Stone 11.11.11 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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Tap at The Game in Las Cruces, NM-Pours deep amber with a very small hed not much at all kind of boring looking-nose of dark fruits, currants, lite black cherries alot more dark fruit than i was expecting. wow lots of dark grapes and black cherry flavor with some fussel alcohol in there as well. not very well put together and balanced. The alcohol is burning for the most part here and its not even that high of an ABV beer-i dont get how they can do double bastard where the alcohol is not over the top then do this , which is way hot. definately the worst of the veritcal series i have had ( but i missed quite a few)

Draft @ Coalhouse Pizza, Stamford, CT. This was a really tasty offering from Stone! Sometimes, Stone beers are too much for me to handle, but this Belgian Strong Ale has a not too heavy body with a nice black color. There are notes of root beer, sweet tobacco, leather, and a sneaky spiciness from the chiles. Really tasty sipper.

From a bottle poured an amber color with a small amount of head. Spicy malty flavor with a quick finish.

On tap at TJ’s. Pours reddish brown with thin tan head. Flavors of chile, caramel, cinnamon. Spicy and sweet. Medium, malty body. Not bad, but the spice was a bit over the top.

While this is a belgian strong ale, it more properly belongs in the Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer category as the chiles really dominate the aroma and flavor. They add those qualities without the heat that infests other chile beers I’ve tasted. It’s dressed in an inviting reddish brass color. The cinnamon peeks through in the middle with a long chile finish. There is a solid fruit/malt/alcohol belgian ale backbone. Very interesting. The low scores are because I don’t like chile in my beer. I’m anxiously awaiting the 12.12.12 vertical tasting to see how it changes. ANYONE GOT 02.02.02 FOR TRADE?

Poured copper with a beige head. Aroma was peppers up front, then caramel, slight chocolate, cinnamon, and dark fruits. Flavor was chilies, plum, cinnamon, and some slight citrus. Body was medium with low carbonation.

This poured a darker red color with a beiege head. Aroma was of darker candy sugar, yeasty characters, light chilies and some caramel. Flavor was much the same, not much chilies or cinnamon, basic belgian dark, but not bad.

Pours a darker amber color with an off-white head. Aroma is of spices, chiles, caramel malts, and a hint of alcohol. Flavor is of spices, a hint of chiles, and some alcohol warming on the finish. Just a hint of some spice but not too much.

(Draught) Pours a clear copper body with a medium beige head. Aroma of dates, raisins, Peeps Easter candies, leather, Belgian yeast, cinnamon, banana, caramel, and rye. Flavor of dates, raisins, wood, cinnamon, mild chilies, banana, vanilla, and herbs.

Medicincy, not medicinal, but in a foreign country kind of way. Amber with an alcohol consistency, and that means runny. Some vegetable spice herb bullshit going on. Just make beer stone. Why? Smells like something i don’t want to take when I’m sick. Tastes like a pumpkin ale. Fail. But I’m sure the ingredients were expensive... unfortunately an occasional poor indicator of quality.... which does not equate to enjoyment.