Stone Brewing to Release Ruination 2.0 Double IPA

Stone Brewing Co. has released its new Ruination 2.0 Double IPA, an updated version of the retired original Ruination IPA. Ruination was renowned for its mouth-puckering bitterness and this rendition of the brew features more hop varietals -- Citra, Simcoe and Azacca -- and even more bitterness than its predecessor.

Here is the release from Stone:

 ESCONDIDO, CA (April 20, 2015) – In June 2002, Stone Brewing Co. introduced the world's first full-time brewed and bottled West Coast double IPA, Stone Ruination IPA. Massively hopped and aggressively bitter, it helped spark the ever-growing desire among legions of craft beer fans for over-the-top hop flavors and aromas. Fast-forward 13 years, new brewing techniques and hops exist to spark inspiration. Stone Co-founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner decided it was time to utilize this new inspiration and reimagine Stone Ruination IPA. Beginning today, Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 will start arriving in 12-ounce six-packs, 22-ounce bottles and on draft at retail outlets, bars and restaurants in markets where Stone beers are sold.

 Hop growers are always developing new and experimental varietals, and Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele incorporated some of the brewing team’s favorites while revamping this venerable recipe. Additionally, Steele and company implemented contemporary techniques such as “hop-bursting,” where large late hop additions focus on extracting hop aromas and flavors rather than creating additional bitterness. Hop bursting has proven successful with a number of Stone Brewing's IPA varieties, so it was a no-brainer that this method would be employed along with others (we can’t share _everything_) for Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0.

 “In this case, the exit of one beer and the entrance of a new one is simply a rebirth,” explains Stone CEO and co-founder Greg Koch. “Developing this recipe was a great challenge for Mitch and the brewing team, but it gave us the opportunity to look at some of the knowledge we’ve acquired from the past 13 years and incorporate it into a beer that originally helped spur a hop revolution. Of course, we made sure to maintain the two most important traits of Stone Ruination IPA. It’s massively hoppy and massively bitter!”

 Thanks to a recipe calling for purely pale malt grain, the beer showcases a vibrant hops bill comprising six different varietals. As with the original Stone Ruination IPA, Centennial hops remain the star in both the brewing and dry-hop stages. Magnum and Nugget hops provide a hefty dose of standout bitterness. Citra, Simcoe and Azacca hops, all relative newbies (not to mention some of the most highly sought-after hops on the market), were added to the new recipe to provide the bountiful tropical fruit and resinous pine aromas. Combined, the rich tapestry of hops results in a taste profile rife with citrus, melon and tropical fruit flavors.

 To fully enjoy the copious amounts of hops coaxed, squeezed and packed into this double IPA, it should be consumed by the “enjoy by” date printed on the bottle neck. Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 is proof that such a masterful “Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop” should not be limited to only a single stanza.

                 STONE RUINATION DOUBLE IPA 2.0 QUICK FACTS

 NAME: Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0
 URL: Stonebrewing.com/Ruin
 STATS: 8.5% ABV, 100+ IBUs
 AVAILABILITY: 12-ounce bottles in six-packs, 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning April 20
 HOPS BILL: Centennial, Citra, Magnum, Nugget, Simcoe, Azacca
 NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
 INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION (COMING SOON): Australia; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Japan; Singapore; Sweden; and United Kingdom

                 TASTING NOTES, PROVIDED BY STONE BREWMASTER MITCH STEELE

 APPEARANCE: This beer pours clear gold with a cream-colored head.
 AROMA: The hop aromatics of this beer are massively fruity, with tons of melon, tropical fruit and citrus followed by resiny pine notes and a hint of dankness.
 TASTE: The balance shifts a bit more toward the taste of the hops, with tropical fruit being more dominant and hints of melon and citrus following closely behind. The pine notes are also intense, and the beer’s light malt character allows the bitterness to really stand out.
 PALATE: The beer is medium bodied with a dry, substantially citrusy, bitter finish.
 OVERALL: Modernizing a classic is never easy. This recipe is only partially new, in that we took an original concept and added new elements to keep Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 aligned with our tradition. We made an effort to maintain the roots of Stone Ruination IPA by keeping Centennial as a primary hop in the brewhouse and the dry-hop stage, and we added a substantial dose of Simcoe and Citra, along with a new hop variety, Azacca. The result is an intense mix of hop flavors: tropical fruit, citrus, pine, melon and a hint of resiny dankness.

                 SUGGESTED PAIRINGS, PROVIDED BY STONE CRAFT BEER AMBASSADOR "DR." BILL SYSAK

 APPETIZERS: Coconut shrimp, prosciutto-wrapped melon, ceviche, ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms, chips and guacamole
 SOUPS & SALADS: Cheddar soup, Cobb salad, crab and mango salad, Greek salad
 ENTREES: Mahi-mahi tacos,saag paneer, blackened salmon, Southern fried chicken
 CHEESES: Grafton Classic Reserve Cheddar, Maytag Blue, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sarvecchio Parmesan
 DESSERTS: Carrot cake, crème brulée, lemon bars, ginger snaps
 CIGARS: Herrera Esteli, Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Candela, La Flor Dominicana Double Claro No. 42