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Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale

 (RETIRED)
Percentile
97
overall

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
3613.78/5.03.76/5.0Special8.5%91.5Trappist 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. This time around, we used no spices in the brewing of this beer. If you've tasted the beer before reading this, that may surprise you. The special Belgian yeast we used adds a distinctively spicy aroma and flavor. Roastiness, clove, hops, fruitiness, and those other great and funky phenols abound in the nose. What's in the flavor? You certainly get some dark roasted malts and alcohol overtones. What else? Hints of earthiness, chocolate/cocoa, hop spiciness, maybe even anise, and ... the incredible variety of complexities from the classic brewing ingredients of barley malt, hops, yeast and water, when applied with an artistic brewer's talent never ceases to amaze.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 brianjames1 (322), Northridge, California, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/103/517/20
Mar 31, 2007  
excellent brew very smooth, pours a nice dark brown with little tan head, nice aroma and good balance of flavors, tastes of cocoa, coffee and roasted nuts. bought at local liquor store in sunny san diego. if you want one let me know willing to trade


 Marc (477), Yokosuka, Japan
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/104/517/20
Mar 18, 2007  
sampled June 05: Mahogany brown with a lasting creamy tan head. Notes of coco, brown sugar, earth, raisins, plum, and walnut in the nose. Toast, coco, herbs, currant, toasted coconut(?), almonds, and more brown sugar. Finishes sweet and malty with dried fruit, yeast, and a touch of herbal bitterness.


 drewbeerme (2272), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
Mar 11, 2007  
22oz bottle. thanks to crosling for this. had it right after it’s release but didn’t rate it. i recall not thinking much of it so with almost 2 years of age...pours a dense mahogony (a touch on the dark side) with tan head. nose has really nice toffee and rum raisons, plums, light touch of yeast too. flavor has a nice combination of chocolate, caramel, and toasted cookie, some plums and yeast in the undertones. mouthfeel is rich and pretty creamy. alcohol is well hidden. finishes a tad too earthy but long, dry, and smooth. i liked this a lot more with 2 years on it than i did fresh.


 adrian910ss (1410), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 6, 2007  
22 oz bomber. Pours dark brown with a slight red tinge. Tan creamy head that quickly vanishes. Aroma of dark roasted malts, chocolate, sourdough bread and fresh yeast. Taste is of roasted malts, toffee, and dark fruity flavors. Pretty darn good. Let’s see what a few more years in the cellar will make of this.


 SledgeJr (2960), Omaha, Nebraska, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Mar 2, 2007  
At the 2007 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywine Festival in Vail. Pours a reddish dark brown to black in color with a gargantuan dissapating head that leaves remarkable intricate trabeculae of Brussells Lace. Aroma of a chocolate covered cherry and coffee roastedness. Lots of toffee and coffee and raisins to the mix. This is a deep beer. It’s like the surreal depth of sound that one got from vinyl over CD’s when one got stoned. Perhaps this would be a great beer to drink while stoned.


 WeeHeavySD (2961), San Diego (Hillcrest), California, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/516/20
Feb 22, 2007  
Bottle. I found this brew in october or november of 2005 in LA at a Bristol Farms Grocery Store. Originally I had thought about saving it for a big vertical tasting, but as I’m moving (still in SD for all my trading pals), and found it again I thought I might as well try it now. Drank from my DFH Snifter the only glass I have in my current apartment. Pours dark brown and cloudy with a nice tan head that has faded to a very thin layer. The nose is very malty and sweet with bit chocolate. I have to agree with gnoff this brew is really pretty spicy and robust, the hoppiness really shines through the malty smoky body of this brew. The only other vertical epic I’ve had is the 06 which is clearly more standard fare, I like the 06 a lot, but this is different and possibly more interesting. Now lets see what comes from the 07.


 thomat (666), Göteborg, Sweden
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/104/513/20
Feb 14, 2007  
Bottle. ( Thanks rickgordon ! ) Dark brown with a small tan head. Roasted with fruity notes. Full body with a acidic finish.


 gnoff (3568), Göteborg, Sweden
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/515/20
Feb 11, 2007  
(Bottle, thanks to rickgordon) Sampled at a tasting night at Marsiblursi’s place. Dark red color, small tan head. Strong chocolate and spicy alcohol scent, mixed with raissin and Belgian ale. Strong spicy taste with a roasted aftertaste, lots of alcohol and cocoa beans. Smooth mouthfeel, low to medium bitterness. This could potentially become great with aging.



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