Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

One of the best Vertical Epics yet. Similar to the 03, as I remember, but stronger, more body and flavor. I found a lot of fruit in the aroma: pear, strawberry, raisin/prune. Flavor was yeasty with some spices. Very little hop bitterness, way background. Malt backbone that could age well, but might not make it to 121212.

This one poured an opaque, dark brown with a good sized, tight-bubbled tan head. The strong, roasted malt flavor coated my mouth. The hops came in and tempered the effects of the caramelized grain. The aftertaste lingered with a pleasant combination of strong malt, molasses and hops. No sip lines, no lacing; just a robust, welcome edition to the series.

I had every intention of cellaring this for at least 6 months but despite the phalanx of Stone IPAs, Ruination & Smoked Porter in my beer fridge, this one kept calling out like a siren of barley elixer.... Pours a deep dark mahogany and supports a tall dense light tan head with lasting retention. Spicy aroma on top of roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and licorice. Complex flavors with faint dark fruits, toffee, pepper and caramel playing suporting roles to a solid roasted barley and smoky backbone. Hops don’t really show themselves in earnest until the other flavors have moved off stage (a bit unusual for a Stone brew). Rich silky texture and a long, smooth, slightly spicy finish with a fair but appropriate warming alcohol kick. Yes, I’ll miss this in 6 months when I originally intended to open it, but I won’t have forgotten it. Another spectacular Stone showcase.

Dark brown in color with beautiful, ruby highlights and lots of fat bubbles (not typical of ale, natural carbonation) rising through the body and a moderate, but sustaining, tan head reminiscent of the head on a cup of hot chocolate. Well done spicy, bubblegummy, molasses, fruity, elderberry, milky, wheaty, and cocoa powder aroma. Just as the bottle reads, the aroma is "deep." The flavor is not as complete as the aroma on first pour. I would best describe it as "tight and shy" in the first few sips. As the beer oxidizes a while, it releases most of the aroma components into the flavor profile though they are not as distinct as in the aroma, this will most likely develop as it ages. The addition of a nice roast and and some orange fruit provide counterbalance to the sweetness in the finish. The paradox of this beer is that each taste provides a different flavor experience. Truely amazing.

pours dark with a small bubbly head. aroma of raisons and dried fruit with a little bit of spice. mouthful continues the dried fruit theme with some prune followed by some spice, yeast, and a little alcohol in the finish. tapped the cellar in April 08, this stuff ages sooooooo well. all the dried fruit is huge and no alcohol in finnish. I will bump the score to the great aging of this.

Dark brown- tan head- nose and taste yeast, wood notes, malt some hops – nice aftertaste

22oz bottle. Poured a clear dark brown color with red light shining through. Head was thick, light tan, and had a yellow tint. Head retention and lacing were good. Aroma was of clove, banana, subdued chocolate, and light molasses. There was also an occasional whiff of old school pencil lead. Medium bodied with a creamy mouth feel. The flavor profile included the likes of molasses, roasted malt, clove, light banana, and a hint of smoke. I liked this one a lot and preferred it over the ’05 Vertical.

Dark, pitch black hue. Layer of tan head. Quickly dissipating into a trace rim with spots. Coffe and plum nose. Full and sweet. Good caramel and coffee flavors. Spicy and bittersweet chocolate. Lively with a tingling sensation. Nice burn but still smooth. Cookie chocolate malt. Slight nutty, vanilla oaky nuances. Second glass holds the same hue. Fat clinging head. More of a musty woody nose. Still full. Fruity, slight raspberry maple flavor. This is great now, and can only wonder what the future will hold.