patrick767 (2051), fort wayne, Indiana, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Nov 1, 2009 bottle - Pours black with a sizable tan head. The aroma is fairly mild. It’s yeasty with a little dark fruit, roast malt, and a touch of licorice. The taste is sweet roast malt with that Belgian yeast and dark chocolate notes. The bottle says it has tangerine peels. I’m not noticing that in the flavor. Perhaps the bitter roast malt flavors simply bury it. This brew is more like a strong, bubbly Belgian stout. It will be interesting to see how it ages.
beerguy101 (3971), Newark, California, USA
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Dec 27, 2009 Tasted on 12/27/2009. This Belgian Strong Ale pours a very dark brown color from a 22oz bottle. Medium sized beige foamy head, with nice retention and good lacing. The aroma is chocolate, dark fruit and roasty malts. A medium bodied Belgian Strong Ale. The malts are chocolate, fruity, roasted malts and estery. The hops are citrusy and floral. Nice carbonation. Lots of interesting flavors going on here, orange, chocolate, vanilla, a touch of oak, a little banana and clove. Hides the alcohol well. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter and chocolaty. puboflyons (621), New Hampshire, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 27, 2009 This series is an interesting concept and sadly I have only had a chance to sample the latest brew. I missed out on the previous seven. The pour is dark-brown to charcoal black with about a half inch of a long lasting creamy tan head. The smell is full of chocolate malts, vaguely sweet, and enriched with banana bread. The taste is complex but mainly of sour hops and chocolate. A nice brew. dnstone (273), Mons, Belgium
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Dec 27, 2009 Sweet and light roasty maltiness in aroma and flavor; it also has a spicey finish.
Notes: ’09 GABF demitriustown (703), Shelby Township, Michigan, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 26, 2009 Bomber: Aroma is fruity, sweet plum, some discernable malt, a little roast, and yeast characteristics. Appearance is almost black with some brown highlights with a medium sized tan head that diminishes into a soapy film. Taste is surprisingly roasty, almost a stout characteristic, coffee notes, some fruit, but thicker that I thought it would be. Palate has a lingering vanilla coffee taste to it. Overall, this one threw me for a loop the first time that I sipped it but in a good way. Cheers! BeerBaron617 (313), Novi, Michigan, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 5/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Dec 26, 2009 Had this bomber with my Christmas dinner last night. This stuff, as it’s properly named, is EPIC! lol. Very dark pour, with creamy head. It was sweet, and malty, but also with some slight hop character. It reminded me of the Hibernation Ale I had from Great Divide the other day. Really great stuff to have with an incredible meal. Cheers! omhper (12298), Stockholm, Sweden
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 14/20 | Dec 26, 2009 Bottled. Very dark brown, minimal head. Aroma of raspberry and chocolate. Drier and slimmer than anticipated wit notes of marzipan. Red berries comes to dominate coffee and chocolate with vanilla on a distance. Marked cocoa bitterness. The best Vertical Epic I can remember! drewbeerme (2306), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 | Dec 25, 2009 22oz bottle, pours dark Brien with creamy tan head. Nose of plums, chocolate, and spicy yeast notes. Flavors of chocolate, raisins coffee, with earthy spicy finish. Med body, sturdy carbonation. Possibly the best epic in the series. xmarcnolanx (805), Kirkwood, Missouri, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 24, 2009 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.
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