Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

prototypic

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It's an very light golden color (has a bit of an orange tint to it). Head is foamy and about one and a half fingers. Retention was a bit short and a light coat of lace remained.

Smell: Definitely has some Belgian qualities. It's most citrus sweetness blended with various spices. Citrus scents are pineapple, orange, grapefruit, and even a mild banana twist. Definitely has a nice malt presence.

Taste: This is pretty well done for a Belgian style brew. It's very spicy. Mostly peppery with some other herbal spices in the mix. Citrus flavors come through very nice and provide a sweet taste. A bit of caramel malt is noticeable, as well as a mild yeasty taste.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: It's medium bodied and very well carbonated. Drinkability is good though I'd probably limit myself to one bomber. Overall, it's a nice offering from Stone. It'll be interesting to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 01:37:56 | More by prototypic

timtim

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a nice dark golden color (if that makes sense!) with a white head that shrinks quickly but doesn't go all the way away. smells like a sweet belgian tripel to me. i'm not getting very much saison, but i do smell farmhousy, peppery when i take my time and let this thing warm up a little. grapefruit and orange for sure, a little banana. tastes like it smells, but even more comes through. pretty complex. a lot going on, and i will enjoy seeing how this tastes in abuot a year or so. medium body and nice carbonation. you could fool me in a blind taste test with this one. i might actually think it was belgian.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 00:18:13 | More by timtim

scottoale

California

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Released and reviewed a bit early...but what the hey! 22fl.oz.brown bomber with silk-screened label resembling the previous V.E.'s. It pours a very bright golden amber with a thick creamy finger of white froth. Plenty good carbonation with the head settling to a solid 1/4" with staying power, leaving some interesting lace behind.

Smells like a Belgian...very sweet and spicy in the nose. I had to bump the smell up .5 as it improved with some warming. Nice and fruity with some yeasty aspects, peppery notes...sweet citrus and more rotten fruit...nice!

Subtly complex flavor wise, as this brew is only young and will no doubt age well, it still offers a great rep for it's style and also shows how an ale brewed with spices can add some dimension to the brew. The taste is like the smell, but a bit better...can't wait till it ages some as the overall mouthfeel will definetly benefit with this factor.

Nothin wrong with this brew right now...I'm enjoying it very much...the alcohol is very well hidden in the taste and nose but it certainly creeps up on you before the bomber is empty.

Good stuff that age will make better IMO...who's next?

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2007 05:13:38 | More by scottoale

SacoDeToro

California

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at... well, that's classified...

Poured a nice golden color with a rocky white head.

The aroma of the beer was very nice. A healthy dose of fruity Belgian yeast esters. Apples, pears, some pineapple too. Peppery spices and citrus notes were there in the background.

The flavor of the beer was slightly sweet with a very light maltiness to it. The beer was pretty alive with summer fruit flavors - a bit of a fruit cocktail if you will. And I mean this in a good way. The hops were fresh and floral. They mixed well with the citrus flavors in the beer and things finished a nice spicy note. Although the bottles reads as if this beer is a hybrid of many styles, the ester profile most closely resembles a bright saison. The sweetness and maltiness is much like a tripel.

The mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was dialed in just right.

This is one of the better Vertical Epics I've had in recent years. This is a solid beer and a nice departure for Stone.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2007 14:31:37 | More by SacoDeToro

mdaschaf

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Brouwers on 12/12/12. Review from notes.

A: 7/7/7 was a golden orange with a small white foamy head that lasted longer than most of the other VEs. Again, minimal lacing.

S: Lots of ginger, lavender and cardamom as well as a surprising amount of citrus.

T: Lots of citrus rind, orange, ginger, lavender, and flowers/grass.

M: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.

O: Liked it, didn't love it, but was impressed by how well this one held up. Held up significantly better than any of the older VEs.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 23:11:41 | More by mdaschaf

barczar

Kentucky

3.74/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a brilliant deep golden copper, with frothy half inch cream head that dissipates into minimal lacing.

