Stone India Pale Ale. The initial signature of IPAs, a pre-Ruination if you will. This beer stands at 6.9% ABV alcohol. I have tried this beer, well…countless times….why haven’t I wrote about it? Well I’ll admit, because Ruination is a little more my type :P. Why start with the trailer, when I can just go for the whole movie. Not to say that this beer is not up to par. Quite the contrary actually. This beer is world class just like its massive brethren. To put it in a sense some people can understand. It is like playing 8bit Megaman vs. 16bit Megaman X. Okay sorry that made no sense…I guess it is more like saying you prefer a light beer vs. a stronger beer. The light one is quick and refreshing while the strong one you take your time with and more complex in flavor. Not to say that this is a light beer. It is not….but for those who have graduated in much experience in flavors would say that this is the minimum requirement. Such a great beer can only relish in the taste buds of the worthy. As for the flavor. It is in perfect harmony. Hops and alcohol are balanced to provide the citrus,pine,grass and grapefruit flavors of IPA allowing other flavors to go through without overwhelming the palette. Flavors such as caramel, mango and kiwi are very minor but the difference as opposed to other IPAs is there. Not the Ruination of beers, but if I had to pick an IPA over others (unless they have Sculpin) I would pick this one.