Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Pours a deep dark amber bordering on brown. Nose is complex with the cloves and dark fruit belting out a delightful song. Very tasty with lots of flavors that are clearly defined. This is a beer that you hate it when the glass is empty.

RBSG DC 2006: Mostly clear dark brown colored body with a large tan colored head that sticks. The aroma is wheat, roasted wheat, mild alcohol, light phenols & esters, bubblegum, and clove. Taste is alochol, chocolate, roasted wheat, bubblegum, clove, pepper, very much like a weizen bock though it’s much more dry and lighter bodied with a huge amount of alcohol showing through on the palate.

First of two bottles from the cellar, Dec ’09. Gotta say I don’t think this one is going to make it to 12/12/12. It’s already on the way out, if you ask me. Sweet, dark malty belgian style, hop presence almost completely gone, somewhat hot for sub 9%. Not really very dubbel-like; this one seems much more like a Belgian strong, maybe a christmas beer. Starting to thin, some cardboard coming in, simply not in league of good dubbels or good belgian strongs. People are charging 45 dollars a bottle for this? Damn. You can have my second bottle in exchange for an equal volume of any trappist you like!

Thanks to Travis from Dunedin Brewing. Aroma is malt, maple, vanilla, and butter. Flavor is buttery maple with some bitter disguised well. I liked it.

Finally found a store that carried this after a couple of weeks of waiting for a store that was on Stone’s distribution list. Pours a deep dark brown with a small amount of head forming and then dying. Enticing aroma of signature Stone Belgian yeast with a dash of spices and light malt. Flavor is a dual replica of the aroma with additions of coffee and light trace of vanilla. From my guess this shoudl age real nice just like the 2005. I love abbey dubbels and Stone finally answered the call to make one.

This one poured dark, dark brown with a light mahogany hue around the edges. The head was big initially but fades quickly to a small ring and leaves minimal lacing. The aroma is very sweet with dark fruits, figs and grapes, brown sugar and hints of sweet chocolate. The Belgian yeast is present as well with a bit of nuts and caramel malts. The taste is also sweet, with caramel malts and chocolate. There is some candi sugar and dark fruits really showing out as well. Licorice and a hint of roasted coffee round things out. The mouthfeel is very smooth with minimal carbonation which goes down very nicely. There is nothing too distinctive about this one - it’s just an easy-drinking Belgian dark that has held up pretty well over the last 2+ years.

Dark brown. Yeasty aroma with roasted malts. Interesting spice flavors...with a good sweetness from the malts.

Poured an effervescent maple mahogany with a small fizzy light tan head. Nice aroma of sweet caramel, grapes, roasty chocolate, and a cinnamon spiciness. Flavor is dry and spicy with notes of cinnamon and clove, a roasty/earthy character, and a dry and bitter grass hop finish with a slight acidity. Alcohol isn’t overpowering but is not hidden either. Decently pleasant and complex, but could be better with a bit more sweetness and smoothness. RERATE: Paired the beer after tasting with a salty stilton which brought out its sweetness, making it slightly more pleasant. Still could stand to be a bit smoother.