives off subtle warmth, but no real alcohol sting.

Does Hopslam live up to its reputation? I can't definitively make that call. If this was 2011, then this would have been ahead of its time since it is a hop-loaded, 10% DIPA that has remarkable drinkability and flavor. The IPA scene is now geared towards the hazy, juice bomb, New England IPAs, but being able to have a DIPA like this kind of brings you back down to earth and reminds you of the ones that paved the way for drinkable DIPAs. That being said, judging the beer on its own merits, Hopslam masked its 10% abv beautifully and had great hop dankness with sweet citrus and a lot of pine. It's complex and drinkable, but also worthy of savoring over the course of an hour. If this was available locally, it would be worth seeking out every Winter.

Rating
8.9/10

Wormtown Be Hoppiest

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 10.7%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.28/5
- Untappd: 4.12/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Be Hoppiest Triple IPA is here. We originally created this recipe in honor of our 5th anniversary and the response was overwhelming. We add our hop forwarding process along with our mash hopping and double dry hop and hop back process to create our biggest IPA to date."

Pours a beautiful, hazy golden orange with a finger of white head.

The aroma is deeply resinous with sweet citrus. It has quite the hop bite on each whiff as it is just saturated with hops.

On the taste it is sweet up front with an emphasis on blood oranges, clementines, and peaches. In the middle of the mouth, some acidic grapefruit comes into play as does lemon peel. I can't explain it, but for some reason, I am getting a vanilla flavor to this. Maybe it is has to do with the sherbet and orange creme flavor, but this unexpected dessert feeling is more than welcome. The back end does a complete 180 as this turns real bitter, real fast. A dank, resinous hop flavor takes total control in the 2nd half with a dirty (in a good way), mossy, earthy flavor. At the same time, pure hop juice and citrus extract also chime in. It's a tale of two halves on this one, both both are superb.

Mouthfeel is thicker than most IPA's, but that's expected with 10.7%. Initially, the bitterness caught me off guard, but the more I drink, the more I got used to it. Hop heads will love it and the fruity, sweeter elements help with drinkability.

Be Hoppiest is my personal favorite out of all of the variations. It's a big bastard of a beer and is unapologetic about being so. The bitterness levels were off the charts, but at the same time, citrus-forward hops made the beer gentle on the palate. It's hard for a "Triple IPA" to retain high drinkability while smacking you in the face with hops and bitterness, but Wormtown has done it.

Rating
9.0/10

Founders Doom

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 12/4%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.07/5
- Untappd: 4.04/5
- RateBeer: 3.79/5

"Doom may be impending but that doesn't mean you have to fear it. A collision of worlds, the intense hop character of our Imperial IPA mingles with the warm vanilla and oak notes imparted from the time spent in our favorite bourbon barrels. Like all good things, Doom comes to those who wait."

Pours a dark, rusty orange with a slightly hazy, but mostly transparent body and a hefty three fingers of off-white head.

The aroma owes more to American Barleywines rather than Imperial IPA's. The hops are intense and there's an overall ice tea smell to this. It's piney and herbal at the same time and can be unrelenting. More complexity comes through with molasses and a refined alcohol presence. Some sweeter notes of candied orange and grapefruit are also here to help ease the hop overload. I can't really pick up the bourbon.

Hey, look at that, it's the bourbon! Fashionably late is better than nothing, I guess. Sweet bourbon up front, but it's not huge like it is with big BA beers. It is here to accent the flavors and just sort of kiss the DIPA. Along with the bourbon is subtle oak and sawdust with a noticeable, but not off-putting, alcohol taste. Overall this is a sweeter DIPA as caramel and toffee are coming out along with brown sugar and more of that molasses. I know I said it was American Barleywine on the nose, but now this is English Old Ale on the taste. That's not to say the ghost of DIPA past isn't lurking in the attic. Lots of pine and herbaceous mint and even incense capture my taste buds. Charred oak or tree bark and wet moss linger near the back.

