Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA
Apparently, this 7.5% ABV (76 IBU) IPA from Stone Brewing is named after a punch-like cocktail (containing a multitude of liquor and fruit juices) often served in Chinese restaurants. I was sort of hoping that the Scorpion Bowl IPA moniker was more of a reference to the beer’s potential hop bitterness, but I can deal with a fruit-forward IPA instead.
Upon reading the press material that arrived with this sample, it’s interesting to note that the IPA was originally brewed with the intention to add fruit to it. Once the brewers got a taste of it, however, they decided that it was plenty tasty and fruity with out the additional ingredient. The blend of hop varieties used — Mosaic, Loral and Mandarina Bavaria — apparently provided all of the fruitiness the company wanted. Let’s see about that.
The nose on Scorpion Bowl IPA is a bit subdued at first, giving off soft tropical fruits, a touch of cattiness, distant pine and a good amount of perfumy floral notes. Thankfully, that floral trait is vastly toned down once with big IPA hits the tastebuds. The fruits (guava, tangerine, pineapple and hint of apricot) dominate smoothly while a bit of pine joins in late. The hop bite is fairly tame for your standard Stone Brewing IPA, but this isn’t your typical example of the style. Everything wraps up nicely in the lightly drying and warming finish.
Scorpion Bowl IPA presents a pretty unique aroma and flavor profile not found in your run-of-the-mill IPA. I enjoyed the tropical fruit flavors and was thankful the floral traits were toned down, but would have personally liked a bit more bitterness to keep those fruits in check. That said, I can still appreciate the array of flavors this IPA shares that were derived solely from the hop blend. Impressive.
This is a review of a promotional sample.