Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

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

(bottle). Black color. Medium tan head. Strong malt aroma with light alcohol. Strong roasted malt flavor. Avg duration. Light alcohol finish with lasting roasted flavor. Slick texture. Soft carbonation.

Bottle. Pours black with a firm and long lasting head of rather big bubbles. Lots of coffe, some rosted malts and pine. A bit to light bodied to carry all the flavours.

Bomber. Pours deep, deep brown, nearly black, with a one-finger tan head that diminishes quickly. Aromas of milk chocolate, vanilla, coffee, some hops, roasty notes, raisins and berries, and a little smoke. Belgian yeast and pepper as it warms. Roasty and smoky flavor, cocoa, caramel, bitter espresso notes, and a bit of oak. A touch of alcohol in the finish. Ah, the slightest hint of orange rind is present in the finish as well. Rich, creamy, and smooth, with medium carbonation. Some spidery lacing is present. I’m not getting much citrus here, however. I would not have pegged this as a Belgian strong ale; it’s more like a porter, or a milk stout. I like this beer very much.

Dark brown, close to black with a small off-white head. Aroma is weak of chocolate, vanilla, subtile esters and a raw ryebreadish note. Flavour starts very sweet with oak character, light chocolate and vanilla with some fruit but ends on a dry very harsh "peel-bitter" note. Mouthfeel is very smooth with a perfect amount of carbonation, the best aspect of this rather unbalanced beer. However it might come together with some age, at the moment it’s both too sweet and too bitter at the same time.

Bottled. Pours out in a hazy dark brown colour with a small off-white head. Sweetish aroma of milky chocolate, anise, oranges and banana. Medium to full-bodied with touches of roasted malts, milky chocolate, Seville oranges, mild banana, licorice and sugar. Long aftertaste of licorice, sugar, mild banana and cocoa-powder. Still not a huge fan of Stones Vertical Ales....

Nose is full of lots of roasted malts accompanied with some banana and slight sweet spice. Perhaps a touch of vanilla sweetness as well. Pours dark brown, almost black, nicely into my thizzle glass with a good amount of fizzy beige foam and sticky lace. The flavor is full of roast that is almost acrid and lasts throughout. Other notes that add a touch of balance are banana, sweet yeasty spice, a hint of smoke, and light vanilla. Very charred and burnt flavors linger, drying the hell out of my palate. Good, but I would have preferred a little smoother drink, this could probably benefit from a little age as the assertive char might get a chance to settle in. Good nonetheless.

The aroma is just a slight malt with a slighter touch of vanilla and chocolate. The taste is interesting, cascading through flavors as it warms in the mouth. It starts as a chocolaty malt, moves through some vanilla, touches on hops and citrus, and ends slightly bitter and warming. This is rich and interesting, a nice addition to the vertical collection. I can’t wait to see how it ages.

Called a Belgian porter at the pub. Draught. Poured dark brown with medium white head. Much lacing. Complex aroma, citrus, malt, chocolate. Vanilla and chocolate notes in the malt flavour. Finish hard to describe, every sip was different. Stone is back on their track. This is a winner!