Mouthfeel is thick, but not too syrupy or cloying. It's a massive beer at 12.4% and a sipper for sure. It doesn't have the smooth feel like a lot of traditional bourbon barrel aged beers, but the body is surprisingly calm with good carbonation. The alcohol is definitely warming with each sip, but it is not a burn by any means.

Doom didn't come off as a classic Double IPA soaked in bourbon. Instead, the barrel added many layers of unexpected complexity by reminding me of a multitude of styles. I don't think I'd make this a go-to IPA, but it's uniqueness cannot be ignored. Don't go into this expecting a traditional DIPA because you won't get it. What you will get is a mammoth barrel-aged beer with an array of flavors which compliment the hop bitterness from the base DIPA itself.

Rating
8.0/10

Greater Good Greylock IPA

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 12%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.26/5
- RateBeer: 3.17/5
- Untappd: 3.91/5

"New Englanders know a little something about India Pale Ales, so, we had to bring our best with Imperial New England IPA. The New England Style is a departure from traditional bitter IBU-packed IPAs. The New England focus is on the beautiful citrusy characteristics of the hops and how to enhance their qualities with every sip. Our Imperial New England IPA is curiously turbid and cloudy, with just the right hoppiness, big aromatics, and tasty flavor. We paired a special blend of sought-after Pacific Northwest Hops with traditional New England style yeast to give a deliciously juicy and floral Imperial brew that’s completely unfiltered, so your pallet will enjoy hints of fresh-squeezed grapefruit, orange and passionfruit with every sip."

Pours dark, rusty orange with a murky body and less than a finger of slightly off-white head.

The aroma is interesting with almost an apple cider quality. It borders on a watered down Scotch Ale with some toffee and caramel. Blood oranges and ruby red grapefruit are here too and it is influenced heavily by a big, wet, mossy, earthy hop presence.

I'm happy to report that this is surprisingly heavy on citrus and tropical notes on the taste. Like the nose, blood oranges, and grapefruit are here and they are much bigger than they were on the aroma. It's almost like a juice nectar or extract. Heavy, thick, hop juice and hop resin run wild, but it surprisingly doesn't weight me down and tastes pretty damn good. There's a touch of the aforementioned caramel and toffee in here, but it's not as big as it was on the aroma, and its subtlety works well with the sweet citrus and hop juices. A heavy dark, caramel malt presence packs a punch and it gets sweeter on the finish as more of the juice extract come out on each sip.

Mouthfeel is thick and sticky. However, I am having no issue drinking this one and the 12% is incredibly well-hidden, It's not even warm on each sip, which is an impressive feat.

Greylock IPA seemed intimidating at first, but the experience turned out to be a pleasant and delicious ride. Big hop oils and juices were a plus as were the Scotch Ale characteristics. The 12oz can was ideal for this Triple IPA and while maybe not the traditional "New England IPA" that we know and love, this one still fires on all cylinders.

Rating
8.6/10

Other Half/Monkish/Trillium Fully Loaded Baked Potato

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.42/5
- RateBeer: 3.8/5
- Untappd: 4.45/5

"Fully Loaded Baked Potato Imperial IPA(10%) comes with all the fixin's like Mosaic, Galaxy, Denali and Kohatu hops plus plenty of oats and wheat. Then it gets extra fixin's in the form of triple dry hopping."

Pours a gorgeous glowing orange with a murky body and a finger of white head.

The aroma has an inviting mix of tropical fruits and citrus. Lemon peel, sherbet, grapefruit, melon, stone fruit, orange rind, and the list goes on. A small hop bite on the back end caps it off.

Lots of acidic citrus up front. Tangy orange and grapefruit juice come to me first. Immediately after is a sweeter side with orange creme and sherbet taking over the middle part of the mouth. Before I can get comfortable, a blast of bitter hop juice makes its presence known. Mixed in with the bitter hops are peaches and apricots, but then it goes back to more acidic citrus. The flavors change on this one frequently and it always keeps you guessing. Near the end, some lemon zest kicks in as does more hop oils and juices.

