BeerBorg

I drank this on Friday and kept a bottle of the original Stone Pale Ale to compare it to. I hadn't had one of those in years either so it was almost like tasting two new beers.



Both poured with very little and similar head and neither were very highly carbed. As you can see, the original is a bit darker.

In terms of aroma, I'd forgotten how much of an English style Pale Ale the original was - smelling of malts and English yeast. I was excited to take the new one in since it spoke of using new hops including the Madarin Bavaria but it didn't give off much of an aroma. There's a bit there, but not "Stone" aroma by any means at all.

In terms of taste, I really don't care for the original much at all. I think I had just forgotten than over the years. The 2.0 was a bit lighter in the mouth, provided some decent up front flavor, but there is a lingering, dry, bitter finish that I don't like. You get some of the Madarin Bavaria hops right at the end and then a super dryness that hangs on the tongue and doesn't dissipate. I drank the whole bottle but can't say that I really enjoyed it.

I was really looking forward to this beer because of all the hype and discussion around updating the hop techniques and hops strains used but this is a beer I wouldn't buy again. If any of you have tried Stone's GoTo Session IPA, it finishes a lot like that beer.

In the end, 2.0 was the winner between the two but far from a beer I would recommend.



Oh well, I guess they all can't be home runs - right?

Good comparative write up.
I never thought much of this beer to begin with. I'm still looking for Ruination 2.0 to do a side by side of the old and the new of that one.
Then we have Ruin Ten coming out in late June which supposedly has different hops.
Sounds like lots of future suffering for me.

If the Ruination doesn't show up soon, let me know - it's here.

Like I said, they can't all be homeruns. There are plenty of other great beers out there, this just doesn't do it for me.

I appreciate the offer but it'll show up around the time Enjoy By does. There's still lots of the old Ruination in new boxes on the shelves so I guess they want to get rid of those first.
And, since it's supposed to be one of their regular beers so they can't keep it away from us forever.
Have you tried the old and new Ruination to see the differences yet?

I have not. I don't recall liking Ruination either but it has been a long time since I've tried one (pre-tracking on Untappd).

Doesn't sound promising.

I must have missed the really good Enjoy Byes because I've not enjoyed the ones I've had enough to buy more of them. They are sporadic around here anyways, not found very often easily as someone buys them all up. So I guess someone likes them more then I. I could probably find some if I really worked at it / went to other places, but its not worth it.

Honestly the only Stone beer I'd buy on a regular basis (if it was a bit cheaper) would be Levitation, but that beer is no more. Are they going to replace it with anything? GoTo doesn't do it for me.

EDIT A lot due to stupid auto correct.

mashani wrote: Honestly the only Stone beer I'd buy on a regular basis (if it was a bit cheaper) would be Levitation, but that beer is no more. Are they going to replace it with anything? GoTo doesn't do it for me.

I'm hoping for a Levitation 2.0 to make an appearance but I wonder if it does if it would be marketed as a Red Session IPA instead of an Amber.
I'm glad I got my clone of it worked out to the point where it's pretty damn close so I can brew that when I want some (and I am now).

GoTo doesn't do it for me either. It's also "harsh" on the finish IMO. The Pale Ale 2.0 has that in common for sure.

I passed on buying these today but did get the last 2 Ruination 2.0 so that we could do a side by side with it and the old Ruination.
I didn't see much Pale Ale at all so either it's selling well or they don't think it will. There was never really much of it around to begin with.