Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Escondido, California USA

Pours very dark brown with a thin tan head. Roasted malt aroma with some fruitiness in the nose. Smooth, malty, mild spiciness and carbonation with a light bitter finish. Real nice brew. I want to get another and let it age for a long time and give it another try.

26.09.06 Bomber. I have to admit that I’m more than a little distracted from rating since I’m listening to the Phillies game right now and they’re in the thick of the wild card race. In fact, they are leading the wild card race, tied with the Dodgers who are leading their game tonight while the Phils struggle to cross the plate in theirs. And, by the way, a special thanks to the baseball gods for sending up Phillis fans Ryan Howard.<!-- p --> This beer is attractive with a deep mahoganey brown color and lasting, creamy tan head.<!-- br -->Baseball is much more attention demanding when you’re listening on the radio than when you have it on TV.<!-- br --> The aromas are lovely and phenolic with nice yeasty spice and rotten banana. There is also a fair amount of roasty goodness coming through and resinous hints as this beer really asserts itself as a Stone version of a Belgian style. The flavor is very spicy, maybe dominated by spice, but with long and lingering rich, dark malts. Sweetish stuff at first sip but bitterness attacks big-time towards the end with a serious astringency that does cut through the sweetness and even truncates the beers attempt at lingering with its phenolic perfumes retronasally.<!-- br -->Now, see, that kind of long and rambling sentence is just what is bound to happen when you’re listening to the radio, the Phils are desperate for wins, and Chase Utley is booting a crucial ball in the infield.<!-- br --> I guess this stuff is going to really fill out and the astringency will mellow over time as it does seem to be coming from the hops. Either way, I’m digging the stuff and do not mind the big driness for a switch (even though the description claims "no astringency") -- it compliments the massive spicy yeasts.

Dark brown with a short lasting tan head. Fruity aroma with belgian yeast, cloves roasted malts, chocolate, mollases, figs and plum. Taste has a unique roasted malts presense along with chocolate and plum. Terrific palate with a strong spicyness. Sour aftertaste which I was into. Great beer. I loved the use of cloves in this one. You kind of get a Weizenbock with Belgian characteristics.

Bottle at Pier 32. Poured a small tan fizzy head that ended up mostly diminishing, no lacing, opaque, no visible carbonation, and a dark brown hue. Roasted malt, spicy, licorice nose. The flavor was toasty, malty, caramel, roasty, and spicy. Nicely done. Tingly mouthfeel. Medium body. Good brew and one I think will only get even better with time.

Bottle @ Kookfest. Some slightly roasty malts with liquoricey edge and yeastiness (as in yeast rather than yeast produced flavours). Mild piney hops and toffee in the mouth.

Poured from a 22oz bottle a deep maghogany with a small tan head. Aroma was of hops molasses and oak. Flavor was a bit sweet yet spicy at the same time with a good hop bitterness and a wonderful alcohol warming.

Pours a deep ebony-brown with a tan, quickly diminishing head. Smells of raisins, figs, brown sugar, slightly burnt malts, and alcohol. Flavor is lots of dark fruits, burnt malts and bannana flambe. Very complex flavor and palate but seems to clash. Bit thin in the body and high carbonation.

Dark brown liquid with a ruddy cast. fine beige foam. Nose is tangy floral hops Taste is a mild but complex blend of malt and good hops in an abbey style. Texture is medium but full. Finish is hops developing into a nice back of the mouth tang. very nice ale indeed.