Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

22oz bomber. Pretty much is a heavy tripel. Pours a fairly clear, deep orange with loads of floaties. Good head and lace. Tropical fruits aroma. Pina colata, fresh bread, tamarind, fruit cake, and golden raisins in the nose. Taste is complex. Very dry, alcoholic, loads of fresh bread rolls, a little soapy and somewhat spicy.

22oz bottle from Brewery Creek in Vancouver. Pours a clear, medium gold colour. Small to medium sized with foamy head, with decent retention and nice lacing. The aroma is fruity and yeasty, with a touch of banana and peaches. The malts are fruity and sweet, lots of peach and apricots. A touch of banana flavour. The hops are floral and earthy. Finishes dry with some hop bite. Touch of pepper and slightly dusty tasting. Good subtle carbonation. The aftertaste is slightly bitter with a touch of alcohol. Another good one.

Poured a slightly hazy golden yellow with a very creamy white head about an inch or two tall. The aroma was a tart citrus one with some lemon. There was a light amount of carbonation bubbles rising in the glass. The initial taste was tart with the flavor of lemon. The flavor developed a nice sweetness in the middle along with a nice hop bite. There was a sense of a thickness to the beer towards the finish as the hops bitterness lingered for awhile along with a mild alcohol warmth too. This was very refreshing to drink

Bomber pours amber with little retaining off white head into a tulip; nice lacing. Crisp hoppy aroma with honey sweetness, tea/herbs, clove, banana chips, bready malts. Flavor starts with bready malts and delicate hops, honey sweetness is prevalent throughout, almost flora with clove, tea, and lemon pepper finish with noticeable yeast and banana. Similar to a tripel. Pillowy mouthfeel with medium body and carbonation level. Mellows nicely as it warms. Quite drinkable, easy to take it down, hides the abv well. Refreshing, but a bit too spicy in the finish.

Bottle - this has impressive restraint and style. Look is medium orange-goldy clear yellow with pale yellow highlights. Small fine head. Smells of lemons and pale seeded and pitted fruits picked in summer. Some spicy phenols. Dry apricot. Tastes of phenols that are not quite clovey, more like bubble gum - and lots of lemon, sweet pale fruit and a bit of banana. Beguiling belgian flavors reminding me why I first love beers of that country. Hops lend the definite lemon accent & nice top notes of grassy herbal and added spice character. Hey this is quite a bit like De Dolle’s Dulle Teve (Mad bitch.) Palate is wonderful, coating and glassy and just a hint challenging - a great beer.

Stone Brewing Company--Stone Vertical Epic Ale 08*08*08--2008 Release--22 oz. Bottle--8.60% ABV--65 IBU’s. (4.5 / 5.0) Belgian Ale--Trippel--Sediment hint. Foamy lacy white head. Fizzy clear thin bright gold color. Rich pine hop Belgian clove ester front. Earthy malty citrus pine Belgian clove ester body. Balanced rich complex Belgian Golden Ale Hop Spice end. Back & Forth Belgium IPA Flavor. Sampled 7/5/2009. $7.99 Each.

(Sample Date: 5/19/2009 Source:Other) Citrusy floral American hop nose. Clear medium orange amber with lacy white head. Caramelized malt background with spicy peppery yeast character. Finish is sweet but dry quickly with some fruity and spicy notes. Moderate lingering bitterness.

Bottle:   Pale golden, slight haze, moderate spritzy white head, spotty lacing.   Soft melon rind and tropical fruit on the nose.   Very slight touch of candied citrus peel and/or piney hops.   Heavy alcohol yeastiness on the tongue.   A bit biting and over the top.   Raw alcoholic citrus rind follows.   I get a quasi Belgianesque and IPA sort of mix, and I must say that the hop aspect is not as bright as other examples, which is nice.   However, the alcoholic warmth and fire seem to offset the usual over abundance of hops.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Finishes with a bit of alcoholic warmth.   The Belgian aspect of this beer is just not strong enough.   While not overly hopped, its too fiery and alcoholic.   Decent beer, just wished that either 1) it was more Belgian like or 2) it was not as alcoholic.   The style of combining an IPA with a Belgian still puzzles me to this day.   Picking a freaking side already, its tough to do this right.   Stone makes a great IPA, an okay Belgian, but mix the two and you get schmutz.