Downunderstruck IPA

Review Date 11/24/2023  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Imperial IPA   Brewery: Stone   Country: USA   State: California   $ Per OZ: $.22   ABV: 9%

A thunderous IPA! That’s what Stone Brewing calls their Downunderstruck IPA, which they further describe as a Double IPA with Australian hops. What are those Australian hops? Galaxy, Ella, and Vic Secret. There you go. I recently picked up a single 12-ounce can of this beer and decided to give it a whirl on a fine mid-November’s evening, and I could almost hear the sounds of AC/DC singing “Downunderstruck” in the background, to the tune of their song Thunderstruck.

Like most Stone beers, this one is very hop forward but has enough malt to support all those lupulins. I like that. No, I love that. I love hoppy beers, and I love malt. So I was bound to enjoy Stone Downunderstruck. Stone say about the beer on their website:

Australia is well-known for being the home of flora and fauna that exist nowhere else on earth. Among these creatures (both creepy and cuddly), you can also encounter some unique and highly sought-after hop varieties. Only in Oz can you find Galaxy, Ella and Vic Secret hops, which lend striking tropical fruit, citrus and peach flavors to this booming behemoth of an IPA. Originally released to commemorate our 19th Anniversary, this is a recipe that’s garnered constant rumblings requesting its return, as steady and powerful as the sound of a didgeridoo…

Stone Downunderstruck has an alcohol content of 9% by volume with 95 IBUs. I paid $4.49 for a single 12-ounce can from Half Time Beverage, and Total Wine sells it for $15.99 a 6-pack in Charlotte. I have not seen it here in Georgia in cans or bottles, but Taco Mac has it on tap. I need to get some there. My can has a packaged on date, but it printed on the bottom lip and is illegible.

Stone Downunderstruck IPA pours to a hazy orange color with a moderate head of fluffy white foam and a nose of soft stone fruit and citrus. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body and pops right away with stone fruity peach and apricot  and citrusy lemon. There is a permeating dry bitterness that explodes in the finish. A n An excellent balance of aroma and bittering hops here, and the long dry intense bitter finish is exquisite.

I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 for the magnificent hop presence. I almost took it down a half star for the high price, but friends, this one is worth it. It really is a beer I look forward to enjoying again.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??