is this happening to anybody else??

[Dakota]

OK, I'm having second thoughts after reading a bit about Stone Ruination.

Warning: ale geeky post ahead. Sorry, but this thread has already been completely hijacked, so ...

If you're into ales, the three on my list earlier in this thread would fall within the range of what is generally called American-style pale ales, which are an Americanized rendition of the traditional English Bitter (what got me started on ales was Marston's Pedigree unpasteruized - or "live" ale from pubs in the British midlands 30 years ago).

These ales (APA's and bitters) are generally top out at 45 IBU (hop bitterness) and 5-7% alcohol by volume. Summit EPA is 45 IBU and 5.3% ABV. Great Burning River is 45 IBU and 6% ABV. Bell's Two Hearted Ale is an IPA, and therefore should be a bit hoppier and higher in alcohol, which it is, at 7% ABV; the brewer don't list the IBU of this beer, but it tastes hoppier than the Summit and one beer review site estimated it at 60 IBU, another as "not quite a DIPA" which would be about the same. Anyway, this range (45 - 60 IBU) is what tastes best to me.

Stone Ruination is 100+ IBU maybe as high as 130, falling into the Imperial IPA range (or West Coast ale, or "extreme" ales), which gives me pause. I'm not sure I could seriously enjoy an entire 6 pack. Maybe I'll see if I can find it on tap around here first.

Here is a list of APAs available in Texas (source link below) that should be more to my taste on the IBU scale:

• Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Ale
• Great Divide Denver Pale Ale (DPA)
• Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale (the author's second-favorite of this list)
• Kona Brewing Fire Rock Pale Ale
• Full Sail Pale Ale
• Independence Pale Ale (Austin, not Philadelphia)
• Left Hand Jackman’s American Pale Ale
• Anchor Liberty Ale
• Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale (the author's favorite of this list)
• Samuel Adams Boston Ale (not the Boston Lager)
• Santa Fe Pale Ale
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (a classic of the style)
• Stone Pale Ale
• Summit Extra Pale Ale

Source... Dallas Examiner Drink American, drink a pale ale - Dallas craft beer | Examiner.com

Of this list, I've only tried 2 (Summit and Sam Adams... as he notes, the ale, not the lager). Maybe I'll try the Stone Pale Ale rather than Stone Ruination.