Review: Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA

By Christopher Null | May 26, 2018 |

Stone’s latest is inspired by tiki culture, and was originally intended to include actual fruit in the brewing process. According to the company, once it the experimentation started, they realized no fruit was needed to give Scorpion Bowl a tiki feel. It carries its fruity character solely from the inclusion of Mosaic, Loral, and Mandarina Bavaria hops.

There’s for sure a tropical vibe here at the start — passion fruit and pineapple, particularly — though the beer is not nearly as fruity as many a New England style IPA hitting the market today. That’s largely due to an earthy, resinous note that invades the finish and lingers for quite a while, ultimately keeping that initial fruit well in check as a heavily ruddy, almost dirty flavor develops. This is one of those beers that I loved for the first third, but found the remainder less and less enchanting as I approached the bottom of the glass.

7.5% abv.

B+ / $5 per 22 oz bottle / stonebrewing.com