Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Bottle from Freakin Frog in Las Vegas. Poured a dark black color with small thin white head. Aroma of roasty malts, fruits and spices. Medium to full carbonation. Taste of roasted malts, Belgian yeast, spices, wood. Overall very good. Glad I got to try this rare find.

Deep, dark burgundy. Fluffy texture; lively carbonation. Very roasty and toasty. Great notes of hardened caramel, toffee and black licorice. Big, grassy and herbal bitterness. Other flavors and aromas offer subtle complexity. Some comforting warmth in the throat from the alcohol. Tasty, flavorful and pleasant beer.

22oz. bomber: This one pours an extremely dark, opaque brown. It is the darkest Dubbel that I have ever seen. There was a small tan head on it that drops away quickly. The aroma is complex. Some chocolate and smokiness comes to the top. There are some fruits and hops down in there also, but it is hard to distinguish individual notes. The flavor is complex also. A full richness, with a bit of sweetness. Some chocolate and fruits come to the top, as well as some hidden bitterness. A wonderful brew.

Fills the chalice with a deep chocolate brown color with ruby-red highlights. Produces a big, thick and dense tan head with superb retention and thick lacing. Rich, complex aromas of roasted malt, cocoa, dark fruit, caramel, banana, licorice and various spices. Mouthfeel was full, round and smooth with a soft carbonation. Intense flavors of roasted-chocolate malts are upfront; almost porter-like, follwed by notes of caramel candy, prune, raisin, anise, yeast rolls, and spices (clove, pepper, cinnamon). Finishes slightly on the sweet side but the alcohol rescues it from being too cloying. Really enjoyed this spicy, dark unique offering from Stone.

Pours a pretty dark brown color with ruby around the edges. Thick light beige head with very good retention, and a decent sheet of lacing. Aroma of toasted malt, spices and yeast. There is also a touch of peppery alcohol in the nose. Medium, spicy body with malt, clove and grassy hops flavors. Bittersweet finish of sweet malt and spicy hops. Pretty enjoyable as is, and I wonder what it will taste like in 6 years.

very dark burnt chestnut with a lacey, frothy tan head. Again with the yeast I hate..spicy nose but backed by an interesting roastiness..smells like it’d be chewy. <!-- p --> Now that I’ve tasted it..I must say, its certainly the most complex vertical epic to date..thick, chewy...the yeast is a little spicy for me but you can taste an interesting woven pattern of chocolate malt flavors behind it...with a little cinnamon-spice and warming alcohol. This one is thick enough and strong enough and might just be the one that makes it to 2012. Good Job lamers. This beer with a less spicey yeast would be sublime.

Thanks to foureyedgeek for sharing this one! Nice port wine nose, raisins, bit of oak, heavy on brown sugar and molasses. Very sweet, with fruity hoppy nose that is very fragrant but not overpowering like some of the other hoppy Stone offerings. Vinuous with soy maltiness, bit of chocolate. Dark dark brown, clear, with medium foamy lacing light-tan head. Heavy watery body with medium carbonation and some alcoholic warming. Starts sweet with a lot of maltiness, plum, red wine, oak, malt vinegar, sweet. Molasses, malty like a doppelbock. Hearty. Very little bitterness, fruity and malty. Nice dry carbonic bitterness at finish. Sweet after on the tongue. Rich and malty overall with just a bit of nutty molasses tang. Alcoholic warming.

Deep crimsony brown, thin light tan creamy head. Complex nose of candied dark fruits, and spiced black bread, with soft notes of cedar, rye, and caramelized banana. Flavor is all about dark fruit and spice with a nice light hop bitterness throughout. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, light bittersweet, dark fruity finish. It’s not always about the hops....