Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Mryup

California

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Deep golden color with red/orange/yellow highlights. Average white head after a semi-vigorous pour.

S: Heavy malt, hops, spice (ginger among others) with subtle hints of citrus fruit.

T: Heavy malt and spice dominate the taste with the hops (Glacier and Crystal) and citrus fruit to add a very nice balance. Unique. The alcohol is melded perfectly.

M: Wet, medium-bodied that holds its balance throughout. Carbonation is high but seems fitting for the beer.

D: Considering the alcohol content, this is a very drinkable beer. The style makes it so it's not a session beer but still enjoyable none the less.

NOTE: After finishing this beer I have edited my drinkability score from a 2.5 to 4! One of the previous reviewers was correct in that this is not a beer to rate by sampling. It gets better and better. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2007 20:24:26 | More by Mryup

mitchfor3

California

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

Pours a cloudy orange with a fizzy white froth that fades fairly quickly to a thin layer of head and a collar. Appears highly carbonated.

Smell is familiar yet unique - paradoxical? Yes. Inviting? Yes. Notes of citrus and orange peel dance on top of the Belgian-style yeast to create a sweet, zesty aroma.

Carbonation dances on my tongue with the first sip. Chewy malts dominate. What a unique flavor - truly mission accomplished with respect to Stone's goal of fusing a trippel and a saison, although I taste more trippel-like character than saison. With each sip the orange and lemon notes become more pronounced - perhaps even too much so. Perhaps could use a bit more body towards the end of the taste - initially mouthfeel is nice and thick but towards the swallow the malty flavor fades too quickly, giving way to a citrusy aftertaste that isn't altogether enjoyable.

This is a worthy effort by Stone to branch out from the bread and butter hopbombs. I still prefer what they normally do, but this is an offering that is worth checking out, if for no other reason because it is remarkably unique.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2007 05:47:51 | More by mitchfor3

drewmprs

California

2.5/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Appearance:
Poured into a belgian tulip, a medium 1" head that rapidly fades. Steady carbonation of small bubbles that dissipate into a medium sized head bubble. Medium Gold in color, medium clarity with a slight haze. Lack of brussels lace.
Aroma:
Complex, lots of ginger and orange peel. Definitely spicy, somewhat perfumy. Overbearing peppery and alcohol flavor.
Flavor:
Way too much clashing here. Perhaps better with age, like in 2012. I found the spiciness and cardamon aftertaste too much to overcome. Mild malt, and low hopping, especially for a Stone. Very low bitterness, very low astringency, not proper level of effervescence for the style.
Mouthfeel:
Just interesting enough to make me want to drink another in 5 years. Candi sugar is obvious on the finish.

Far better on tap.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2008 02:49:38 | More by drewmprs

lifebeer

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

a. pours a golden/orange, but cloudy-straw under the light, half-finger of head that doesn't last nearly long enough, minimal lacing

s. nice combination of citrus and apple, bread, coriander being the highlight

t. overwhelming rush of salty-metallic lemon, bread-maltiness and coriander, finishes with some alcohol

m. medium malty round

d. not the most drinkable, unless coriander is your favorite flavor, begins and ends with coriander

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2008 01:55:45 | More by lifebeer

jamesm7485

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

As a stone whore myself, i saw this in my local bottle shop and figured eh what the hell ill pick up a few. Im glad i did as a frequent ris and dipa drinker this was a nice lighter change without being flavorless. Nice fruity taste but not in an offensive way and its hard to pinpoint what it is. Not stones typical offering's but its a very good solid beer and im looking forward to trying the rest of the line.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2008 20:41:55 | More by jamesm7485

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

chadlebald

California

4.43/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought 4 of these on 6/22. Will keep the other 3 to age, but MUST try one now.

Beautiful golden amber color. Light head that dissipates relatively quickly. Oh, the smell is nice. Unmistakably Belgian esters: yeasty, subtle spice, banana and orange peel. It actually lingers inside my nose.

No surprise, the taste is quite good as well. Nice fruit and spice--the cardamon stays present for a good amount of time in the finish. Just enough hops to put it on the drier side, and with the ginger giving its 'hotness' to encourage the next sip. Warming my insides as I write this (and continue to drink more). Yummy.

It's a very good beer right now, so I wonder what time will do. (can't wait to find out!)

God bless those Belgians for brewing their beers. And bless those San Diegans at Stone for brewing another future gem.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2007 04:41:31 | More by chadlebald

SMADMS

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poured from a 22oz bottle

no chance this is waiting til 12/12/2012 as botle recommends

A-- very nice apricot color with fine bubbly 2 finger head
S-- wonderful fruity tones, flowers, slight spice
T-- follows the nose, fruit (pears) and the spice are there but the zest and peels are lost in the body. nice earthiness
M-- wonderfully clean and light
D-- very nice BSA well balanced flavors (lots of them)

this is my first of the veticals but with only 11 days to go looking forwards to 08/08/08

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2008 13:34:39 | More by SMADMS

quikfish13

Ohio

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

A: Cloudy honey orange with a nice foamy off white head. Highly carbonated as the head vanishes quite slowly.

