Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

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

12.16.09 bottle. Pours dark brown with tan head and minor lacing. Aroma of coffee, toffee, burnt toast, malty, sweet. Tastes heavy coffee, toffee, bitter, spice, pepper, hint of fruitiness, coriander, nutmeg. Very nice!

22 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. It smells like roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, coffee, and some vanilla. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some charred malt and smoke, along with a bit of banana. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s somewhat creamy and slick with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it’s smooth and goes down easy. Also, the alcohol isn’t noticable in the aroma and taste, however it does catch up to you later. I think this is a good brew, can’t wait to see how this one ages.

Location: 22 oz bottle from a Total Wine, 12/28/09

Aroma: Notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, a bit of earth, some caramel, and a hint of spice and fruit
Appearance: Pours an opaque, dark brown with a bubbly brown head, leaves some lace on the glass
Flavor: The taste has some definite Belgian yeast flavor to it, some bitter chocolate accompanies the full-flavor roasted taste that dominates this beer
Palate: This is a full-bodied beer that has a long duration and soft carbonation
Overall Impression: I really liked what they did here, it is another fine beer from Stone. I kind of want to describe this as a Belgian Porter, as it doesn’t quite feel like a stout. Regardless of what you call it, its pretty tasty. This is the second of the Vertical Epics I have had, and I have really enjoyed them both. I really like the way these beers drink, and I like what Stone is doing with them.

It poured a very dark amber liquid with a small light brown foam that left some lacing. It had a smell of nut, wood, chocolate and crackers. It had a medium smooth mouthfeel with some stingyness. It was a bit sour but not so bad, heard there have been some complaints about the sourness but it didn’t bother me much. It had a thick body and was a bit dry. Taste of wood, nuts and warm alcohol. Lots of different flavours that I couldn’t quite distinguish made it feel complex and interesting.

Pours black with a nice brown head and some lacing. Taste is toasted malts, vanilla, chocolate, figs. This beer has so many different flavors and is incredibly drinkable.

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.

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.

Sweet and light roasty maltiness in aroma and flavor; it also has a spicey finish. Notes: ’09 GABF