Mouthfeel is full, but relatively calm. Considering it is a 10% Triple IPA, drinkability is ridiculously high on this one. There's no real alcohol presence, but a warming sensation on each sip is felt.

Fully Loaded Baked Potato seemed to represent each respective brewery. I loved the constantly changing flavors that kept me guessing and it was shockingly easy to drink. Three big name breweries came together to make beautiful music and it did not disappoint.

Rating
9.0/10

Lagunitas The Waldo's Special Ale

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 11.9%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.32/5
- RateBeer: 3.91/5
- Untappd: 4.18/5

"In 1971, the Waldos met one afternoon at 4:20 in the front courtyard of their school near the statue of Louis Pasteur. They set out in a '66 Impala armed with a "treasure map" on a journey to find a secret garden near Point Reyes. They met there at the same time every day and continued their quest. They never found the secret garden....But they keep lookin'. The dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at Lagunitas was made with help of the Waldos for all treasure hunters."

Pours a dark, almost copper orange with a mostly transparent body, but has some haze. I got maybe a finger of white head.

It smells syrupy and resinous. Tons of familiar West Coast garlic and onion. I swear I'm getting apple juice, but spiked with black pepper and spices.

On the taste, I immediately pick up some candied orange and other tropical fruits. Not a juice nuke by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm glad to see it here after being absent on the aroma. It has a sweet candy taste kind of like sucking on a juicy...pink...Starburst (you thought I was going somewhere else with that, didn't you?). It's not all sweets and double entendres as a flood of pure dankness comes in and pretty much sticks to every surface of my mouth and is borderline unrelenting. I know the whole concept behind this beer is a celebration of puffing the magic dragon, but in addition to how dank this is, there is some sort of addictive property to this. The beer is so intense with each sip, I keep coming back for more just to see how much I can really take all at once. It's so weird. There' a noticeable alcohol warmth and taste, but it's not bad at all and is welcome in this case. It's boozy for sure, but again, not a big deal.

Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy just like a lot of double-digit abv IPA's. Like I said before, you pretty much need to scrape the hops and dankness off the back of your teeth after each sip. A big, boozy body makes this one a sip-by-sip affair.

Waldo's Special Ale was a different experience for sure. As a TIPA, this represented the big-bodied, alcohol-warming, syrupy side of the coin, but it was still fun to drink. Yeah, that's exactly how I'd describe this. This was fun to drink. Would I suggest killing your six-pack on one night? Are you fucking crazy? One 12oz bottle is the ideal serving and fans of this massive Triple IPA style are going to be thoroughly pleased.

Rating
8.1/10

Trillium The Streets Triple IPA (4th Anniversary IPA)

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA/Triple IPA
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

"For our 4th Anniversary, we wanted to brew something extra special and deeply rooted in Trillium's history. Congress Street was the very first IPA we brewed in 2013. Its success inspired an entire series of beers, all named after streets in Fort Point. Each of these beers uses the same base recipe featuring a different dry hop presenting a unique flavor with common ties. Building off of the Streets series, we decided to brew a beer that was a little bit of each. Using the same base recipe as all our Street beers, we dry hopped with Amarillo, Mosaic, Galaxy, El Dorado, Simcoe, & Nelson. The Streets Triple IPA is a celebratory culmination of all the Streets beers we've brewed over the past 4 years. 

Hazy and orange in appearance with aromas of candied peaches and apricot, sweet white wine, lime, and orange zest on the nose. Followed by flavors of peach, stone fruits, and tropical culminating in a restrained bitterness. A soft, smooth mouthfeel rounds out the drinking experience of this surprisingly drinkable Triple IPA."


Pours the usual hazy, golden orange with two fingers of white head.

