Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Dark plum color, with a quickly diminishing, tan head - aroma of clove, dark fruit (fig, plum), candi sugar, caramel, toffee - quite full-flavored - begins with a touch of coffee-like bitterness, followed by sweet toffee and dark fruit flavors, a touch of smokey/peaty, almost scotch ale-like flavors, followed still by some nutmeg and clove - a little thin on the back end - otherwise a solid brew - reminds me a little of what North Coast seemed to be trying to do with Brother Thelonius, but whereas North Coast failed, Stone most certainly did not.

Nose of sweet caramel and dark malts. Almost black, minimal vanishing tan head, crystal clear, no lace. Taste is more of a stout than an Abbey Dubbel ... with strong flavors of chocolate and licorice and dried fruit and coffee and dark malts ... but the hopping is more interesting than a stout and the yeast is Belgian. Enjoyable.

Pours deep brown with a medium head that fades. Aroma is of a fresh vial of belgian yeast, banana, plum, lots of spice, raisin, some biscuity malt, and a slight waft of alcohol. Flavor is toasty cedar, raisins, chocolate, plum, some spice, some biscuity malt. A mix of cedar and roast rise up and dry out the mouth a bit on the finish. Medium body slightly watery palate. Very interesting beer with the mix of spice, roast, and cedar. The drying of the cheaks and tongue get a little annoying after a bit.

(bottle) black with scant tan head. Roast malt aroma with spices and yeast. Flavor is roast malt, dark fruits, some spices and yeast.

Dark brown body with light brown head. Plummy aroma with milk chocolate, raisins and lots of sugars. Sweet flavour shows raisins, dates and plums. Full-bodied, very sweet finish with lots of brown sugar character. Definitely built for the cellar, this isn’t bad now but it’s definitely too sweet for my tastes.

22 ounce bottle from Table and Vine in Northampton, MA (September 2006) consumed at cellar temperature from a Dieu du Ciel! tulip. A nice hiss as the bottle is popped, this too has at least kept its carbonation as the three previous years had.....the appearance is quite similar to that of the 05, quite dark though this is a bit clearer with less obvious cloudy yeast; the head is full and medium-tan in color though it fades rather quickly, leaving impressive sheets of lace.....quite fruity (strawberries, apples), dark toasted/caramelized malts, but the most prominent element I note in the aroma is vanilla, not so much oaky/barrel vanilla as vanilla syrup or candy; light yeast and alcohol apparent....body is, interestingly, fairly dry and tart, easily the least-sweet of the four VEs I’ve tried, rather more robust, roasty, with muted bake fruits (apples again) and just a trace of that fine vanilla, strong cobwebby yeast, and harsher alcohol than I expected....quite full, not a trace of oxidizing/thinning, moderate to heavy carbonation, fairly dry and bitter at the finish. Probably my least-favorite of the VEs thus far, though this one is probably closest to being at the perfect moment of aging. Still pretty tasty as all in the series have been, and quite reasonably priced when new unlike so many "special" and "anniversary" beers.

Big thanks to Beerdrenched for picking this up for me. Pours very dark brown with a light tan head. Aroma has dark fruits (figs & cherries), earthiness, brown sugar, anise and dark coffee. The body is lighter than expected for the style with light carbonation. Flavor starts out with some roasted malt, spice and the dark fruit aspected from the aroma. The finish is somewhat earthy and fairly astringent. This is an okay beer, but not up to what the hype is. I don’t know if I want to try this beer as a vertical is 2012, this doesn’t seem like it will age to well.

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.