Stone 10.10.10 Vertical Epic Ale

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle. Pours a bright golden yellow color with a few carbonation bubbles emanating from the bottom. Very little head. Very interesting. Flavor is initially light Belgian malts and slightly sugary, recedes to a very wine like grape sort of sweetness, hints of Boone’s Farm, grape jolly ranchers, and just a hint of booze. I’m really digging this beer, it’s definitely different than the typical same old.

Pours a clear honey yellow with thin white frothy head. Aroma is a mix of green grapes, tart cherry, raisin, hay. Flavor is crisp with notes of tart green grape, candi sugar, bready notes, and floral presence. Body is light and crisp with active carbonation.

Pours clear amber with a bit of soap bubble white head. There’s quite a bit of grape character here, and I don’t care for it. Its giving me a bit of a headache. Some Belgian yeast in the nose. Medium, oily body. Just to much like wine for me.

UPDATED: DEC 22, 2012 22 oz. bottle- Pours Belgian golden with a thin yet lively head and good lacework, aroma is coriander and oranges, very citrusy. The flavor is very sweet, orange rind, very Belgium in the taste. There is a definite wine tang to the beer, especially sauv blanc. This beer is not excellent, but you can tell it has the potential to become excellent as it ages, I am very excited to re-try this beer in the years to come. Rerate 12-22-12- appearance is decent, but is lowered by one point, goes from a 4 to a3, aroma is the same, taste is very nice, I actually think I am going to upgrade from a 7 to an 8, very nice. Palate stays, overall I think I am upgrading from a 16 to a 17, this is the first time I actuallly upgraded in the vertical series.

750ml bottle. a clear gold under a small white head. lively bubbles. corn flakes, white grape juice aroma. flavors of apple juice, white grape juice, doughy yeast. a light colored and flavored belgian strong, much like a tripel. high carbonation with a bit of alcohol. interesting ingredients though. triticale is a rye/wheat hybrid. the candy sugar adds that familiar belgian sweetness and works well with the yeast.

draft at Blue Monk in Buffalo. Deeper golden. Sweet malts, sweet white wine, reisling/gewurtztraminer sweetness. Grape juice, belgian blonde floralness. Interesting just OK

Tap at Churchkey. This one tastes and smells like a post-production blend of a blonde beer and white wine. The wine really overwhelms the beer, not in an appetizing way.

Bottle. Aroma is sweet malts. Notes of grapes, bread, yeast, banana, and some carmel. Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp. Flavor is different, sweet, winey, and bready. Finishes dry.

UPDATED: DEC 22, 2012 Original rating from 10/16/10: Bomber poured into Trappist glass. Drank right after 9.9.09. Pours a deep slightly hazy gold hue with a small head. Aroma is strong in Belgian yeast. Smells like old books, some cheese, minerals, crisp fall apples. Tastes of Sauvignon Blanc, wet rock, cider, alcohol. I don’t taste the Muscat and Gewurz as much. Sweet and sour with some bitterness in the finish. Carbonation is medium-high and so is the body. I really like this entry in the series. It’s definitely different. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how this one ages the most so far out of the Verticals I’ve had (’07-’10). 8, 3, 8, 5, 17 = 4.1

Second rating from 11/11/11: Bomber into tulip. Pours hazy cantaloupe with a medium dissipating white head. Aroma is creamed corn, sour grapes. Taste is lightly sweet and tart, meaty. A little oxidized, but not too bad. I can still taste those Sauv Blanc grapes. Carbonation is holding up, body is medium-full. Still good, but maybe not as impressive as it was a year ago. Or maybe I’m totally full of shit. 8, 3, 8, 4, 16 = 3.9

12/22/12 re-rate: Pours hazy gold with a fast-collapsing white head. Aroma is a little funky, like overripe grapes and sour berry jam. Taste is lightly sweet and a bit tart, finishes dry. The wine grapes come through fairly strong. Mouthfeel is oily, carbonation is soft to medium. This is really good. The best so far out of ’07-’10. 8/3/8/5/18

22 from Arcata Co-op. Aroma fairly mild - grapes, especially the muscat is in front, typical belgian phenols and esters present, but towards the back, can’t really detect the chamomile. Nice honey coloration, but no lacing and not much head. Very tasty, in an extremely unusual way: wine tannins, medium sweetness and, mildly sour and bitter. The palate is definitely a bit thin for such a high alcohol percentage beer. Still, very glad I tried this beer as it is one of the most unique ones I’ve ever tried, and while not my very favorite, I’d strongly recommend anyone who likes white wine and beer to try this one.