Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a medium sized dark tan head. The aroma was sweet and spicy with notes of licorice and fruits. The alcohol showed through somewhat prominently on the nose. The flavor was dark malts, molasses, ripe fruits, dry chocolate and a touch of wood and smoke. The finish was medium length and was dry with a touch of licorice. Nice.

22oz. bottle. Sweet and fruity aroma, with a combination of doughy, estery yeast traits, spice, faintly roasty, toffeeish malts, plum, raisin and some lightly floral notes. Deep, dark mahogany color, clear, with a lasting, fine head. Flavor is lightly bitter and spicy to start, turning more malty, with a darkly sweet undercurrent, and finishing with a blend of berryish fruit and faint alcohol, even shows some lingering cocoa very late. Very lightly vinous and acidic. Smooth and creamy on the palate with a full body, drying out to a certain degree by the end. Really quite nice. Should be interesting to see how this one ages.

Pours dark reddish brown with a lacy tan head. Aroma is dried fruit, toffee, alcohol and spice. Body is creamy smooth with prickly carbonation. Flavor is fruit filled, with dried cherries, maybe some banana, roasty malt, and a big punchy taste of cloves. Finish is lighty bitter with cloves and a little pine. This beer grabs my taste buds from start to finish.

Bottle (Chris_o Gathering06): Ruby with a tan head. Aroma of liquorice (anise). Sweet sugary start with allspice and yeast. Warming, morish and tasty.

very dark burnt chestnut with a lacey, frothy tan head. Again with the yeast I hate..spicy nose but backed by an interesting roastiness..smells like it’d be chewy. <!-- p --> Now that I’ve tasted it..I must say, its certainly the most complex vertical epic to date..thick, chewy...the yeast is a little spicy for me but you can taste an interesting woven pattern of chocolate malt flavors behind it...with a little cinnamon-spice and warming alcohol. This one is thick enough and strong enough and might just be the one that makes it to 2012. Good Job lamers. This beer with a less spicey yeast would be sublime.

Pours a very beep rust color with a tan head. Nose of darks fruits such as raisins, plums, cherry’s, and black raspberries. Taste was malty and fruity. A very smooth dubbel.

Pours a brown color with a light tan head. Very spotty lacing. Aroma has lots of fruity esters. Flavor is also fruity with some malt in the background. Smooth dry finish. Should be pretty nice in a year or so. Worth a try.

Bottle: Black/red in color, light tan head. Aroma was spicy, some sweetness, and dark roasty malts. Flavor had a bitterness to it, a little hot from the alcohol, some dark fruits, a little yeasty. Had a sweet finish. This needs some time, as of right now it’s a bit chaotic and could certainly use some mellowing.