Stone 04.04.04 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Poured dusty yellow with a quickly diminishing white head. Aroma is big and yeasty. Alcohol, pepper, and other spices. Flavor is yeasty, tangy and has somewhat of a liquid soap taste. Also citrus and orange. Not a real hoppy brew more of a peppery bite from the alcohol. Rather syrupy and thick mouthfeel. Seems a bit rough, but it will be interesting to see how it matures.

I didn’t really get that much out of this beer. It just seems like an average belgian style beer-tasty no doubt, but really didn’t blow me away.

Hazy, nectarine colored pour with a delectable, sticky, clumpy white head that sticks around for a while. Thick lacing. Has the aroma of a hefe, banana -like and estery with some bubblegum notes and just a wee bit of alcohol. Mouthfeel is clean and tangy, wraps itself well around the tongue. Flavor has some Belgian Tripel notes with some sweet candy sugar notes siting on top of the alcohol which is blended in well, buit you know it’s there. Also detect bubblegum and banana in the flavor. I’m sure this will taste even better in 2012, but it’s not too bad now.

Hazt amber in color, lighter than the 03.03.03. Foamy, soft bubble head. Unique aroma of flowers and banana. Sweet, sweet and more swwet when tasted. Dry finish. Pretty good, I would like to try agian in about a year.

Bottle: A slow pour resulted in a clear amber hued beer with a long lasting frothy white head and good lace. Some floaties in bottom of remaining bottle. The aroma is a cross between an Abbey Ale and a Hefeweizen. Lots of banana like phenols on top of noticeable Belgian candi sugars. Other smells include: lemongrass, lime zest, toasted pale malts, wheat, light white pepper, clove and dusty esters too. The nose is nicely complex yet not overpowering. The taste starts spicy and sweet, the noticeable trait is the hefeweizen characteristics. Additionally, I get some citric and acidic notes in midsection. The finish is a dry, mildly bitter and moderately alcoholic. The spiciness does linger well after the final drink. I think this got a bad rap out of the gate, too much expectations. I like the bold hybrid style and it should be fine for a year or two (because of the alcohol) but the flavors and aroma are too refined to last much longer than that IMO.

Medium size offwhite head, fair retention with a minimal lace. Hazy gold color. Light peppery nose with hints of bananna and spice. Medium body, creamy mouthfeel. Light citrus flavors as well as bananna and light malt notes, delicate. Finish is dry. Is this supposed to make it to 12.12.12.? We shall see.

Pours an orangy yellow with a thin head that recedes quickly. No lacing left behind.
Aromas of over-ripe bananas, clove and something I can’t quite pin down. Maybe anise?
Flavor is kind of sweet for a Stone beer. Syrupy in a way. Light hoppy finish.
Something in the finish reminds me of when I was a teenager, and sneaking out to smoke a cigarette. Before I came back in the house I would pick leaves from the lemon and lime trees in the the neighbors yard, crush them in my hand, inhale the vapor, and chew a couple of leaves. They had a waxy citrusy flavor I still remember to this day.
High ABV is not really noticed until after brew is gone. Is this one really going to last another 8 years? I have one in the wine chiller to find out.

22oz bottle Certainly not overwhelmed...crystal clear copper color w/o much head. Phenolic spicy nose is understated. Tastes include banana and other things related...Limey?? citric thing. A nice fruity ale balanced as far as sweetness/bitterness, more dry than bitter and slightly acidic. Enjoyable in the rain by the Vrain, but it seems too delicate for much age, although maybe that alcohol in the finish might diminish.