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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TimE (1301), Tokyo, Japan

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Mar 24, 2008

Deep mahogany color. Head quickly disappears. Licquorice, milk chocolate, candy sugar in the nose make me think this is very close to a dubble. The mouth carries through on the dubble theme, but I still get some bready character, which I don’t expect in this beer and it doesn’t mesh as well as previous years. Lingering milk chocolate, liquorice, warming finish.

dm9831 (1167), Monee, Illinois, USA

3.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.3	6/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Mar 4, 2008

Purplish-brown pour, lacy tan head. raison, chocolate, wood in the flavor. finishes dry with a hint of sweet. I enjoyed this much more than I would have guessed I would enjoy a sweet ale.

scrizzz (1265), kirkland, Washington, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	3/5	8/10	3/5	15/20

Feb 22, 2008

wow thats good. caramel chocolate raisin and wood on the nose. smoky wood up front, sweet finish, well rounded, aged nicely. dark fruit finish.

ucusty (1881), Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Feb 13, 2008 Updated: Feb 14, 2008

Thanks to Himerman for this one! Pours brown with a slight haze and great lacing. Yeasty aroma with lots of spiciness. Complex flavor with hints of dark fruit, chocolate, bread and malts. dry sweet finish.

padrefan98 (788), (San Diego) Santee, California, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	16/20

Jan 30, 2008

On tap at the Stone Winter Storm 2008. Dark with some chocolate and malts in the flavor. Very good.

hapjydeuce (771), Del Mar, California, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Jan 27, 2008

On tap at the 2008 Stone Winter Storm. Wait...no spices used here? Really? Hard to believe. Reminds me of a quadruple-style Belgian. Pours a hazy brown color with a bit of cascading beige head, eventually settling out to fine microbubble lace. Probably my favorite Epic so far. Sugary malty aroma with notes of figs, tea spices and chocolate. The flavor is elegant raisin, plum and port wine with toasty Belgian yeast . Finishes sweet and dry. Classic!

wetherel (1591), Encinitas, California, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	17/20

Jan 27, 2008

On tap at Stone’s 2008 Winter Storm. I was lucky enough to find a couple of bottles in the store a couple of months ago 2yrs after it was released, but this is first time I’m trying the beer. Amber color. Malty melanoiding aroma and sweetness. A hint of oxidation and sour. Very good.

badlizard (2341), Berkeley, California, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Jan 27, 2008

ON tap at Stone Winter Storm. Hazy golden with a creamy white head. Sweet fruit and malty aroma. Caramel, orange, and tropical fruit taste with a clean finish.

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