Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Bottle, pours deep muted gold/red. Head was white and fluffy. Complex nose, lots of spice going on here. From attack to finish its a meddly of spice and malt and alcohol flavors. Something at the end seems just a bit off but I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly.

Dark orange pour, off-white head. Excellent lacing. Smooth, delicate, lightly spiced, malted and hopped. Stone has gotten a firm grasp on producing Belgian style beers that will come about with some age. I keep buying more and more of the Vertical Series each year as the quality goes up.

Had this beer on 8/12/2007. Aroma is a spicy citrus scent that reminds me of a White. Color is a hazy golden with good carbonation. The bubbles from the carbonation seem to rise slowly making this beer seem thick. Taste is sweet and spicy. Starting with a medium body it goes down easy with a smooth feel. Finish comes in sweet turns to a spicy/citrus flavor with yeasty back tones and an alcohol feel. On the end its both bitter and sour. Overall I think it is everything they wanted it to be but for me it leans a bit too much to the Saison. There is an odd taste to it and is no where near as good as last years.

22 oz bottle. Pours a dark gold body with some small fluffy chunks churning about. A one inch fizzy white head retains as a thin film. Lots o’ carbonation going on. The nose is heavy spices and lots of fruity wheat. Some noticable alcohol and yeast. Flavor is of a slightly less sweet version of a Triple, but with the spicing of a Belgial White. A weird combination for sure. A little too much alcohol is noticable on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly thick texture. Moderate fizzy prickly carbonation. The texture is a little sticky too, making the spices linger on forever in the finish. Overall, not one that I really am into. No real flaws or problems, but just not my thing. Maybe with time the spices will die down some. Hopefully.

22 oz bottle. Deep amber gold, slightly cloudy. Aroma is quite sweet and spicy. Some nuttiness, light apple/pear fruitiness. There is a touch of bubble gum, cotton candy and even a bit of mint. Flavour is lightly minty and spicy. Quite sweet and sticky on the palate (too sweet really). Some light cloviness as well. Good aroma and decent tasting, it’s just missing a little something.

(bottle): Pours a dark amber-reddish color, not cloudy at all. Small head, whitish, diminishing. Spicy floral aroma, some hops, but very spicy. Fruity, dark and a little musky. Spicy floral, sweet aftertase. White grapes, some muskiness. Hoppy floral taste. Very clean aftertaste. Very tasty light taste, but kind of watery.

Spicy, fruity. Sweet, but a little bit dry in the mouth. Puckering. I wish it could be a bit smoother to drink. Nothing over the top, but still nice to drink. Something a bit unpleasant that I can’t put my finger on though...

Thanks Ty. Light amber color with a moderate, stable ecru colored head. My first sniff brought thoughts of coconut shrimp, and sweet and sour sauce. As it sets I start to get some more exotic fruits and spices; cardamom and kiwi, along with some light ginger spread on some light cinnamon toast. Interesting, but not overly alluring. First sip reveals a buttery flavor, somewhat like grilled fruit with a splash of lemon-lime and sweet cream. Heavy sweet malt play in the middle. I see this one like many of the Fantome brews, rich in spices, but the heft is a bit much and things seem to get cloying, at least for me. I like may triplies and I like my saisons, but a double saison, I’m not sure about.