Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Poured nice and dark into a glass. A lot of bubble action that kept up till i finished drinking my share. The head was thin but did not vanish after a few mintues. The aroma had a nice complex of a sweetness and nice roasted malts. The taste was a mix of a fruity/hoppy/spicy taste. It was very smooth, while it is low on my favorite types of beers, this one pulled through and kicked ass.

Spicy, oaty, buttery nose. Cinnamon, cherry, tapioca, peanut brittle. Decently complex. Pour is a super-deep brown with a very small white head. In the mouth is like peanut butter or peanut brittle, with that chewy sweet peanut taste, no hops, milk toffee overtones. Much more one-dimensional than the aroma, though also stronger. An interesting dubbel that hopefully will age well. I’ve got another bottle to open in 5 years or so.

Bottle. Poured into a glass a dark, rich brown with a thin tan head. Aroma was very caramelly with hints of malt and spice. The taste was very malty with caramel and spice--- I was right on the money! Very smooth ale, no bitter aftertaste... great on the palate. Overall a VERY enjoyable beer!

Bottle courtesy of Daalamar: Poured a deep burgundy color ale with a small foamy head with average retention. Aroma of delicious cookie dough with some nice sweet malt. Taste is also dominated by the sweet cookie malt which are just plain delicious. Body is a bit too watery for my own taste and alcohol is well hidden. Probably one of the best in the vertical epic series and a damn fine abbey dubbel in any case.

Bottle. Dark nearly opaque body with a thick ring of bubbles and film of bubbles. Nose-smokey, plastic, meaty, sausage. Taste-smoked hard meats, sausage, light banana and phenols, light wheat, cherry, slightly tannic, licorice/anise. Smoke dominates the whole thing.

22oz bottle. Poured a dark, dark brown, with red edges and a large sized off white head. Aromas of plums, raisins, bananas, roasted malts, and spices. Tastes of plums, raisins, chocolate, caramel, and spices. Light alcohol in the finish. Lacing left on the glass.

Beautiful rich pour releasing some pretty wild aromas...cloves, licorice, and alcohol. The let-down came for me with actually tasting it. Cough medicine, syrup-like texture, and an extremely harsh alcohol astringency ruined all that came before. Maybe the whole "epic vertical" is just too "high-concept" for me!

Approprately enough, this poured a deep dark blood red. The aromas were carmel, scotch, and peaty. The alcohol was very noticeable in the flavor, which reminded me a bit of cough syrup. The palate was syrupy, unless you accidently inhaled it. In that case it started out fizzy, but would burn your nostrils for the next couple hours.