Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

22 oz Bottle from the Brickskeller. Pours an almost black color. Aroma is roasted malts with touches of chocolates, cherry, and other dried fruits. The flavor was of dark fruits, malts, with touches of vanilla in there with some alcohol in there as well.

22 oz bottle - Pours dark brown with a thin head. It has a roast malt and yeast aroma. The flavor is sweet and roasted with notes of dark fruit and spices. There’s enough hops to maintain some balance though. Smooth, medium bodied, and mildly sweet to finish, I really enjoyed this effort from Stone. This is an excellent beer now, though not very complex. Hopefully get to taste it in a few years to see how it’s doing.

I thought this was only fitting for my 500th beer rated. Poured to an opaque jet black color, with thick tan head that lingered throughout most of the drink and left good lacing. Aroma was a malty dark fruit (grapes and figs) with a hint of alcohol. As the beer warmed, the alcohol became more prominent, but not enough to obverwhelm the fruit. Mouthfeel was tingly and sweet, and the taste was a pleasant continuation of the same malty dark fruit as was found in the aroma. This blend led nicely to a nice, long warming finish. The bottle said it was best to wait until 12-12-2012 to enjoy this; howver, it was just fine now. Beware....Quite a buzz just from this bomber, so be careful if you let it sit 5 more years!!!

From a 22 oz. Aroma is malt and spice. Appearance is a dark reddish brown with a moderate light tan head. smooth - Flavor is malt with some caramel and mild spice. Palate is very smooth and thick with fairly mild carbination, which I like. An excellent beer. Stone puts out some great brews!

Bought two, one to drink and one to save for 12-2012. Great deep color and aromas. One of the best dubbel’s I’ve ever had.

~RBSG ’08~

On draft at Stone. Pours a dark brown with reddish highlights, with a creamy tan head and creamy wet lacing. Smells of sweet apricot, some chocolate, and applesauce. Flavor is sweet with some dark candy, brown sugar, and light caramel. And pretty spicy overall. Full-bodied, sticky and drinkable. Looks like this could be even better in a few years.

22oz. bomber. Pours a very dark brown with very little yellowish brown head. Smells of toasty smokey malts, maybe a little coffee in there as well. Tastes of smokey malts, a touch woody, with some coffee and an alcohol finish. Thinnishon the palate, good carbonation. Very smooth for being such a dark beer. One of the darkest Belgians that I’ve had but very, very drinkable. At 8.66% it packs a good punch as well.

Another big thanks to Travis (Dunedin Brewery) for this bottle. Pours copper, with beige head. Aroma is fruity, notes of vanilla and dark fruits (cherry) malts. Taste was amazingly nice, well aged. A lot more complex than the vertical ’05. Loads of nice dark fruits (cherry / prune) and sweet candi sugar.