A nice busrt of fresh-squeezed orange juice is up front on the aroma. What I'm getting overall is highly acidic and oily hop resin. In the back are some apricots, peaches, and lime. It's not a hop or juice bomb out of the gate, but it works.

On the tip of the tongue, my first taste has some hop oils mixed with acidic citrus. While not as unpleasant as drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth, it still has a decent "bite" to it. Thankfully that subsides quickly with Mosaic leading the charge with dank hops and touches of black pepper and cedar. On a dime it switches to some dessert-like sweetness with sugar-sprinkled grapefruit and even some sherbet. A good amount of pure hop juice takes over in the second half, but those 3rd and 4th quarters have a remarkably bitter bite. It isn't saturated with hop flavor like Trillium's Heavy Mettle. That was a hop bomb where this, on the back end, is more of a bitter bomb. The transition itself actually has a solid Nelson influence with does of white wine and kiwi.

Mouthfeel has great carbonation without filling up your belly with gas. At times the body leans towards the syrupy side, but that hefty carbonation moves it along easily. There's a warming sensation present at times with just the faintest touches of alcohol, but it's understandable with a 10% Triple IPA. That being said, this is easy to drink.

The goal of The Streets was to combine all of the flavors from Trillium's Street series into one delightful package. I won't say it accomplished that goal to the fullest, but it did have a lot of flavors from the library of hops used. I found the citrus juices outweighed the bitterness enough to make this a solid addition to the Trillium lineup. For me personally, out of all the Trillium beers I have had and reviewed, this one was not my number one choice. It is still a remarkably drinkable and flavorful Triple IPA that you shouldn't hesitate to try.

Rating
8.6/10

Saucony Creek Hop Suplex Ale

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA, Triple IPA
ABV: 10.0%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.73/5
- RateBeer: 3.55/5

Not gonna lie, I picked this one up just for the label. I've never tried anything from Saucony Creek out of Pennsylvania, but this Imperial IPA that comes in at a whopping 10.0% and brewed with honey has caught my eye. The other DIPA made with honey that comes first to mind is Bell's Hopslam, which is a great beer in its own right, so hopefully this can match up with it pound-for-pound. Did you like the wrestling metaphor I used? No? Ah, gofuckyaself.

Pours quite beautifully with an extremely hazy (bordering on murky) dark orange body with less than two fingers of white head.

Strong resinous aroma with some orange rind, peach, and a splash of alcohol.

The Triple IPA tends to come with a taste of hop intensity so strong that it can either blow your hair back and make you scrape the hops off your teeth, or it will be a carpet bomb of resin that will have you wincing with each sip. Hop Suplex belongs in neither of those categories as the taste is coming off surprisingly bland.

Some subtle orange and citrus is noticeable as the beer warms, but instead of an onslaught of hops, the dank, resinous notes are what come through the loudest. Those fruity hops also contain a little bit of fresh grapefruit acidity and adds a slight sweetness to a malt-forward beer. The finish has a small kick (basically a punt) of east coast pine and tree bark, but not the fresh pine tree taste that a lot of hallmark IPA's from the Northeast have.

Mouthfeel is as it should be for such a big IPA. It's not a thick, syrupy mess and despite maybe the smallest tinge of alcohol warmth, there is no real alcohol taste. It also feels a little undercarbonated.

Hop Suplex isn't as strong or flavorful as most "Triple IPA's" as I found the flavors to be lacking for the style. More intense examples of the style are out there to be had, but this will satisfy if you're in a pinch. I wouldn't say it is worthy of the likeness of Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage on the label. I think a more appropriate fit would have been maybe an Adam Bomb or The Booty Man.

Rating
7.0/10

Other Half All Green Everything

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.50%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.49/5
- RateBeer: 3.91/5

Up to this point I have reviewed a few of Other Half's beers and I have found them to be middle-of-the-road to say the least. Hopefully today's massive Triple IPA can help redeem the brewery. All Green Everything is an Imperial IPA brewed with Mosaic, Motueka, Amarillo, and Citra hops.

