Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Dark brown and burgundy hues. Tan head. Rich and doughy toffee, mocha, dark roasted plums, molasses and some light charred malts tastes. Yeast is a little hard to fit in this beer, have to say it doesn’t work so well, but the rich toffee, molasses and stick malts are pretty nice. Not a proper dubbel by any means, but good for an experimental beer. Nose is light ash, dusty malts, with some light toffee and molasses - similar to the flavor - with some light yeast as well. A good one, but not my favorite VE from Stone.

I’m glad that our hosts of the afternoon broke out this bottle. It prompts me to lay the bottle that I’d purchased down for a while to gain some equilibrium. Nice look to it, a deep mahogany with ruby highlights and a creamy off-white head. The aroma is interesting - so interesting in fact, that a nameless person was tempted to pour some down his or her nose! To me, the anise took the forefront, trailed by a sweet roasted malt, some chocolate, alcohol, and fruity spices. Same with the flavor, solid but with a licorice taste taking over. Other than that, a nice spicing to the sweet roasted malt base. I will be trying this some months down the road to see if it’s more akilter.

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Dark brown color with a smaller light tan head. Aromas of not ripe bananas and lightly roasted malt. Flavors of dark caramel, some cedar and spruce. Some hot hops flavors that should mellow over time. A little time will do this one well.

Bottle: Dark mahoganny amber color. Nose of light yeast and plum, coriander with sweet molasses and caramel malts. Flavor of sweet fruit, light belgian yeast, tart and some malty blandness. Eh. Finishes with some balance but it’s not bad.

22oz bottle, bought in Downtown Wine & Gourmet, Harrisonburg VA. Consumed September 2006. This poured very dark red-brown and was quite floral, estery and spicy on the nose. I definitely picked up violets and maybe cloves. Sweetish palate with deep, sticky malt to the fore but, at the same time, the body was fairly light. Some hops kick in late but they seemed rather harsh and the whole didn’t seem perfectly integrated to me. Not my favourite Vertical Epic by a long way. Tasted as if it could do with more bottle age. Also, I’m not sure that carting it around in the back of a car for a couple of weeks helped too much. I’ll pick up another bottle next time I’m in the US if I can and re-rate.

Bottle. Poured black color with a large off-white head that lasted with good lacing. Moderate caramel malty and tart citrus aroma. Medium bodywith soft carbonation. Medium balanced flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. This is another Stone standout beer.

Bottle. Pours a dark reddish colour with a small off-white head. Malty yeasty, spicy aroma. Sweet malty flavor with some yeasty hints. Also some spicy hints in the flavor. Malty finish with a bitter aftertaste.

Bottle from Super Saver. Dark brown pour with 1-finger khaki head. Aromas of roasty malts, nuts, brown sugar, black licorice, spicy banana, and yeasty funk notes. The flavor, to me, is rather weizenbockish, with notes on the palate of malt, figgy fruits, some molasses, licorice, brown sugar, banana, and cacao. As with all Stone beers, this one has a sizable palate heft and marvelous complexity.