Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale

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

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.

Pours out a clear golden color with a small white head that dissipates almost immediatley. Aroma is a bit fruity with a little alcohol present. Taste is of spices and a bit of alcohol with a bit of warmth going down. Overall, a decent brew, but I would expect alot more from Stone.

Bottle. Poured a clear light orange color. The head was one finger high and white. Nice aroma of fruits and baking spices ala apricots and cream with coriander. Medium bodied and delicately sweet with mild bitterness at the end. There was also a hint of warming alcohol. I tasted apricot, coriander, clove, citrus fruit, sweet cream, and alcohol. Yum.

Poured pale yellow with small off white head. Smelled of fruity esters, and did not have much hoppiness in the taste. Overall a good brew, but was probably better when first made.

Bottle. Pours a golden color with a small white head. Has a sweetish malty spicy aroma with some yeasty hints. Sweetish malty spicy flavor with hints of yeast and some hints of citrus. Has a sweetish malty and warming spicy finish with some bitterness in the aftertaste.

Growler fill from brewery. Always nice when Stone brings out retired releases for growler fills. Pours a surprisingly clear golden amber with small white head. Great aroma with notes of apple, champagne, berries, mango, spice, and lively yeast. But not a lot of citrus in the nose. More fruit in the flavor (pear, apple, citrus, banana) along with nicely balanced spice. There’s a subtle sweetness that moves into a light bitterness in the finish. Stone has tried to combine the elements of a Belgian ale with an IPA before, but I think this is the best effort. Very nice stuff.

golden pour, fluffy head. Yeasty, fruity and lightly hopped aroma. Flavor is pretty sweet with some yeast and honey notes but has a pretty nice hop balance. Pretty good.

Bomber. Slightly hazy light yellow with small foamy head. Aroma of sweet and floral hops, noticeable Belgian malts and yeast, notes of banana and lighter sweetness. Taste is initially sweet but is countered by a significant amount of hops. Medium bitterness in a clean, lightly dry finish. Feels delicate for Stone.