Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bottle. ( Thanks rickgordon ! ) Dark brown with a small tan head. Roasted with fruity notes. Full body with a acidic finish.

(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.

(Bottle, thanks Rickgordon) Pours dark with red hints. Sweet caramel, light burned, over ripe fruits and hops in aroma with spices, madeira and raisins. Undertones of dark grainy bread, wood and shell fish. Sweet, spicy flavour with a bitter hops bitterness and caramel. Some dark fruits, raisins and a touch of salt. Hints of milk chocolate and alcohol. Soft mouthfeel with a syrupy sting. Medium body.

So far my least favorite of the Vertical Epics. I suppose it is an interesting try at a porter crossed with a Belgian ale. I don’t like the roastiness combined with the yeast character. I don’t hate it either. Fruity aroma with dark malts.