Stone Ripper
Stone Brewing
Story by:
Editorial Dept.
American Pale Ale
Year-Round
California
United States
Judges Ratings 92
Aroma: 22 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 9 / 10
Overall Impression: 18 / 20
Description
“Inspired by the coastal surf cultures of SoCal and Oz, Stone Ripper combines the signature hops of Cascade from the Pacific Northwest and Australian Galaxy hops. The combination of the two creates a balance of citrus and pine flavors mingling with bright fruit and dankness. In true San Diego style, it pushes the hop boundaries of a pale ale, yet is right in line with the current-day interpretation of a West Coast pale.
Deep golden in color, Stone Ripper asserts aromas of fresh orange, pineapple, peach and floral notes. Tropical and dank, flavors of orange and bright resiny hops stand out against a complementary malt backbone leading to a crisp, clean finish.”
Beverage Profile
ABV: 5.70%
IBUs: 40
Served at: ()
Hops: Cascade, Australian Galaxy
Malts: Pale Malt, Chocolate Malt
Judges Review
By Jason Johnson
Judges Ratings 92
Aroma: 22 / 24 / 24
Flavor: 37 / 40 / 40
Appearance: 6 / 6 / 6
Mouthfeel: 9 / 10 / 10
Overall Impression: 18 / 20 / 20
The beer pours a light orange color with a faint haze. The cream colored head is foamy and has excellent retention. It sticks around for a long time. The aroma is loaded with a strong hop aroma of mango and citrus hops and is backed up by bready and lightly toasty malt. There is a light sweet fruity aroma as well, so it has a slight estery edge to it. Bitterness is moderate and quite pleasant, not harsh or bracing in the least. There is a mildly sweet toasty malt presence, but the main star is the hop flavor. It’s tropical and citrusy, and very pleasant. There is a light hint of pine on the back end. The balance is decidedly leaning on the hops, as it should be. It finishes moderately bitter and dry, with a little resinous sticky hop flavor. It’s medium bodied, moderately carbonated, and has a light creamy texture. For an American Pale Ale, I feel the beer is very well done and certainly worth picking up.
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