Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Aroma is sweet chocolate, fruity, estery, vanilla. Taste is oatmeal, fruity citrus, chocolate, vanilla, carbonation, more sourness and yeastiness. Strange. Good, but I feel like the hyper-carbonation really obstructs the taste of this. Finish is slightly sour, a bit bitter, and some sweetness. Decent.

From some of my friends’ reactions, I was sort of putting this one off, thinking it would be a disappointment. And with the first sniff and few sips, I thought it was. But once it warmed, it was a different story. This is a fine beer; unique and lovely -- and with a surprisingly degree of subtlety for Stone. Pours nearly black with a generous light brown head. Nose first reveals bitter, even ashy cocoa and overripe fruits. Weird, and it takes some getting used to. Tastes similar but with more hop bitterness and citric notes as well as some wood. In some ways much of the flavor reminds me of Angostura bitters. I’ve been on a Manhattan kick, which is perhaps why I’m into this beer. Some of the oak and mild vanilla qualities hint at bourbon as well. Nice dry finish. Tasty.

Thanks Hayduke! This beer looks much like a porter when poured. It is very dark with a small tan head. Aroma is chocolate, over ripe fruit and wood. There is a lot going on in the flavor. Chocolate and fruit again. This is also a well hopped beer and those hops provide bitterness, dryness, and tartness. There is plenty of malt and it gives a sweetness that nicely balances the hops and that balance leans towards sweet but with a dry aftertaste. Vanilla, wood, and spice. There is a bit of ash that is the only negative here for me. Alcohol is not noticed. Maybe my favorite of Stone’s Verticals to date.

( 22oz bottle ) Pours a near black body with a medium beige head. Aroma of anise, roasted malt, cocoa, and Belgian yeast. Flavor of roasted malt, anise, Belgian yeast, vanilla, and chocolate with a dry, bitter finish.

22 fl oz bottle. POurs dark brown with a thick, creamy and chocolate brown head. Aroma is roasted, light fruity and vague yeasty spiced. Solid roasted and breadish malt flavoured, dry liqourice note and mild hardroasted acidity from the malt. Minor to vague metallic note. Lingering roasted and mild fruity finish. Solid roasted brew.

Bottle, 8.9%. Good creamy and slightly roasted aroma. Almost black colour. Red shine. Good creamy stable light brown head. The flavour is nicely roasted. A little sweet, good creamy note. Some oak, hint of vanilla. Viscous mouthfeel, nicely smooth. Low carboation, but good. Very nice.

From Knightly. Roasty aroma with coffee beans, creamy bananas and a little licorice. Looks black in color to me and pours with a thick brown head with pretty good retention. The flavor shows a lot more chocolate than the aroma, which combines with oatmeal, coffee, tree bark, and ripe mild bananas. Very little spice that’s almost nonexistant. Creamy and smooth. The Belgian aspects of this beer are subtle and this definitely tilts strong towards Porter, which I think was a good move by Stone. But with that said the tropical banana adds a nice complexity to the silky Porter flavors. I’m thinking Stone Smoked Porter with a Belgian twist. I am a big fan of what Stone Brewing does but if there’s one line in the past I haven’t been as fond of it’s been the Verticals (what few I’ve had), but I really enjoyed this one. Kudos Stone! Not sure if I can see this one getting any better with age but who cares.

Bottle 22oz. - Poured dark chocolate color with light brown frothy head. Aroma - light chocolate and vanilla scent, also some roastiness going on. Flavor - I did taste some chocolate, some spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Palate - medium/heavy bodied, texture is oily and carbonation is soft. Finish is bitter, dry and fairly smooth. I also detected a woodsy aftertaste!! Overall - This beer sure had some different flavors going on, not all I enjoyed but liked for the most part. I found it tasted better as it warmed up.