Ginger and citrus pith and sprite, of all things, form the aroma, with confectioners sugar pulling things together.

Almost herbal in character, lots of ginger, orange, and grapefruit pith complement the estery Belgian yeast character well. There's confectioners sugar sweetness and tea-like hops at the finish. Brown sugar sweetness dominates as it warms.

Body is moderate, with moderate to low carbonation and significant alcohol warmth.

Fairly spritzy and herbal. Lots of ginger and tea flavor. I'm not a ginger fan. A bit too herbal.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 00:15:12 | More by barczar

magictacosinus

California

4.31/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap for the VE tasting (beers 07.07.07-12.12.12) at Pacific Coast Brewing Co. during SF Beer Week. All reviews are from my notes. I liked this enough that I got it in an 8oz flute glass after the first tasting.

Pours a pale amber, perhaps even bronze-like color with literally no carbonation or bubbles to speak of. There was a slight ring upon it as it arrived, but that quickly vanished and left this behind. Not sure at all how this looked fresh, let alone on tap (2007?? I wasn't even into beer then!), yet I'm certain it must have modified over time to appear more hazed and darker. Very viscous liquid, almost to the point of appearing syrupy. Indeed, it looks a lot more like brandy than actual beer at this point. Definitely has held up well after nearly 6 years, with or without bubbles.

At the nose, there definitely is a spiced aroma as advertised, although it's huge on the grapefruit/citrus peel department. Explosive, in fact, to the point where the alcohol and candied sugar has pretty melded together to create a flavor that smells a lot like grapefruit/lemon hard candy. There's a lot of underlying lemon peel as well, which sets a zesty, grassy aroma all around. Other notes I picked up included woodiness, truffles, and wild yeast, to the point of being tarty.

The flavor consists of more dried yet sweetened candied grapefruit peel flavors, combined with big yeasty honey notes. Vetted green apple cider aromas meld with the grapefruit to create an interesting sensation, and the yeast and faded malts make it similar to a nicely spiced saison. However, with age, the sour astringency seems to have really faded with the yeast holding the fort between the zest and the spices. It's far tartier on the tongue than at the nose here, yet it seems to really work with all of the citrus peel flavors and candied sugar finish that this is offering. Aside from being thick, it's still crisp and bright, and contains a near succulent flavor overall.

At this point of aging, this is pretty much unclassifiable. Is it a saison/tripel hybrid? A citrus/candy sugar Belgian pale ale? Hard to say, but I do think that aging has done very nice things to this beer. I wish I could go back in time and buy a few bottles of this, as this VE worked pretty favorably with me. Not all are winners, but this one definitely has its notable characteristics, especially for fans of tripels, cider, and citrus focused drinks.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 06:32:25 | More by magictacosinus

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This brew was served on draft at the Tap and Mallet Vertical Epic tasting event. It arrived in a tasting glass, showing a golden honey coloring. No head was present, and only specks of white lacing were left around the glass. There was a faint haze to it, with light sediment. Carbonation appeared light. The aroma gave lemony hops, cardamom, ginger, and stark wheatiness, much like your robust wit. With warmth came deeper caramel malts, syrupy honeys, fig and apple fruitiness, nutmeg and light gingerbread spice, and raw rootiness alongside that original ginger bang. Our first impression was that there was excellent, robust flavoring, but it was kept very light and drinkable throughout. As we sipped, all of the aromatics and florals from the nose hit first, against a backdrop of lightly toasted pale and caramel malts. It tasted like a blooming Spring garden. Citrus hit to the peak, with pale malts, grassy lightness, and a light phenolic flash. The finish came with soured pseudo-oak, flashes of citric hops, apple sugars, and the fusel fire of booze. The aftertaste breathed of chalky dryness, toasty pale malts, crushed cherry sugars, earthy dirtiness, mineral, and the warming woodiness from a depth of malts. The body was lighter but airy, while the carbonation felt light to medium. There was decent slurp, smack, cream, and froth. Initially the mouth was coated with light oils, but this crisply dried with chalky astringency. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was the flavoring. Each element danced and skirted around the tongue airlessly, as if on little ballet slippers, but without first executing a full breadth of floral earthiness and nectary sweetness. The nose and the feel carried much in this same vein, keeping things light and super drinkable. All of the advertised flavors and aromatics were there in full, and this guy is a real treat for anyone who can find it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 14:23:30 | More by TheBrewo

