Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Bottle courtesy of Travis from Dunedin Brewing. Pours a clear amber brown with a one finger offwhite head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of spicy yeast, caramel, and light fruit. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness and a spicy yeasty finish. Very good.

bo. flowers, coriander, fruitpeels. dubble brown with tan head-coating. balanced sweet coriander spicy malt. chewy palate. servicable plus, but my socks are firmly still on. Not excited about the ’vertical epic’ arketing angle one bit by this beer. Interesting concept, but this isn’t one of the most interesting stone beers. I probably will not bother aging this or getting another one.

Tosa Tasting - June 24, 2006

Thanks to 1FastSti for bringing this out. Now I don’t have to trade for a bottle to discover that it is a good but not outstanding entry in the Vertical Epic line. I’m not sure how they expect this one to hold up for six more years unless you stick it in a fridge at just above freezing. This was the last of the Dubbels on the night.

Aroma / Appearance - My nose was able to detect a hint of sweetness in the form of toffee or molasses, combined with a vague fruitiness. There was also a subtle hint of yeast sitting underneath that only came out after I closed my eyes. The body was a deep cherry color with only a trace of head. It looked somewhat like I would imagine a Dubbel to be.

Flavor / Palate - The first sip was a little hot, but once the alcohol settled down I got hints of bananas, cherries, malt and caramelized sugar. There was some smoke or roasted flavor lurking underneath that slowly came out. The finish was dry and relatively easy on the palate. This one could do with perhaps a little bit of aging, but not too much. For a Dubbel it is acceptable; however it is not mindblowing enough to make me want to rush out and get a vertical of the other four in the series.

Very dark reddish brown. Nose is bubblegum and spoiled milk. sugary alcohol and smokey brine. Flavour is licorice smoke rootbeer anise and wheaty tannins. Mouthfeel is light for the strength.

06.06.06 Vertical Epic, let’s get to the bottom of this. Appearance: Pours a dark chestnut brown body topped with a fizzy, thin brown-colored head. Smell: Aroma is largely fruity (bananas and plums) and chocolaty, imbued with a Belgium yeast scent and a wee amount of smoke. Curiouser and curiouser... Taste: Leading flavors of dark chocolate, black licorice, molasses, and grapes. Eventually achieves some herbal bitterness and ends with a yeasty dry finish. Not nearly as sweet as the nose would have you believe. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, creamy, and has a mild carbonation which helps to maintain a light finish. Drinkability: Admirable cross-style hybrid brew showing characteristics of a dubbel, weizenbock, smoked porter, and more. Catch ya in 2012, little bomber!

Approprately enough, this poured a deep dark blood red. The aromas were carmel, scotch, and peaty. The alcohol was very noticeable in the flavor, which reminded me a bit of cough syrup. The palate was syrupy, unless you accidently inhaled it. In that case it started out fizzy, but would burn your nostrils for the next couple hours.

Dark pour with a thin head. Aroma was solid with hints of dark fruits and brown sugar. The taste was laced with malt, spices, dark fruits, and raisens. The beer finished strong with a lasting sweet bitterness and malt feel.

Unlike my good friend Bartzilla, I bought several of these beers. Some are for saving and aging, but this one tonight.....she’s all mine. I too, am not a huge dubbel fan, although this one is pretty good. It’s clear this one will benefit from sitting, because right now everything is pretty much up front and in your face. It’s really dark.....looks like a porter. Almost pitch black. Not much in the way of a head or lacing. Smells great. I got a strong initial alcohol burn that lingered on forever. Not bad, just a bit overpowering. As I get deeper and deeper into this glass, I like it more and more. This one is going to be a winner in time.