Pours a beautiful glowing orange which was slightly hazy, but mostly transparent. Got two fingers of a fluffy white head.

A lot of peach and mango on the nose with dank hops and a hint of cedar.

Ripe orange is the most prominent fruit on the taste. However it is immediately washed away by a thud of bitter hops and sticky resin. It again switches on a dime and goes back to the peach from the aroma. I was surprised at such a big presence of peach juice on the back of my tongue and it seemed to neutralize the strong resinous flavor. There's definitely traces of pine and sap, but also west coast garlic and onion. This one seems to be touching all bases and representing both the east and west coast in aroma and taste.

Mouthfeel is syrupy,but not as bad as other "Triple IPA's". It's not too thick and has enough carbonation to move everything along the palate. I must say that at 10.50%, this one will sneak up on you if you're not careful as it drinks more like an 8.00-8.50% Double IPA and has no alcohol presence at all.

All Green Everything has so far been the best beer I've had from Other Half. It's one of the smoothest "Triple IPA's" I have ever had and packs in massive hop bitterness with a wave of peach juice and west coast dankness. Just be sure to sip on this one as the drinkability will fool you into thinking this is lighter than it actually is.

Rating
8.8/10

Stone RuinTen IPA

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.80%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.31/5
- RateBeer: 4/5

Back in 2012, Stone released a 10th anniversary edition of their Ruination IPA. It was met with much acclaim and made numerous "Best of" lists for 2012. Naturally, with demand sky high, Stone made the beer a yearly release and renamed it "RuinTen". I never got my hands on the original 2012 batch, but I've had it every year since and am usually disappointed as I think it is nothing more than a glass of sticky resin. So here we are once again with the newest batch for 2015 to see if I can still be persuaded. 

Pours a dark orange or even copper color. I got maybe half a finger of off-white, eggshell-colored head

The aroma is overpowering resin, but also rather sweet as well.

I remember the last time I had RuinTen and it was an unpleasant resin nuke of a beer. This time around, what appears to be a larger malt presence has added a significant amount of sweetness to balance out the obscene amount of hops. When I say obscene amount of hops, I do mean you are practically scraping them off your teeth as dank bitterness is here in the beginning, middle, and end. Hop resin and oil are also combined with pine and tree sap to give an East Coast kick to this beer. What sets it apart from previous incarnations of RuinTen is how sweet is it. An almost sugary, sticky sweetness is not cloying or all that syrupy as I was expecting, but instead it has brought a zen-like balance to this massive IPA. As a 10.80% "Triple IPA", I'm amazed that there isn't even the slightest hint of alcohol.

When you venture into the "Triple IPA" category (an IPA 10% or higher), you expect the body to get syrupy or thick, but RuinTen drinks more like an 8.0% Double rather than a double-digit IPA. Some nice carbonation moves everything along. There is a noticeable lingering resin on the finish, but it's not that bad considering how big the beer is. As I said before, no alcohol taste, but even pushing 11.0%, there isn't even any warmth on each swallow and I am easily killing my entire bomber. It isn't even that dry on the finish. I'm impressed.

Coming into the 2015 RuinTen, I will admit that I had a bias against not just this beer, but Stone IPA's as a whole. I'm not sure if they re-worked the recipe (even though they said they didn't) or if I just have several more years of drinking under my belt and can approach this from a new state of mind, but this is an incredible "Triple IPA". With IPA's this big, drinkability is arguably the #1 concern, and this has passed that test with flying colors. The amount of hops in this is absurd, but it's not a challenge to put down thanks in large part to the equally sweet malt presence. This one is most definitely a palate destroyer in every sense, but it's also smooth going down and flavorful. I know "Triple IPA" is not an official style, but this is definitely at the top of that class.

Rating
9.2/10