Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

06/10/06 Dark walnut with cherry tints in the body and very small beige head. Malty aroma with banana and plum notes. Flavor shows malts and bananas with hints of chocolate and spice. 04/19/08 Nose more molassy with raisin, chocolate, and clove notes; clear dark walnut with a nice medium straw head; flavor is brown sugar, prunes, molasses, and a light chocolate note; has developed nicely over these last almost two years. Good thing I still have six to sit on for the next dozen or so years and see the development!

Dark plum color, with a quickly diminishing, tan head - aroma of clove, dark fruit (fig, plum), candi sugar, caramel, toffee - quite full-flavored - begins with a touch of coffee-like bitterness, followed by sweet toffee and dark fruit flavors, a touch of smokey/peaty, almost scotch ale-like flavors, followed still by some nutmeg and clove - a little thin on the back end - otherwise a solid brew - reminds me a little of what North Coast seemed to be trying to do with Brother Thelonius, but whereas North Coast failed, Stone most certainly did not.

Bottle. Very dark reddish brown colour with a nice head. Aroma of yeast, spices and little roastedness. Tasty flavour of yeast, roastedness, spices and with a alcoholic finish.

This beer was frustrating, because it was so close to being really good, but it was just pretty good. The malts are nice with a creamy and dark roastyness. Very sweet, with a brown sugar sweetness, and an abundance of belgian yeasts. Maybe too much yeast for this style, in my opinion. The finish stretches out the roasty/sweet malts into a slighty bitter, roasted malt finish. (Needs more hops).

Upon its release from the 22-ounce brown bottle the beer sets a deep incarnadine color, the head behemothic in size, light tan in color and semi-creamy in texture, the lace forms a thick and sticky sheet to hide the glass. Nose has a deep, rich malt sweetness, hints of aromatic spices dominate after resting a bit, a joy to this old schnozzle, start is sweet with a delightful grain presence, top is moderate in feel to the palate. Finish has a spiny acidity, the hops and spice quite flavorful, dry and long lasting after taste. One of the better verticals from Stone, and one that will age nicely.

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: Black coffee in color, moderate frothy beige head, a few whisps of lacing.   Nose of molasses, brown sugar, slight anise, a touch of charred wood, and even some candle wax like aspect.   Very pale dark pitted fruit, moreso noticeable on the tongue.   Fairly sweet, yet not cloying, nearly full bodied, moderate mouthfeel.   A bit more dark pitted fruit on the exit, but otherwise moreso brown sugar, molasses, and some nutty aspects.   Not your typical Dubbel.   Warming, yet not hot.   Decent offering, just wished it had a bit more dark pitted fruit and a bit less sweetness.   Flatter than most Belgian examples too, but glad it didn’t blow up when I opened the bottle.   I praise them for trying different stuff, but they still have more work to do on these Belgian styles.

Rating #666: Dark mohogany color with a thin off-white head. Aroma of strong roasted malt, and some light coffee bitter, and a hint of smoke. Some spice hits the tongue first, hints of roasted malt, then some smoke dominates the ending.