Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, blankboy, tupalev, jerc & garthicus - courtesy of HogTownHarry. Clear, bright golden with a small white head. Aroma is interesting - definitely a Belgian influence, spice and herbs, perhaps some candi sugar, a bit of citrus, and a boozy edge. Flavour is spicy and a bit yeasty, quite fruity (pineapple and apricot), very hoppy, with some grapeseed bitterness in the finish. Really enjoyable.

22oz from Liquormax - thanks, Nick! Frothy golden pour, very appetizing, and with a dry, hoppy aroma. Getting into the beer, there are a ton of fruit flavors, including pineapple, tangerine, and other similar flavors. Finish is not nearly as dry as I’d expect or like, but still fairly pleasant and peppery. Pleasant but nothing overwhelmingly good.

22oz bottle. Pours clear golden in color with white head. Aroma spicey and citrus hops. Taste spicey, fruity and lemon with dry finsih.

pours a barely hazed golden yellow color from the bottle. it’s topped by a small white head which quickly fades to a ring. smells a lot like orange blossoms... mixed with yeast, candi sugar, dust, pineapple-y hops, spicy burn and an earthiness akin to toasted black peppercorns. it’s a touch sweet on the palate but very doable. lots of apple flavor mixes with yeast and the gamut of hops... grass, citrus, pineapple and tons of pine. dry spicy finish. (so spicy it seems like an alcohol burn) medium body with soft airy carbonation. creamy mouth feel in the beginning gets a bit flat as it warms. it’s a hoppy tripel without the character?...

Bottle. Aroma very much the hybrid they claim it to be with yellow and tart fruits and melon from the Belgian side with citrus and tropical notes from the hoppy American side. A slight metallic note creeps in, but hardly a bother. Flavor turned very odd for me though with astringent bitterness, metallic fruits, bittersweet fruits. Something just seemed to go a little awry in the mouth. Overhopped for the style perhaps?

22oz bottle served in a Duvel Tulip. Bottle conditioned. First pour is clear, pale gold with a finger of fine bubbled white head. Interesting aroma, lemon with some spice. Some sugar also as the beer warmed. Medium body with plenty of carbonation. Malty sweetness in the start. Spice from the yeast and also spice from the hops in the finish. Fairly bitter for a Belgian style beer. Very drinkable.

Well it finally has happened, A Stone release that just doesn’t appeal to me. I couldn’t figure out what this beer is trying to be, and I can’t help but feel that it’s really underdeveloped. At times this beer showed some promising qualities, but each time these got masked by the awkward bitterness and extremely dry qualities that simply overpower everything in it’s path. Pours a sparkling, golden color. A fading, swirling head coupled by spotty lacing. Mildly assertive hop aroma, I’m guessing Columbus and/or Cascades are involved due to the similarity of a recent home brewed Pale Ale of mine. The aroma is lightly floral and heavily vegetative with some sweetened cereal mixed in. Dry, and I mean extremely dry on the palate as well as overly bitter. Both of these create a distracting, lingering, stinging mouth feel. Aftertaste is soapy. Bold pine hop flavor. Fruity yeast adding notes of banana, and a spicy mustiness. The beer is very hot, high octane alcohol burn is unavoidable. Biscuits with some candied sugar. The hop bitterness is overdone and there is not enough malt flavors to back it up. Good thing I paid the price of most standard Stone offerings instead of the going rate for this one.

Bottle. Pours a light orange with a small white head. Aroma is pretty much that of a Belgian tripel! Lots of spices, melon rind, and a slight bitterness. Flavor is a bit more hoppy than apparent in the aroma (although not overly so), fruity melon, and orange peel. Mouthfeel isn’t as hearty as that of a tripel although the beer does weigh on you after awhile. Interesting at first but then a little boring. Better than the 070707 but not by much.