Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale

(RETIRED)

	Percentile
	97
	overall

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

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

Regional Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
361	3.78/5.0	3.76/5.0	Special	8.5%	91.5	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. 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.

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mephisto (1144), Taiwan

3.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.3	6/10	3/5	6/10	4/5	14/20

Jun 27, 2005

bottled, huge aroma of fruit and malt w/ belgian lace. full bodied, malty and tasty w/ a hint of alcohol, slightly hoppy in the after taste.

roder60 (1020), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

3.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.1	6/10	3/5	6/10	3/5	13/20

Jun 26, 2005

Pours a hazy red brown with a decent amount of foamy tan head. Aroma is of caramel malts and sugared fruits, but it seems to me to be dominated by spicy clove aromas. Flavor backs up my assessment of the aroma, as its sweet fruit and malt but way over the top in the yeast and spices used. I realize this beer is meant to be cellared for some time, but I found it at this point to be not too great. I might buy another bottle to save and see, but at this point I would pass.

fraternie (709), Chicago, Illinois, USA

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

Jun 26, 2005

A sort of brown ale combined with a belgian strong ale, innovative and tasty. Dark, sweet fruity aromas combine with chocolate, caramel and hops. Flavors of ripe dark fruit, plum, red grapes, raisin, a touch of lighter fruit, coriander, banana. Dark caramel notes creep in towards the finish, light chocolate notes are present as well. Hoppy, peppery finish. Easily beats the 4/04 and gives the 3/03 a run for its money.

kbjames (242), Utah, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Jun 25, 2005

Another good offereing from Stone. I’m not a big fan of the Belgian Strong Ale style so I’m not a big fan of this one. But it is full bodied, smells of cloves and its really dark for this style.

BeerLimey (1873), California, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	5/5	8/10	3/5	15/20

Jun 25, 2005

Deep reddish brown appearance, thick creamy head formation. Caramel aroma, mildly chocolaty and fruity. Smooth and chocolaty on the plalate, rich creamy fruitiness, warming alcohol finish and elevated hoppiness for the style. Nice flavor, good little complexities, but just lacks a little in the usual Stone boldness.

GKlein709 (4), Jeannette, Pennsylvania, USA
does not count

0.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
0.5	1/10	1/5	1/10	1/5	1/20

Jun 24, 2005

Armoa, fruity but imature, apperance good dark, flavor good yeasty, imature, palate crisp and tight, overall very good should wait to open until 2012

JensenTaster (1585), Denmark

3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3	5/10	3/5	5/10	3/5	14/20

Jun 23, 2005

(on bottle) Had this baby a bit too warm, so...Dark, clear redish-brown, with a small beige head. Sent of fried bananas and a light molasses. Has more burn, mocca, notes in flavour, big sweetness and got cloying in the end. A bit of a alcoholic finish.

IMtheOptimator (1161), Bethel, Connecticut, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Jun 22, 2005

Poured a brownish-amber with a dark off-white fizzy head. Sweet aroma of grapes, figs, brown sugar, and chocolate. Taste is dark fruits, molasses, spices with a dry finish. Seems to be dwelling someplace between a belgian strong and a doppelbock. A bit of overwhelming metallic bitterness in the aftertaste which I don’t especially care for. Other than that, a very decent beer.

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