4.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
One of the most impressive beers I have ever had, and it is going to get the highest number of anything I have rated. What a good finish to an up and down series, that was mostly pretty enjoyable that I am sad is ending. Beautiful, dark thick foamy head, in a really cool glass that fanned out but was short. Sweet uber spicy nose with dark fruit and malt notes. Body starts spicy, then tasted malty, then creamy, then clean. Dark roast/smoke lingers in some sips. Tingles too. As I can’t imagine how they can improve this, I am rating this quite well.
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Strong aroma has malty and yeasty notes and a firm overtone of spices - I get clove, ginger and maybe allspice. Thought I smelled coriander, though that’s not listed as an ingredient. It pours like a stout - a deep, warm sable with a thick, fine-bubbled tan head. Flavor - woooooooo, mouth-filling, strong and herbal; woody, licorice, ginger, roast malt, bitter hoppy, subtle orange and nutty notes. This beer must be sipped slowly! Thick, firm, smooth texture has a strong and persistent tingle. Stones last "triplet date" beer is a winner!
4.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Black color with tab head. Sweet orange and big spices--nutmeg, cinnamon. Pine needle hops. Warm and cozy.
4.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Excellent spicy beer with Christmas flavors. Black color with creamy tan-white head. Overall excellent flavor!
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
(bottle) very dark brown with a medium tall brown head; aromas of cloves, brown sugar; dry spicy flavour with a long strong bitter finish, excellent
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
With All the spices this is almost a spice herb beer. Yet it isn’t anywhere close to overwhelming as most Christmas beers. really excellent.
4.6 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours opaque dark brown with a thick brown head that lasts perfectly and laces. When I say opaque I mean that you can’t see through it in sunlight. Nose is apricot, apple, pumpkinspice, oranges. Quite sweet, no bitterness, full mouthfeel, nearly perfect.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle from Spout’s: Turns out I will be in for a nice surprise since I had absolutely no knowledge of this beer recipe until I poured myself a glass tonight. Anyways, the beer poured a dark blackish brown color and was topped with a monstrous sizing of foam. Aroma is vivid and delivers soft delicate scents of spices such as cinnamon, dried mint, allspice, and a bit of rose water all while a sturdy base of mildly roast malt hold everything together. The smell of the yeast does have similarities to Belgian yeast but smells as though it is not an authentic strain. As for the drink, an extremely smooth velvet like palate that goes down easy which is why I awarded a perfect palate score of 5 points. The flavor is rich and robust with dark roast malts that suggest towards chocolate or light ground coffee bean but what truly makes the flavor of this beer stand out from the rest if the Belgian yeast used. It absolutely blows me away with how subtle and perfect the notes of spice actually are in this year’s Vertical Epic with all of the aforementioned spices I described in my nose. This is a well crafted dark Belgian strong style beer that i find to be balanced in full in every aspect of this recipe. Job well done Stone, you finished the Vertical Epic series with a true winner.
4.6 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Dark Brown with a brown head; excellent lacing retention. Very rich smell of caramel, pumpkin pie, spice, plums, and malts. Taste is rich taste of spices, caramel, plums, piney hops and spruce; Aftertaste is a bit resiny. Body is fairly light and the carbonation is very mild and adds quite a bit to the flavor. Probably one of the best beers I’ve had from Stone yet, and one of the best strong ales I’ve ever had
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Bottle. Pours like a deep, dark secret ... brooding and black/red and totally opaque, with a full-up head of heavy, pock-marked foam. The aroma is meaty and aggressive, and carries over a foot from the glass to my nasal passages, hinting at some rough clove and maybe a wee bit whiskey. The drink is an adventure, a gritty and slightly dirty quaff, the almost Christmas-y blend of spices taking the predominate roll. Nice way to finish off this series. (Beer #5,000!!, 5/4/2013)
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