The Beer I Drank Today: 90 Shilling Ale/Ruination IPA

The beer I drank today: Odell 90 Shilling Ale

Style: Scottish Ale

Color: dark orange

Head/Lacing: Solid head, nice lacing.

Aroma: Malty, typical ale smell, not particularly aromatic.

Flavor: Dry but unobtrusive is how I'd describe this beer. There's a touch of hop without the fruitiness but lots of dryness.

Context: R is nursing the baby and I'm waiting to eat dinner: cheese pizza, spinach salad, and matzha ball soup. The pet-sitter left a few of these in the 'fridge. It's impressive that it's lasted so long without becoming skunked. I didn't want to open a bomber, so I had this while my second beer chilled.

Would I recommend this beer to you?: As a session beer, this beer is perfect. It doesn't offend or clash with other flavors or overwhelm with alcohol. Otherwise, slightly unremarkable.


The beer I drank today: Stone Ruination IPA

Style: Imperial or Double IPA

Color: hazy orange

Head/Lacing: The head is thick and luscious. The lacing is classic.

Aroma: Sweet, holy hops. This is the way God intended an imperial IPA to smell.

Flavor: Hoppy bitterness that wipes your palette clean as if you've swallowed acid only to fill your mouth with pure hoppy mash. I have no recollection of that first beer (or my food) after this one.

Context: Mom brought me a sixer of these from Ohio for me a while back and I've carefully doled them out over the past two months. This is the last of the pack. I didn't want to risk it losing some of its character like I had done before with Bell's Hop-Slam.

Would I recommend this beer to you?: Yes. Just don't expect to taste anything afterward...or remember what your dinner tasted like.