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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Shared bomber, tulip glass. Unique taste; the chilis dominate the taste, but are not too hot or peppery. Would have been better paired with Mexican food or something spicy.

Draft at Brouwer’s in Seattle. Mulled juice, apple, cherry. Rosy cinnamon brown, creamy head. Cinnamon-apple aroma. Mulled wine, apple cider. Grainy apple sauce. Interesting enough, some veggie note from peppers. Nice.

22oz bottle, shared. Big body. Lighter, crisp carbonation. Mildly sticky finish. Mostly clear darker red color. Minimal off-white head. Good chile nose, but taste is more astringently sweet. Light chile kick, but I’m not sure that it works with the candy sweetness of this brew, though. Light chile and belgian candi sugar aroma. Decent, wish it was less sweet, though, with more pronounced chile

22oz bottle (had this during a full 020202 - 121212 vertical). The description alone on this does not sound appetizing to me. Cinnamon, chilies, yeast, and some brown sugar.

Pours a cloudy orange-brown color with a big bubbly head fades normally. Aroma is very odd, spicy chili peppers, belgian yeast, and candi sugar. Not a fan of the taste all. Chili peppers mixed with very sweet and syrupy malt. Finish is dry and slightly tart. This is pretty gross.

More cinnamon than chiles, but chiles definitely present in the slight bite at end of sip. This beer didn’t do much for me and was fairly unremarkable.

Really pretty ruby pour. Thick off-white head. Nose is really heavy on the cinnamon. Flavor brings in other mulling spices, and it’s a little boozy. Interesting? Nah, scratch that. A bit of a disappointment.

22 oz. bottle purchased at Wine and Cheese Place after it came out last year. Pours a murky, muddy-at-the-bottom amber color with a small off-white head that doesn’t last. The chiles and, to a lesser degree, cinnamon are apparent in the nose along with brown sugar, chocolate, and some dried dark fruits. The flavor is along the same lines, with more sweet malts and fruits early and more spice late. Medium-bodied, with a gritty, spicy mouthfeel and modest carbonation. Not really working for me with the Belgian yeast as much as it would with a stout or porter base.

Bottle at my parent’s house, shared with my dad. Pour is murky copper with a small tan head that quickly dissipated. Cinnamon, toffee, dark fruits, potpourri, bread, dark fruits, and caramel in the aroma. Taste is spicy chilies, cinnamon, nutmeg, stale bread, allspice, and biscuit with a spicy finish. Medium body with medium carbonation. Not horrible, but pretty damn muddled and somewhat of a mess; one of my least favorite vertical epics.

Aromas of sweet malt and subtle raisin and chile. Taste is dark malty sweetness, uncooked chiles, a little rasin and nice spice. Chile lingers in the finish, but is not spicy.