russwbeck

Virginia

2.65/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

The beer was served to me hazy yellow in color. There really wasn't much head at all, and a similarly small level of bubble activity as well. 3.5

The first hint I get from this beer is sadly medicinal. There's a base of some booze, and spice, but I can't get passed that initial aroma of medicine. 2.5

The medicine hits the taste as well. It's just like that cough syrup you didn't want to take as a kid. That, mixed with some clove that rests on the palate is not what I would call pleasant. 2.5

The finish is dry and the overall body is light and crisp, with a great level of carbonation. The drinkability is impacted negatively by the taste, however. 3

I really just wasn't a fan of this one. I think that, perhaps, it's a bit too old at this point. 2.5

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 12:55:38 | More by russwbeck

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Lord Hobo's Vertical Epic Event on 12/12/12. 5oz serving served in a flight glass part of flight "B" (06, 07, 08).

A- Hazy slightly translucent yellowish orange with a thin head that recedes at an average pace and leaves some light lacing, not much carbonation.

S- Tangerines, clementines, very citrusy, fairly floral, some saison-qualities balanced nicely with some triple qualities, fairly aromatic.

T- Tangerines, clementines, floral notes, some light spices that accentuate the floral/tripel aspects, a little bit of a tangy finish. Very flavorful, lots of citrus notes without providing any bitterness or too much acidity.

M- Medium bodied, a hint of syrup, fairly low carbonation, very easy drinking.

O- The 07 was one of my favorites of the series. It was an interesting beer that held up very well with age retaining a nice fruitiness and exactly what I'd expect from a citrusy tripel/saison hybrid.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 03:00:16 | More by jaasen64

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Stone Total Tap Takeover in Baltimore

A-pours a hazy golden amber color with a thin white head.

S-the nose has light notes of yeast, banana, clove, some green apple with hints of spicy alcohol in the back.

T-the yeast flavors are light and don't seem to have that some belgian style kick to it, light banana notes with a fair bit of green apple in the flavor. some spicy alcohol and phenols sit in the back.

M-light body and smooth on the palate. low carbonation with a clean soft finish.

D-pretty straight forward and simple, a little sweet and lacks the spice and yeast flavors to balance, still relatively drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2011 20:00:22 | More by cpetrone84

nataku00

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into a tulip glass at the bistro's barrel aged beerfest. Dark orange, surprisingly clear, with a half finger of white fluffy head from the initial pour. The head dissipated quickly, but leaves a little lacing on the glass. Fairly easy to reform a bit of head from swirling, so carbonation is at a good level.

Nice aroma, complex mix of floral honey, light caramel, and vanilla. Despite all of these sweet aromas, it wasn't overbearing and was very pleasant.

Taste was slightly muted, but followed the nose. Malty backbone carries a nice floral sweetness, slight citrus acidity initially, but smooths out quickly. Not too much of an aftertaste. Oak is not present at all on the tongue.

Medium body beer had a good amount of carbonation for something aged this long. Not quite enough balance to the sweetness on this one, and further aging may only make it sweeter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2010 05:12:33 | More by nataku00

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another VE on tap at Alewife.

A: The ale is a golden tea color, a bit of brown balancing things out. Not much in the way of head, just a thin band.

S: The nose has plenty of spice, lemon and ginger with cardamom dominating with its ususal zeal.

T: The ale is spice-laden, having held up nicely over the years. The cardamom drives a bold profile that is lively and (almost) excessively sweet.

