Stone Kentucky Bourbon Ruination IPA

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 4

Rated July 2013. 20B Series, Batch 06. 50cl caged and corked bottle pours out with a clear copper body that supports a light tan head. The aroma is big oak, bourbon and then a mix of coconut and vanilla. At the end of the draw I notice some spicy oak coming through but I also notice I’m getting no beer aromatics. Is there beer in here? The taste begins with an all to brief pulse of vague hops before any semblance of "beer" flavors are swamped out by spicy oak, sweet vanilla and then semi sweet semi rough bourbon. This has way too much barrel time and bourbon for me. This may as well be barrel aged Busch Light. Very disappointing.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

This one was an odd duck. At firstpour, little of the barrel or the hops were coming outm just a soapy aroma with a hint of tropical fruit. But, once it started to open up, the tropical fruits in the hops took over (though wihtout the vast majority of the bitterness) along with some lighter notes of vanilla, oak, and whiskey. The flavor was more of the same, with lighter bittering than even expected, and light to medium bourbon, with tropical fruit and vanillabeing the star of the show. Can't say this was as good or better than it's cheaper base or cousin (RuinTen) but damn good and glad I tried it.