Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering, January 12, 2008. Super thanks to Nuffield for bringing this one. Dark brown color with no head. Wonderful aroma of candi and brown sugar with sweet, dark malt. Taste is mostly a rich, sweet malt. A little oaky with some Noble hop. Very interesting.

Bomber poured a clear sark reddish brown with a small diminishing tan head. Aromas of dark fruit, spices and a hint of roastiness. Palate was medium bodied and crisp. Flavors of clove, brown sugar, a hint of chocolate and some roastiness with a lingering bittersweet finish. Smells much better than it tastes!

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, jerc & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a deep dark ruby-brown with an average size creamy tan head. Very nice aroma of sweet malt, yeast, dark fruit, brown sugar, alcohol and lots of spices. Flavour follows the aroma and is a touch boozy, but not enough to detract much from the taste. Nice bitter finish. Medium bodied. This is quite good, one of the best Verticals yet and a nice version of the style.

Pours an opaque dark brown, black notes, molasses, some small frothy tan head that quickly fizzes away. Aroma is yeast (dark warm dough, wheat, cellar), malt (meal, toast), clove notes, fruit in the background (peach, apricot, plum), faint smokiness. Moderately acidity attempts to burn the tongue, scraping your taste buds away but leaving enough to sample the roasty and toasty dark malts, clove, wheat and fruits, smoke and banana notes way at the end. Dark bodied, fizzy, spicy and dry palate.

Rockin this baby out of an Old Guardian glass and boy fuckin howdy it looks great. Doesn’t hold a head much but oh well. Actually the aroma isn’t much except for some white raisin and black charcoal. Taste is peach and plum, grape and tangerine. Smooth and sweet and could use more carbonation. I don’t get clove but I do get a good Madagascar Vanilla. This ain’t no Abbey Dubbel but more of a psydo-dopplebock.

Bottle at Pier 32. Poured a small tan fizzy head that ended up mostly diminishing, no lacing, opaque, no visible carbonation, and a dark brown hue. Roasted malt, spicy, licorice nose. The flavor was toasty, malty, caramel, roasty, and spicy. Nicely done. Tingly mouthfeel. Medium body. Good brew and one I think will only get even better with time.

Well this finally made it into the Tidewater area and I’m told that my local store received 1 case. That’s 1 case. I luckily received 3 bottles from the one case. That disappointment coupled with the fact our apartment roof leaked onto our bed during a thunderstorm, and this has been a pretty lackluster day. Will this beer make up for it? I certainly hope so. Pours a dark mahogany with a small circumference of tanned froth on the surface. Nose seems "porterish" from my first whiff. Almost like that typical microbrew porter aroma. Lots of roasted malts, and almost light coffee-ish notes, but that’s where the similarities end. Some darkened fruit notes (plums maybe and a touch of raisin and fig), Belgian yeasts, light spices, and flowery aromas as well. Taste is roasty malts, stronger spice presence, dark fruits and a hint of melon, light flowery flavors, soft hop bitterness, light alcohol, and Belgian yeast notes. Body is smooth and nearly creamy with moderate carbonation and a medium overall feel. However, it seems to go down damn easy this evening. Finishes with more roasted maltiness, light caramel, dark fruits, hints of tobacco, spices, more evident hop flavors, and yeast notes. This isn’t a "knock your socks off" kind of beer but it’s definitely one that has it’s place and is something you can wrap your tastebuds around. It’s well brewed and tasty and made my day! Thanks the Greg and crew for making this!

Las Vegas, Nv. - Lee’s Discount Liquors, 22 oz bomber. Very dark ruby red to black pour with a frothy mocha colored head. Fresh, srong aroma of carbona cleanser, licorice and bubblegum. Flavor has some candied sugar notes, bubblegum, cloves. Improves as it warms and develops some caramelized smoky flavors. Reminds me somewhat of Ouzo. Mouthfeel is very clean and textured well. Goes down very smoothly.