Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

22oz - 400th rating - Aroma of bubblegum, spice, and alcohol. Pours deep deep red with a small head and decent lacing. Flavor matches aroma with some chocolate tossed in. Palate is sticky and sweet. Very tasty and I bet once the alcohol mellows, it will be even better.

my #805 rating.... poured a deep, opaque brown hue with a thin tan head. It was slightly fizzy, but not enough to make it over carbonated. Some fruits on the aroma, mostly dried. The aroma also had notes of chocolate, yeast and nuts. Flavor was malty with some fruit notes, a little spice and a nice chocolate finish. Alcohol was mild but warming. Good beer, glad i waited the year to drink.

Bottle poured black with a thick head and lacing. Aroma is sweet roast chocolate as is the flavor. Finish is roasty and a bit tart. Good beer!

Nose of sweet caramel and dark malts. Almost black, minimal vanishing tan head, crystal clear, no lace. Taste is more of a stout than an Abbey Dubbel ... with strong flavors of chocolate and licorice and dried fruit and coffee and dark malts ... but the hopping is more interesting than a stout and the yeast is Belgian. Enjoyable.

Tosa Tasting - June 24, 2006

Thanks to 1FastSti for bringing this out. Now I don’t have to trade for a bottle to discover that it is a good but not outstanding entry in the Vertical Epic line. I’m not sure how they expect this one to hold up for six more years unless you stick it in a fridge at just above freezing. This was the last of the Dubbels on the night.

Aroma / Appearance - My nose was able to detect a hint of sweetness in the form of toffee or molasses, combined with a vague fruitiness. There was also a subtle hint of yeast sitting underneath that only came out after I closed my eyes. The body was a deep cherry color with only a trace of head. It looked somewhat like I would imagine a Dubbel to be.

Flavor / Palate - The first sip was a little hot, but once the alcohol settled down I got hints of bananas, cherries, malt and caramelized sugar. There was some smoke or roasted flavor lurking underneath that slowly came out. The finish was dry and relatively easy on the palate. This one could do with perhaps a little bit of aging, but not too much. For a Dubbel it is acceptable; however it is not mindblowing enough to make me want to rush out and get a vertical of the other four in the series.

Bottle, many thanks to rallison. What a sweet extra! Dark brown pour with light tan head. Molasses, roast, and slightly burnt caramel on the nose. Some smoke and peat. Hoppiness seems to be gone by now. Some chocolate and definitely a bit of oxidation, though it’s not overtaking the beer yet. An interesting take on a dubbel.

A nice beer, but it’s not a highly sensual experience. Beer is nearly opaque, very dark warm brown with an average-sized, beige, frothy, mostly diminishing head. First impression is that of balance and richness. The aroma is malty with moderate notes of roasted grain, chocolate; Yeasty with moderate notes of cellar; Moderate note of spicy alcohol, light notes of top soil and cola. The flavor is moderate-to-heavily sweet, lightly acidic with a long, warm, moderately bittersweet, lightly acidic finish. Alcohol is well hidden. The body is medium-to-full, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is soft.

22oz. bomber. Dark brown color with a medium sized tan head. Sweet aroma of dark dried fruits, brown sugar and yeast. Sweet, chocolate malt flavor with lots of raisins, bread and mild spices.