M: I like this kind of spice profile, bold and assertive, domineering even.

D: A little on the strong end, VE07 is a sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 14:06:04 | More by akorsak

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had at the Stone Tap Takeover in Charlotte. Served from tap into a tumbler. Poured red-orange with a minimal off-white head. Maintained decent lacing throughout. The aroma was comprised of malt, subtle spices, and alcohol. The flavor was of red wine spices, subtle malt, and sweet hops. It had a light feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this one was quite nice. The red wine spices were something I was not expecting in this one, but it wasn't a dealbreaker either. This one is drinking quite nicely currently in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2010 15:07:03 | More by thagr81us

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Churchkey.

Pours a moderate amber color with a nice off white head and a bit of lacing as it makes its way down. The nose is a bit of a mess, but actually works a bit well. Lots of peppery spice along with some ginger. Miscellaneous citrus notes in there as well; not sure of those are from residual hops. Taste is much the same with the ginger and spice combo coming out a bit more than other flavors. Mouthfeel is one of a medium body with pretty good carbonation. It's a bit much, but drinks fairly well as it is quite interesting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2010 19:28:58 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had the 05, 07 and 07 wine barrel all side by side at Churchkey the other night, and those three were all rather disappointing.

Beer is a little bit of a spice bomb but its probably my favorite vertical epic of the night. Beer is yellow and has a nice head of medium bubbles on it that leaves a little lacing on the glass.

Beer smells like citrus and ginger. OK, this is what you wanted Stone.

Lead off for this beer is a medium to light body, moderate carbonation and ...oh yeah GINGER. Its ginger and coriander I think and that's about it. Its not very sweet, not a lot of malt to hold this one up but its spicy. That's about all. It was OK.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2010 14:47:12 | More by drabmuh

SkunkWorks

New York

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on the Total Tap Takeover Tour at Rattle n Hum in NYC. It was served in a flute glass.

Look: greenish, golden with a little haze and a little orange with a thick white head. It left lots of lace behind.

Smell: lots of spice in here along with some grapefruity hops. You can also smell the yeast.

Taste: very hoppy, which surprised me since its been aging for 3 years now. Lemon and orange flavors come out through the hoppiness.

Feel: light in body. Very crisp because the carbonation is pretty high.

Drink: very drinkable. If I didn't want to try everything on the tap list, I would've had a few rounds of this with no problem.

Overall, a good beer worth a try. In my limited experience with Belgians, I'd say this is a decent Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 13:00:12 | More by SkunkWorks

MisterClean

California

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Grad

A - Poured copper with 2 fingers of white head which dies fast.

S/T - Honey, nectarines, bubblegum, and yeast funk.

M - Supersweet, very malty, full-bodied, and some funk yeast at the end.

D - Very good. Most people thought this beer was hit and miss.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2010 06:23:24 | More by MisterClean

DmanGTR

New York

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes

A - crystal clear, rich honey color with very little head. 3.5

S - hint of pear mead, caramel, and amber malt. Bit of alcohol as well. Fruity and light bouquet. 4.0

T - rich grape/raisin flavor with some sour apples. Slight bitterness of hops gets masked by lots of fruitiness and a warm finish. 4.5

M - medium bodied, well carbonated. Crisp and warming. 4.0

D - quite drinkable. I enjoy this thoroughly. 4.0

I was glad MacGregors had this on tap along with the 08 and 09. A cool vertical, even though it's not the same beer each year.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2010 14:26:23 | More by DmanGTR

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask at Stone World Bistro & Gardens on 7/10/09.

A - Hazy amber/orange body with thin off-white head that receded to a patchy film, then finally nothing, leaving behind only thin strands of lacing on the glass.

S - Caramel malts and aged citrusy and hemp-like hops combine to create a very mellow, subtle nose. Hints of toffee, sugar and orange also emerge, followed by a waft of alcohol.

