Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

Clear amber color, slight , off-white head. Aroma speaks citrus, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and many spices...like a candied orange slice dipped in ginger. sweet, but dry. Taste: more of the same all over the mouth, very slick and supple, easy drinking, despite the 8% abv, just plump full of juicy fruit, hops, yeast, ...some tartness, some mild astringency, a bracket of bitterness, but overall sweet fruit, some bitter, and spice is the order of the day, some cardamom, ginger, coriander...now and again, it feels hot, too, there’s a fierce hop and booze heat that only squeaks up for a bit, before bowing... A tasty brew, kind of in between a wit, a saison, and a Belgian golden ale, or even a tripel, sort of a mix of those, but delicious and good drinking!

(22oz bottle) Purchased at Bottleworks in Seattle. Pours a lasting white foamy head with an orange-amber body. Nose of nail polish, grapefruit, cardamom and citrus. Very sweet flavour - the malt is so over-powering at this young stage. A creamy start mellows into a grapefruit and lemon peel mid-palate. Strange minty-malt flavour found in Unibroue 2005. Yuck! Fairly apparent alcohol and minor burn. Good but not the best from this group.

Bottle. Poured a murky orange color with a lot of sediment and a slight white head. Aroma of fruit and yeast. Smooth mouthfeel. Flavor is very fruity with a lot of apricot to it. A lot of spices in this, maybe some ginger and cinnamon. Alcohol is very present in its finish. A very nice beer. Thanks to HomeBrewHawk for the bottle. Very generous.

22oz bomber(courtesy of RSRIZZO)-A hazy golden body with a decent head that dissipates fairly rapidly. Aroma of belgian yeast and malt. Taste of the same. Nice tasting brew.

Pours a golden amber with a foamy white head. Aroma dominated by citrus scents such as lemon and orange peel and grapefruit. Also, hints of spices like cinnamon and hops. Very smooth drinking beautifuly balanced peel. Flavor of citrus fuits like grapefruit, lemon and orange, alcohol, apple, grape, pear, and spicy ciniman with a slightly dry hoppy finish. Excellent!

The Dan Journal #148. Tasted 12/21/07. 22oz bomber. Hazy with a honey orange hue. White soapy head. Spicy aromas. I actually went into the kitchen at work and smelled ground cardamom, and yeah, I smell it in the beer. Spices galore. Cinnamon and ginger. Of the fruit peels, the orange stands out. An almost mustard aroma? Full bodied and bitter. Big beer. Spicy peppery citrus perfumy yeasty nose. Mild wheaty malt flavor. Fruity. Bubblegum yeast and fruity citrus flavors. Peppery saison flavor. Totally solid beer!

Bouteille de 22 oz obtenue via un échange avec Dmac621. Arôme: Odeur très fruité avec une pointe d’épices. Apparence: La couleur est orange voilée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’orange et de miel avec une pointe d’épices. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture astringente. Faible effervescence en bouche. Présence d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1415)

Bottle - dense gold color with a very slight head. Sprucey aroma. Medium body, malty flavor overpowered by floral, almost heather-like character. Mellow Belgian yeast (and cardamom?) characteristics. A lot of competing flavors working. Might mellow with age.