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Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale 3.77 364

Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale

 (RETIRED)
Percentile
97
overall

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
3643.78/5.03.77/5.0Special8.5%91.7Trappist 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?  
 chilehead (186), Laguna Niguel, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/517/20
Dec 25, 2005  
Pours dark brown with a medium-dense frothy persistant small-bubbled pumpkin colored head. Nose is fresh smelling with brown-sugar malt notes and a touch of cinnamon and cedar. Mouthfeel is medium and silky, flavor is rich, malty, spicy with a bit of ginger and cloves. An outstanding beer!


 AmEricanbrew (2005), Almost, Texas, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/105/517/20
Sep 13, 2008  
Bottle from the cellar enjoyed on 09.09.08 mbd. Mahogany pour with a tight tan head. Strong aroma rising from the glass is lightly oxidized with chocolate toffee and pecans. Medium body. Rich, hearty flavors mirror aroma; again cocoa, toffee sweetness with roasty nutty pecan flavors. Has a mild burnt malt bitterness to finish. Seems the oxidation in this bottle added another ( nice ) layer of depth here. Enjoyed this much more this time than when fresh back in 2005. Wish i had more of these. Most worthy


 1FastSTi (2591), Glendale, Wisconsin, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Jul 31, 2005  
Sampled from a bomber per Matt. Pours to a thin beige head that disapates within 20 seconds to a thin, non-existent like head. The body is a dark mahogany. The aroma has a gingerbread quality to it. It also has a ton of spice in it. Cinnamon, mace, apples, nutmeg. The flavor is quite spicy. Dark fruits. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg.


 Schultsc (486), Henderson, Nevada, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/103/518/20
May 19, 2005    Updated: May 31, 2005
Rising from a thick espresso-like creamy head is an aroma of spiced banana bread, caramel, and a touch of allspice--definitely Belgian-like but not overly so thankfully. The color is dark cola with a tinge of garnet red. The extremely deep flavor profile is pleasantly overwhelming at first. This beer tastes strong with a substantial alcohol edge which may be a touch out of balance (which will most likely improve over the aging process) and a bit of sweetness with subtle dark fruit, bourbon vanilla, and perhaps some star anise flavors too. The finish is bitter from both hops and roasted malt. The amazing elusiveness of this beer adds a lot of interest. It will surely age superbly. This is one of the most complex beers I have ever had.


 beerbill (1984), Laurel, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/517/20
Nov 15, 2005  
Bottle. Pours a deep mahogany with a thick, creamy tan head. Lots of plums and spices in the aroma. The flavor does not disappoint. Plums and bananas combined with cloves and caramel. The alcohol is definitely present but not overpowering. Really terrific, I just wish I bought more than one last June.


 puzzl (2660), New York, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/59/105/517/20
Jul 3, 2005  
rating #50. Poured a deep brown with zero head. Wish it actually had some. Full, mouth-coating palate with a luscious, malty, fruity, perfectly balanced flavor. Alcohol was perfectly hidden: I was more than happy to quaff the bomber.

On the other hand, not really sure why this is marked as a Belgian Strong. Tastes loads more like an American Strong to me. In fact, I noticed almost no Belgian flavors whatsoever. Oh well.


 3daddict (139), Portland, Maine, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/518/20
Aug 7, 2005  
Dark brown ruddy pour with quickly vanishing head. Has all the scents, looks and taste of a fine Belgium beer, minch meat with a graham cracker crust. But what really took me was the smoothness and lack of undue carbonation that most of these beers demonstrate. We are teased off the label about cellaring this release but it is an undue concern since they nailed it. This is perfect right off the shelf as is!


 pnista (1008), Bloomington, Indiana, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Jul 3, 2007  
Dark porter look. Dark chocolate brown with a razor thin tan head. Sweet bubblegum esters. Tutti fruiti w some dark malt character. Gives a bit of roast, some minor chocolate and definite prune/ raisin. A full creamy mouthfeel with relatively average CO2 w the slightest bit of syrupiness (appropriate). A raisiny sweetness, less outstanding than the nose, though still very good indeed. Alcohol comes up a bit with some oxidized dark fruit, hints of chocolate, and roast. Really good balance. A dry lingering roast w some dark fruit. a bit creamy up front. Reminds me of an aged barleywine. Rather vinous, I wish I had more!



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