Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA
Stone Brewing’s latest seasonal release is Vengeful Spirit IPA. The 7.3% ABV (57 IBU) brew continues the company’s tropical fruit-forward trend as last seen in their Tangerine Express IPA. The unfiltered IPA utilizes three hop varieties previously featured in the Stone’s Hop Revolver series along with mandarin orange and pineapple.
The result is a beer that, predictably, is packed with plenty of citrusy goodness, but also a latent bit of sticky, resinous hop flavors that were a pleasant surprise. Aromas of fresh fruit and the hazy appearance contribute to the tropical impression of the dangerously easy drinking IPA. It’s quite a refreshing brew as the orange takes the forefront throughout the experience. Pineapple, distant honey notes, citrus and pine are all in play as well at lesser degrees. The IPA finishes long with a welcome hop tingle and thirst-quenching character.
The key with a fruit-forward IPA like Vengeful Spirit is that resinous hop trait that keeps the fruit in check. Without that aspect of the hop spectrum, this beer would have been like drinking a fruit juice medley. Instead, we’ve got a succulent and tasty IPA that delivers a late-Summer flavor profile as the seasons start to shift. Needless to say, the pair of samples cans that arrived at Barley Blog HQ did not last all that long.
This is a review of a promotional sample.