Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

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.

Dark brown/black with dark ruby/brown edges and 2.5cm of frothy, tan head. Nose of roasty, bittersweet chocolate chip cookies with raisins. Some bready yeast, also. Flavor is the same with some earthiness and subtle, dark, berry-like tartness. Full/medium body, well carbonated yet soft. Excellent. Much better after a year than it was fresh.

22 oz bomber. Pours Dark brown with a very nice off white head. Aromas are banana and clove. Fruity and spicy for sure. Sugary with a touch of alcohol. Flavors were very malt drivin. Still a ton of spice. Not as fruity as the aroma, but definitly still plenty of fruit. Alcohol is not as evideint as I thought it would be from the aroma. Very Good

Pours black with a small off white head. Smells of sweet candy sugar, dark fruits, grapes, and heavy malts. The taste is also sweet but more of a dark fruity sweet with some sugar and raisins. Nice and thick on the palate. Very good representation of a dubbel from an American brewer. Very rich and thick taste and the aftertaste leaves a sweet resin on the lips and in the back of the mouth. Good job here.

Bottle sampled with Beerded_one, Pours black with a one finger thick off-white\light beige head. Aroma of fruit, belgian yeast, spices, and slight roasted malts. The flavor is sweet, fruit, spices, some breadiness, very smooth. Great beer.

Sept. 2006 - Dark brown pour with moderate head and little lacing. Wheaty and clovey aroma. The flavor was dark fruits, chocolate and phenols. Wonderfully complex. A really nice dubbel.

Poured from a bottle, much darker than I expected. Aroma was a very nice banana and clove. The flavor was a bit bitter on the nose, followed by a strong clove taste and finished with a nice sweetness combining with the clove.

Pigfoot said this about the 05 05 05 version. It still applies: "Dark ruby color, bright at sides, with a long-lasting, creamy tan head. Nice. in the nose: ah...warm, soft, fruity, rich, malty, toffeeish, enticing...delicious...alive and invigorating...much appreciated. ...and smooth and tasty on the tongue, as well. Big, fat malty taste, nary a squeak out of hops...molasses, hint of anise, caramel...richness at play on the palate. Damnably tasty! And the high abv keeps quiet, at least, so far... I’d love it if this were a regular brew, that I could down anytime I felt. It straddles a special place between abbey dubbel and baltic porter, with a kiss of coffee/chocolate/oatmeal/nut brown stout...if you know what I mean...yummy!"