 boto (1345), Granby, Connecticut, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
May 7, 2006 22oz. bottle: This one pours a dark mahogany with ruby tints to it. There was a fairly strong tan head on mine, that does subside after awhile. The aroma is pretty much that of a standard Belgian Strong Ale. I get caramel, raisins, some spiciness, and some other dark fruits. The body is actually a bit lighter than I expected. Certainly not light at all, but I expect these beers to be more of a "liquid bread". The taste is good, with some roastiness coming out on top of the caramel and fruits that you normally find in this style. Certainly a decent beer, but I’m not sure that it will make it another 7 years.
BeerLimey (1873), California, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 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.
Jokes (1453), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 9, 2005 Dark reddish, brown with a fluffy, brown head. Spicy nose of clove, coriander, all spice, raisins, sweet apples, licorice, cherries, whole grain bread and some candi sugar. Full, smooth body with a chewy mouthfeel and a long, warm finish. The flavors show the spicy character of the yeast, it really is quite impressive. The spice character is intense and multifaceted. There is some nice malt laying underneath the spicy intensity, but most of it is lost. The occasional fruity sweetness comes out from time to time, but in reality, it tends to be lost in the shuffle. The substantial alcohol is quite fitting, giving another layer of spiciness. I’m not a huge fan of the crazy spiciness, but don’t find this unpleasant. I think time, a year maybe, will help make this a little more drinkable as the spices should mellow, allow the malts to further develop. All in all, it’s probably the best of the three Vertical Epics I’ve had so far.
JPDIPSO (4932), Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Sep 1, 2005 Light chestnut color with a hint of rudy when held to the light. Fluffy tan head. Belgian aromas waft and greet the nose with Caramel, light toast, light fruit, attic yeast and a mix of spices, including cloves and coriander. Lots of malt sweetness form the start, with brown sugar, and pale malts. Mid quaff leads to floral and spicy hops. Some mild fruits also mingle. Finish os quite strong and with a touch of alcohol. I’ll chalk the later up to the immaturity of the brew. There room for this one to get better with age.
elnadeau (786), Laguna Niguel, California, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 1, 2005 Pours brownish with a smallish tan head, aroma is yeasty, sweet banana with a hint of spiciness. Seems a bit young, but I love the combination of complex flavors, dark fruit, roasty malty, earthy spicy yeast and more. Alcohol presence is balanced but not hidden. Overall a very intriguing creation, I like this one better than the previous two Verticals. A prime cellar candidate if you have the patience to sit on some of these..
shadey (1501), Rochester, New York, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Jul 8, 2007 I had a beautiful rating all written but I lost it when my browser crashed. Now I just don’t care.
22 oz. Pour is black with a ring of mocha cream. Aroma is spicy and roasty with a bunch of chocolate. Flavor is a pleasant mix of spices, yeast, alcohol, and chocolate. The body is right on. Smooth and clean. Very nice and still fresh tasting after over 2 years.
CaptainCougar (5527), Rockville, Maryland, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Jun 29, 2005 Pours a dark mahogany with a thick, but short-lived and lightly-lacing tan head. Aroma has a nice heavy maltiness and bready Belgian yeasty character with some hints of dark fruits. Body starts with a pleasant sticky sweetness turning more dry and lightly peppery-spiced toward the bready, yeasty finish. Some mild warming notes are present, but overall it hides the alcohol fairly well. Has nice complexity, but the body and flavor seem to thin a bit toward the finish. Otherwise, one of the better Vertical Epics I’ve tried.
Murphy (1759), Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Jun 5, 2005 Thin head, clear dark crimson. Spicy, malty aroma. Taste is mixed spices with solid hop bitterness. Finish is sweet, estery, slightly dry and bitter. Hints of roastedness. Mouthfeel is nice and round, sticky, better than most Stone beers. Very nice American-Belgian style, very "Stone-ish" and very good.
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