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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?  
 NachlamSie (1637), Tennessee, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/514/20
May 2, 2006  
bottle. Pours a dark thick red with a quaint white head atop. The aroma is thick and syrupy of burned wood, tons of caramel, and a hint of berries. In the mouth a bit of lemony citrus is apparent with more of that thick caramel and notes of earthy spices. The huge amounts of caramel never seem to get overbearing and the finish exposes a touch of smokey, meaty flavor.


 ChazMania (409), Pasadena, California, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/516/20
May 2, 2006  
Bottle. I love Stone brews, never had one I didn’t love. This Epic ale is no exception. It’s certainly not for the entry level beer person. Only a person with a love of thick, rich, full flavored beers can appreciate this. It’s described well here by other reviewers...I would only add that I taste a small similarity to the Stone Porter.


russnug (35), Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
Apr 29, 2006  
We couldn’t wait to try this puppy. To hell with 2012! Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Anyway, very belginess in style. very good for the style.


 Snojerk321 (1943), San Diego, California, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/515/20
Apr 16, 2006  
Pours a medium-dark brown with a light brown head. Nose of malts, yeast, and a bit of fruit. Mostly Raisin’s and plums.


 patrick767 (2019), fort wayne, Indiana, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/515/20
Apr 15, 2006  
bottle - Pours dark brown with a finger’s width head of moderate endurance. The very substantial aroma is of roast malt, a bit of yeast, and very apparent fruit notes. The flavor is of strong dark fruit and is very sweet. The sweetness is almost cloying. It’s a little overdone. I assume they used some candi sugar and in my opinion could have done with a little less. Perhaps age will change that. Still, it tastes good with a mildly warming finish. It’s apparent that this is a quality beer. I just think maybe it needs to mellow a bit more.


 Dorwart (1812), Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/56/103/513/20
Apr 9, 2006    Updated: Oct 4, 2006
Thin brown head of fine bubbles. Reduces slowly to a soapy looking head. Light carbonation. Rich and roasty aroma with molasses, plums and raisins. Little brown sugar also. Quite yummy. Color is a dark crimson brown. Color is darker than I expected. Rich and roasty flavor. Little bit of sweetness. Spicey and yeasty. Actually the sweetness is a little strong and unsettling in the stomach. Lots of sweet syrupy malts with a little bit of alcohol presence. This brew is not flying with me. Little bit of coffee at the finish. Dry and slightly bitter. Strange. Has a weird sweetness with a dry dirt kind of flavor. I don’t know, maybe it is just me.


 Capa (964), Yokosuka, Japan
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/516/20
Mar 22, 2006  
Poures a reddish brown with a nice sized light tan head that sticks around for a bit and leaves some nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is spicey sweet. Sweet malts and some dark fruits with brown sugar and vanilla along with a little bit of hops in the background. Flavor is sweet with noticeable alcohol. Dark fruits and sweet malts are evident along with some spices like nutmeg. Hops really aren’t noticeable at any time. Finishes with a little brown sugar and alcohol. A good brew, curious to see what a few years in the cellar will do to its flavor, hopefully it mellows a little bit.


 bitter (1137), Henderson, Nevada, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 22, 2006  
poured a nice ruby brown with a filtery mushroom head. nose of different spices of nutmeg and sweet rock candy, vanilla. on the palate up front sweet figs and dark fruit envelop the palate with wooden spices and molasses. slight tobacco feel as well. ends with a bitterness of the hop flower. A slight twist on a barley wine type beer. alcoholic as it warms. good. i think it would be better after it rests for a while. surprised to see no spices were added to this brew



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