Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

This has notes of roast and citrus in the nose, with a touch of vanilla. Pours an opaque black, with a craggy tan head. Flavor is a bit on the sweet side for my tastes, strong roast and chocolate notes, a bit of bitterness blending over to vanilla in the finish. Full mouthfeel. Curious how this one will change over the next couple of years.

Black pour with a dense, 2-finger, tan head. The aroma is quite muted. Some roast, a little bitter coffee and chocolate with some tangerine and nutmeg. The flavor is bitter coffee and chocolate with a hint of vanilla, sweet tangerine and bitter piny hops on the finish. A little smokyness comes out as the beer breathes and opens up. Creamy medium full body with soft carbonation. There’s some nice complex layers of flavor in there but the bitter finish really overpowers them as soon as you finish a sip.

Dark and rich. Sweet dried fruit flavors and roasted malt. A smooth mouthfeel and foamy head. A deliciously complex beer. Really nice.

draft at papago on 9/10/09. pours a mostly black shade of brown with reddish tints at the edges. topped by a soft tannish head which slowly fades to last as a ring leaving behind spots of lace as it settles. loads of coffee on the nose followed by bitter dark chocolate, belgian yeast, florals, lightly smokey wood and a touch of vanilla. luckily, the flavor follows suit... crisp, fairly dry, clean and wonderfully balanced between sweet and bitter. a delicious aftertaste of bitter cocoa nibs and some faint dried orange peels. medium bodied... at least for as much alcohol and character is packed in here... crispy and terribly easy to drink. 8/5/8/4/16/4.1

Bottle Pours a good deep black with a good froathy tan head. The head lasts very well and laces quite nicely. Has an aroma of roast malt, biiter, chocolate, and coffee. Has an okay carbonation. The flavor is nice. Well blended and not overpowering. You don’t notice the alcohol. Has a full body. The texture is syrupy. Has a strong finish with a pleasing aftertaste. This is decent beer. Good on a cool fall evening.

Sampled on draft at D’s in Monroeville this beer poured a dark black color with a large creamy brown head that lingered and produced good lacing. The aroma was roasty, bitter and full of floral hops and had a touch of cherries underneath. The flavor was dryish, roasty, malty and bitter with notes of ripe cherries, cocoa and strong floral hops. The finish was long, dry, roasty, hoppy and had a touch of cherries. There was a light yeasty undertone. The body was thick and full. Very good.

Taste and aroma dominated by bitter roasted malt, coffee, and vanilla. Smooth mouth feel, full-bodied. very good.

Bomber via Bonster. Lucious licorice black pour with medium tan head. Nose of chocolate and lemon zest. Lip smacking. Full bodied but far from overwhelming the palate. Just the right amount of coffee tone balances this nearly perfectly that trransitions flawlessly to a mellow and smooth finish. I notice no tones of vanilla or oak, but can grasp a bit of citrus other than in the nose. A pleasure.