Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Tap @ Stone During RBSG. I’ve had this a few times, I’m looking forward to trying a new bottle. this was good, poured amber with an off white ring. Nose is sweet an dtan. Taste is sweet and rich and and great

Thanks to Kevin for this beer. I love dubbels but didn’t care so much for this one. It does have some fruit and a hint of wine in the flavor, as well as sweet malt and hops in the palate. The hops however, made this too bitter and dry, causing it to stray too far from what I think a dubbel should be into a hopped dubbel with a bite I just didn’t care for. I recognize the quality here but this one is not for me.

Bottle. Dark brown beer with a tan head. Roasty, yeasty (mostly spice) aroma. Dark malt and roast flavor with banana, caramel, coffee, spice, yeast and some background hops. A lot of flavors, but nice balance. Fuller bodied - a bit chewy. Will age nicely.

Pours a clear dark brown color with a thin light brown head. The aroma is sweet and smoky. The flavor is also sweet and smoky with dark malts, chocolate and a bitter finish. The body is light to medium with soft carbonation.

On tap. Pours a dark brown with a large, off-white head. Great lacing. Aroma of coriander, dark malts, caramel and a bit of candi sugar. Taste is malty, coriander, some oxidation, hint of bananas, and some alcohol. Light bubbles and creamy.

Pours a pretty dark brown color with ruby around the edges. Thick light beige head with very good retention, and a decent sheet of lacing. Aroma of toasted malt, spices and yeast. There is also a touch of peppery alcohol in the nose. Medium, spicy body with malt, clove and grassy hops flavors. Bittersweet finish of sweet malt and spicy hops. Pretty enjoyable as is, and I wonder what it will taste like in 6 years.

Brown-black body with a small tan head. This is one heavy beer. Deep liquorice/molasses and wood on the nose. Very malty and creamy body with plenty of dark fruits, woods and molasses. Finish is black liquorice with a nice hoppy touch. Alcohol manages to tickle my palate despite being less than 9% in such a thick body. I first had it draft at the Cooperstown beer fest 2006 and it was magnificent (original rating 4.5). The bottle wasn’t nearly as impressive. From my notes the bottle had more woods/hops while the draft was that grossly amazing and complex mix of dark stuff. Deserving of a re-rate since the bottle is what most will be having including myself if I have it again. 06-06-06 The Number of the Beer.

Interesting... deliciously interesting. These verticle epics are great because they taste great up front.. and hopefully will continue to improve with age, this one seems like it will hold well. Big banana yeast esters in the nose and finish. Roast and fruity on the palate with a nice spicy finish. I think the sweetness up front will build nicely over time and this one will be amazing in a year or two.