Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale (Red Wine Barrel Aged)

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Draft at Stone. Pours a deep brown. Sample side by side with 09.09.09 standard. Similar nose - chocolate, vanilla, citrus with some oak. Taste is chocolate, vanilla, hints of oak, some wine but fairly mild.

Tap at CK for 12.12.12 VE night! Pours muddy, deep black. Higher carbonation. Webby lacing. Nose is older feeling Bourbon County of Bells Expedition with dark fruits/raisins/sweet chocolate, toast, fruit cake, sweeter apples. Taste is lighter, minerally, drained with some chalk, cocoa powder, lemon tea, black tea. Strange with a light chocolate bitterness, then silkiness, but finishing very light like diet soda. Lemon tea to near astringent palate. Palate is aerated, overcarbonated, too light.

Draft at Churchkey on 12/12/12. Like the regular version of this brew, it poured a deep brown, almost black color with a thick tan head. Aroma had plenty of wine with some mellowed notes of coffee, chocolate, citrus. Flavor was some mellow notes of coffee, chocolate, citrus with some plenty notes of wine. This was pretty fantastic.

On tap at Brouwer’s on 12/12/12. Pours dark brown with a reddish tinge and a tan head. Quite complex aroma -- dark fruits, toasted coconut, cherry, oak, and a dry red wine. The flavor brings sweeter notes of chocolate, blackstrap molasses, and some coffee. Despite all that, it’s a bit weak/dilute. Wish it had the same ingredients with more punch.

A - pours opaque cola with one finger fluffy tan head no lacing . . S coffee dirt chalk toasted malts bread wet dough molasses light smoke M - full body full rich palate creamy lingering light bitter T - tangy cacao and dry oak up front, creamy mocha molasses dirt citrus peel dried fruits to a long bitter cocoa finish, light grass O very good balanced bitter yet creamy porter. 4.2 ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

UPDATED: MAR 17, 2013 On tap 4 oz. pour at Churchkey in Logan Circle neighbohood, Washington, DC on 12/12/12. Opaque, brown-black with tan head and excellent lacing. Aroma of dark roasted malt, dark fruit, raisin, roasted coffee, vanilla, oak and dark chocolate. Taste of dark chocolate, sweet dark roasted malt, dark fruit, raisin and roasted coffee. Medium body and medium/low carbonation. A noticeable improvement on the 09 without wine barrel aging. (I lost my notes on this one, so this is from memory.) ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Draft on 12/12/12. This was my favorite VE of the evening. Lots of resin and tannin, very rich, raisins, dates, plums, prunes. Tasty.

Draft at Churchkey 12.12.12. Rich black pour with tan head. Nose and flavor marked by beautiful vanilla, raisin, bittersweet chocolate, and caramel with a dry finish. Quite lovely.

From tasting notes: Nose is sour grape and oak backed by light strawberry and chocolate. Taste is roasted red wine (if that makes any sense) and bitter dark chocolate. Color is very dark with a light tan, sticky, lacy head. On the back end, mild sour notes make me wonder if there was any wild yeast used in fermentation. Tastes more stout than strong, dark Belgian. Candi sugar and chocolate are stronger as beer warms. Very good beer.

Gedronken in Brussel bij moeder Lambic, kleur is zwart dus standaard 3, geur en smaak is zoet, typische stout smaak, koffie, hout en smokey