T - Sweet malty flavor with caramel and toffee at the forefront. Hop character is muted, suggesting hints of citrus fruit. The brew possesses a subtle boozy alcohol warmth, though it is not harsh at all. Flavor is very mellow overall.

M - Very smooth, mellow mouthfeel with a syrupy texture. Finishes with a mild alcohol warmth and scant hop bitterness on the palate.

D - This Vertical Epic transformed into a very subtle, mellow brew due to a bit of aging and cask conditioning. Quite tasty overall.

Serving type: cask

07-20-2009 03:43:16 | More by ffejherb

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Got one of the first pours off the cask. Beautiful yellow/pale golden color, very little head.

S: Very floral, spice, some fruits (but not as much as many other Belgian ales), and that familiar yeasty character.

T: This is quite sweet and fruity (particularly oranges) with a mild spice and yeast flavor to it. Not too much in the way of hops.

M: Medium body, not a ton of carbonation (obviously, being on cask).

D: Would have enjoyed drinking from the cask all afternoon, but I was driving.

Serving type: cask

07-12-2009 03:11:31 | More by womencantsail

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off the tap at Stone Night in Burlington this beer was a bright orange-amber color in my goblet. The head was short lived but as a thin cream-colored collar it left scattered lacing and stuck around quite a while. The aroma was surprisingly light, floral and citrus hops, light spiciness and hints of honey. The flavors, however, were monstrous compared to the bouquet. The flavors were a nice arc that started with a semi-sweet note that then went spicy before going to a bitter finish. Bright hops added lemon and grapefruit, tangy orange peel, and white grapes. The alcohol nip was present and Belgian yeast added complexity and a 'twang' at the finish that I had mixed feelings about. The mouthfeel was semi-creamy, the body full and the carbonation still quite active.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2009 01:35:17 | More by thekevlarkid

scottg

Vermont

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a tulip glass at American Flatbread in Burlington, VT during the "Stone Extravaganza."

Pours a clear orangish gold color with a 1/2 finger white head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lacing. Great mix of aromas lead by ginger and sweet citrus with spice, fruity yeast and alcohol. Up front ginger flavor, not too much but definately ginger, then a mix of banana, clove, pepper, vanilla, sweet orange and an alcohol warmth. Medium carbonation, medium body, a very dry beer. All your taste buds are awakened with this beer.
Incredible flavors! If you see this being poured at any festival or can find a bottle, definitely a must try!

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2008 18:39:17 | More by scottg

Sconnie

Wisconsin

1.98/5  rDev -48%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Had this at the Stone 08.08.08 event at Brasserie V in Madison. Stone has just hit the Madison market, and has hit hard, with their posters and taps showing up all over the city. But I have to say, I have yet to be impressed with ANY of their beers, especially this one.
I was told by a Stone Rep that this was a Saison style, even though it's listed as a belgian strong ale here. Pours a pale gold, smells very strongly of spices. The taste is all spice: tons of ginger, cinnamon, clove and coriander, nothing else at all. After a year of aging you'd think the spices would have died down, but not at all. Maybe there was more hop flavor initially that has worn off with age, making this beer unbalanced, but whatever it is, this was flat out BAD. Spices in the face with nothing else going on. I could only choke down 1/3 of the pint. I hate to waste beer, and this is the only beer I can remember that I have ever sent back without finishing as it was just plain un-drinkable.
After having this, their arrogant bastard, ruination and the 08.08.08, I am very disappointed with Stone. Add on their "you're probably to stupid to understand how good our beer is" marketing campaign and I'm totally done with this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2008 19:30:15 | More by Sconnie

TheBCrew

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at BCTC 2008.

Pours a light amber with a thick off-white head and some lacing. Subtle spice in the aroma as well as some hop pine. Interesting taste with several competing flavors including cloves, pine, malt sweetness, some juicy fruit and a slight, almost saison-like tartness. Mouthfeel was medium-heavy and somewhat chewy. Good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2008 20:40:03 | More by TheBCrew