Stone 03.03.03 Vertical Epic Ale 3.73 318

Stone 03.03.03 Vertical Epic Ale

(RETIRED)

	Percentile
	96
	overall

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

Local Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
318	3.74/5.0	3.73/5.0	Special	9%	89.4	Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Commercial Description:
A new Vertical Epic will be released every year, with the goal being to collect them all and have a Vertical Epic tasting once the final Epic is released on 12/12/12. Each new Stone Vertical Epic Ale will be release one YEAR, one MONTH and one DAY apart. With Vertical Epic 03/03/03, we used some pretty interesting ingredients...coriander (a "Belgian-style" beer favorite!), alligator pepper (wow, bite into these little gems and you get a bigtime spicy rush of flavor), and a bit of both unmalted wheat and dark roasted wheat. And a blend of Belgian yeast and American ale yeast. And a nice selection of high alpha hops (a decidedly non-Belgian style twist). All told it makes for a dubble-ish taken-to-San-Diego-pushed-to-the-edge-and-slapped-around-a-bit beer. So, treat it gently. It's been abused enough already. Store it upright, cool and in the dark. It would enjoy a nice long rest. It will have plenty of patience. Now let's see about you . . . . In addition, we are pleased to provide the homebrewing recipe: http://stonebrew.com/timeline/030303

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JPDIPSO (4932), Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Nov 29, 2003

Dark amber to tan color with a light tan. Heavy malt, dark fruit and mild alcohol aroma. This is a malt monster. Heavy malt flavors from the start. Some light spice mid to late in the quaff. Finishes quick and sweep the sweetness out of sight and a light pepper linger. This one will age with the obvious belgian yeast.

DragonStout (1380), Pataskala, Ohio, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	8/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Nov 12, 2003

Wow what a great beer.A nice reddish brown color with some head.The alcohol was hidden well at 1st but it did creep up on u.Kinda spicy on the tounge as it warmed ur belly.Would love to get more of this.

stubby (326), Santee, California, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Nov 11, 2003

MMM good. Interesting with the yeast mix. I'm not so sure it will last nine years like they want. Found a stash in a local liquor store in October.

bluemeow76 (693), Lewis Center, Ohio, USA

3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3	6/10	3/5	5/10	3/5	13/20

Nov 4, 2003

Pours an amber brown with a medium beige head. Aroma and flavor have a nice spice combination with high malt and a touch of the hops. Slightly boring - I expected better from Stone, but it is still an above average beer.

jimhilt (1689), Bow, New Hampshire, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Nov 1, 2003

Pours a four-fingered faint brown head, fades slowly and leaves a good lace. Cloudy amber color. Nose is a honey raisin. Hints of alcohol. Starts sweet and raisiny, finishes crisp with raisin. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Their site lists the ABV at 8.2%. $8.19 for a 22oz bottle.

steview (902), Los Angeles, California, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	6/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Oct 25, 2003

peppery little brew. more like a belgian strong ipa. bittersweet. faint fruits. a bit of alcohol unmasked, but that's ok with me. i'd drink another.

Aubrey (2778), Denver, Colorado, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Oct 22, 2003

Oct., 2003 (couldn't wait more than two days with one of these in my possession): Thick, deep and dark amber. Cooked molasses / alcohol nose; inviting. Soft and smooth mouthfeel with some real weight to it, especially when it's warm. Richly malted and very roasted. Woodsy, with a brown sugar sweetness. Hoppy fo' shizzle, but not compared to its big malts. Still, nicely balanced. Can't say that any "harsh flavors will mellow out with time," as there really aren't any; it's pretty damn good now. I can only wonder how much better "great" can taste with time. Food pairing: this beer really tasted good with some of my Halloween Milk Duds ... screw the kids.

Hugerat (432), somerville, Massachusetts, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Oct 20, 2003

Deep red color with medium light brown head. Fairly rich malt flavor and some hop bitterness. Medium body. I didn't have the patience to let it cellar, but that would definitely improve the beer's flavor.

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