Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale

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

On CASK at the brewery 07-10-09. Pours a hazy yellow, nice creamy white head. Good yeasty bread aroma with grapefruit undertones. Beautiful lacing. Very smooth mouthfeel, light-medium bodied that is an incredible belgian strong. Great opportunity to try this brew on cask and perhaps one of the best belgian strong ales I’ve had.

Shared at Cigar City by?? Not sure. It was really good until I tasted the red wine barrel version!! Very yeasty and spicy with some plantain and a bit too much honey/sugar flavors. Not bad, but not amazing.

Bottle at CCB BA BS release. Poured a hazy yellow. Nose was belgian yeast, spices, clove, banana, some bubblegum and citrus. Flavor was spicy citrus, apple, grapefruit and cinnamon. Medium body.

500 mL shared at CCB Tasting Night. Pours a clear, bright orange with a fairly large eggshell head. Aroma of toffee, overripe bananas, butterscotch, white grape juice. From the description this sounded awesome but was actually not very good. Taste was incredible cloying alcohol, way too much candi sugar, and the balancing spices were long gone after aging this one. I know Greg is going to cry when I say this but it ended with a drain pour. I’m sorry. Abbey Tripels and Saisons just don’t go together.

Appearance: Pours a bright, semi translucent orange. Upon a very close look, I see very tiny particles. Starts with a big white fluffy head that subsides to a 1/8 inch stripe of white. Aroma: Heavy whiffs of clove and cinnamon, as well as Belgian tripel yeast, which reminds my nose of pencil shavings. A little bit of orange and lemon mixed in with the spices. Dry malt and a little bit of hop spice can be smelled as well. Taste: Starts off very bitter and clove-y. Dry malts, fruity yeast, a little bit of that pencil shaving yeast flavor as well. Spicy would be a word to describe the taste experience. Mouthfeel: Very thin and aggressively carbonated. Overall: This beer seemed a bit crisper and better balanced when it was fresh. I feel like all the parts that made it one solid beer are going in their own direction. Still have one or more saved for after 12.12.12.

Aroma was very winy and cake-like. Very sweet. Looked very clear with decent beading and a thin foam head. Flavourwise it was very viny and alcoholic. A bit on the thin side with regard to mouthfeel. Decent but not my mug of ale.

Bottle 50cl. @ home.
[ Trade by yespr ]. Clear medium orange color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, spicy, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and spicy ginger / peppery bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light alcoholic. [20090611]

22 oz bottle, 2 years old: pours a clear orange-bronze, with a thin, large bubbled head that reduces into a wispy film with a small white cream around the edges. Complex, spicy aroma: cardamom for sure, with bitter citrus peels, rose petals, freshly sliced ginger, and cane sugar. Creamy, thick palate full with Belgian yeast, over ripe fruits (kiwi and grapefruit), finishing with a nice touch of bitter, citrus hop cones. As it warms the breadiness of the yeast comes out-very cool: the yeast seemingly brings fruity notes, bready notes and a bitter funk in the end...I am digging on this beer tonight-I am on my porch, but wish that I could be enjoying some super fresh sushi...mackerel, red snapper, shrimp and some spicy tuna would be perfect! Perhaps next time...