Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale

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

<i>22 oz bottle</i>

Another year and another Stone Vertical Epic release has come. I let this one sit for about a month while digging through a backlog. Finally it was time to see how it compared to the previous two years. A slightly different style than what I was expecting it was nice nonetheless. Once again this is probably a release best enjoyed fresh; the shelf life on this is probably no more than four months before it goes downhill.

<b>Aroma / Appearance</b> - The carbonated bronze body was decorated by a foamy white head which took a long time to settle. White pepper, wheat, bananas and malt blended into a hoppy and fruity Belgian. It wasn’t quite what I expected but still very pleasant.

<b>Flavor / Palate</b> - The bitterness was not as intense as I first expected but soon made an appearance on the throat. Spicy with an orange base it turns sweet towards the middle. The dry finish wrapped up a blend of Belgian and IPA that turned out quite nicely. Much more aggressive than it smells I think this is best enjoyed fresh. If you have one open it as soon as possible.

Bottle. Amber beer with an off-white head. Grapefruit, yeasty aroma. Sweet malt flavor with yeast, bubblegum, and grapefruit. Medium body. Sweet malt lingers with spice, yeast, and grapefruit. Refreshi8ng and easy to drink.

Bottle from Capone’s. Pours deep gold toward orange with 1-finger off-white head. Nose is grainy pale malt, lemongrassy hops, mild florals, funk. Tastes grainy sticky malty, lemomgrassy hoppy, with floral, spicy yeasty estery, and funky notes. Palate is rich initially, but falls off late, and isn’t terribly complex, but I got this new, and I think it will age well. Not great as a tripel, but as a Belgian style IPA, it will satisfy hopheads and floral heads.

Clear golden with medium white head. Sweet yeasty aroma with hoppy notes. Sweet yeasty flavour with ripe fruits and hoppy notes. Ends bitter.

pours golden with barly any head, aroma is very nice, pepper, little bannana and spices. Flavor is fruity, then flows very nicely into a hoppy finish.

22oz bottle pours out a gold topped with a white head. A nice aroma of hops and yeast. Tast more of the hops and plenty of the Belg spice. Tasty

yellow pour, little to no head. Slight malty hoppy aroma, resinous. Taste is peppery, resinous. citrus, banana, spiciness. a nice mellow beer, but not really what i was expecting.

Pours a crystal clear, pure golden color. A small, foamy, eggshell colored head settles to a thin but lasting layer. Scant, spotty lace marks the glass like soapy water. The aroma is a cross between a sweet, fruity Belgian tripel and an American pale. Notes of pine resin and citrus hops are spiced with orange peel, coriander, clove, and cracked pepper. The malt base smells of candy sugar, with distinctly Belgian, floral, funky yeast and strong banana esters. The alcohol shows a little hot, almost like a spiced banana liquor. Flavors follow suit, basically resembling a robust, semi-dry Belgian tripel with a healthy dose of pine and citrus hops. Banana, coriander, citrus rinds, and pepper again show strong, while a dose of fusel alcohol burns on the finish. The medium-plus, sugary body is sweet up front, but finishing dry from the Belgian yeast. This is not my cup of tea. Too much like an overly sweet and alcoholic tripel for my liking.