Review: 3 Stone Delicious IPAs – Standard, Citrus, and Double

Review: 3 Stone Delicious IPAs – Standard, Citrus, and Double

Review: 3 Stone Delicious IPAs – Standard, Citrus, and Double

Stone’s Delicious IPA has been around for years — it’s the fastest growing IPA in the country — and now it has some little siblings, one citrus-heavy, and one booze-heavy. Here we look at all three in the “Delicious” lineup.

Stone Delicious IPA – Bright and fruity, with a mix of lemon and orange up front pairing nicely with the bracingly piney hoppiness in the brew. Rich, fully body, with a lingering earthiness that borders on licorice clinging to the finish. A classic example of the west coast IPA style, with no digression from the theme. 7.7% abv. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]

Stone Delicious Citrus IPA – Definitely fruitier, though short of “hazy” in approach, this beer offers a note of tangerine and lemon that tempers the piney, earthy hops in the mix more effectively, creating a brighter and more “crushable” brew. There’s a zing of acidity on the finish, something a bit surprising in a nearly 8% abv beer, which elevates the experience even further. I like it a hair more than the standard Delicious. 7.7% abv. A-

Stone Delicious Double IPA – The big boy. Heavily hopped but not overbearing in the least, this slightly syrupy DIPA has more DNA in common with the Delicious Citrus than the standard: Bold fruit with a tropical bent, moving into pine-forward notes as the beer warms a bit. Rich but never overwhelming, hints of molasses make for a rich, immersive, DIPA-appropriate finish. 9.4% abv. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]

each $12 per six-pack / stonebrewing.com

Stone Delicious IPA

$12
9

Rating

9.0/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

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