S: Nice citrus aroma. Also a small hint of apple is noticed underneath the aroma of oranges and lemons.

T: A good hop bitterness with nice earthy malty tones. A little alcoholic bite at the end but not enough to ruin the beer.

M: Very smooth. Not to bitter and does not sit heavy at all on the taste buds. Crisp and refreshing.

D: Highly drinkable in my opinion. I would like to have one more aged but this was very nice. Be sure to pick one up this year.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2007 08:02:48 | More by quikfish13

session1979

Colorado

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

Setting/Pairing: I got a call from a buddy while I was in Vegas letting me know that the 07 Vertical Epic had hit the shelves in Denver and last night I had a chance to visit my shop and snag a few. I poured it into my Riedel snifter and enjoyed the first half on the patio with nothing but a cool breeze and the second half on the couch with my wife watching a movie.

Appearance: This is presented in the classic Stone bottle and print. It pours a cloudy orange/bronze hue with a creamy 2 finger head and moderate retention and lacing.

Smell: Big Belgian yeast, spices, Fruit and lots of it - apricot, peach and citrus. Sweet bubblegum and grapefruit are here as well.

Taste: Very complex, mild citrus hops hit the tongue first and then some spices - dates and figs, fruit and funky Belgian yeast. Tons of malt characteristics, you can tell they used several different varieties here. The minty Belgian flavor is there but it fades a bit to the background as the beer warms, wonderful sweet flavors on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Very round and smooth, nice big body.

Drinkability: I had no problem hammering this bomber in a sitting. It is bottle conditioned so it has only light carbonation but it has so many flavors that the alcohol fades into the distance and is soon forgotten.

Final Comments: I will try to keep the fact that I am a Stone whore out of equation and just say that this is a good beer with wonderful potential. It is distinct in its Belgian characteristics so if these are things you do not enjoy you may not care for this beer. I was highly anticipating its release and I was not disappointed. I plan to enjoy many more as it is a perfect beer to share with friends on a summer evening. My advice is to buy 3 or 4, enjoy a couple over the summer and lay at least one down until 2012 for the vertical tasting. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2007 17:02:23 | More by session1979

TheBeerWolf

Nevada

2.2/5  rDev -42.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

This review is based on my current tasting. As others stated a few years might help this one out.

A - Poured a coppery yellow. Minimal carbonation and lacing in mine.

S - Kind of spicey smell. Not a bad aroma at all.

T - This is where I was very upset. Too much spicey bite. While some might like this it was much too overbearing for me. I imagine this is what it is like to chew on one of those cheap gross spicey potpourri things people have in glass dishes. No real malt charecter to help out here either. Really besides the overwhelming spice it is kind of a thin brew with alcohol bite. The aftertaste is almost like carboard. It was a real chore to get through the bomber.

M - Very little carbonation really but not a bad mouthfeel per se. When you get past the taste.

D - The way it tastes now I would not really WANT to drink much of it. Besides that it has kind of too much alcohol bite.

Honestly I don't mean to be a jerk I love almost every other stone beer and I loved last years vertical. But I think they may have stepped into something they could not make, I have had a few Saisons and Belgan Golden Ales (from Belgium) and they just kick the crap out of this one. Way too much spice. I will leave the other 2 bottles I got for a few months, once the spice dies down they will probably be a little more drinkable then. As another guy stated they said bottle conditioned but no yeast at the bottom. Strange. Honestly there is not much charecter besides the spice so in 5 years I imagine this just being a thin alcohol soup with subdued spiciness. I love stone, they are my go to beer company. Stick to what you know guys please. After I drank it I had to brush my tongue to get the cardboard aftertaste off my tongue. Maybe I got a bad bottle who knows but I am not even trying the other bottles until a few months have passed.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 17:21:57 | More by TheBeerWolf

deeplennon

Washington

2.73/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I bought this expecting hops, not remembering that all the other vertical epics were Belgian based. My grave mistake.

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm rarely a fan of American Belgians. And stating that, this one does nothing to change that perception.

Color is dark for a pale, closest I can think of in the color palate of Belgians would be Bush (Scaldis), which technically is a Belgian barley wine not a pale with much more malt than your typical Belgian. Aroma on this one has Belgian yeast characterists, but they're not strong. Mostly fruits coming through, with some alcohol. Flavor again is muted with similar effect as aroma, body is almost watery like a German hefeweizen. Alcohol comes in much stronger than the stated 8.4%. I frankly can't believe it's not pushing 10% based on flavor. While yes, many American brews between 8-9% have this much alcohol presence, I can't think of one Belgian that even comes close. The beer label claims it's bottle conditioned, yet no yeast was left in the bottle or apparent in the pour.

Overall I've gotta say bleeeh. Give me a Stone IPA over this any day.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2007 05:42:39 | More by deeplennon

JRhode

California

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

22 oz. bottle with jhamel poured into a Palm tulip.

Nice glowing amber color with a pillowy head. No lacing. Suspended sediment.

Citrusy sweet malt smell with a tinge of alcohol. Smells more like a saison than a triple.

Soon after pouring tasted very saison like with a nice dry finish. After warming, alcohol astringency/bitterness became more apparent. Possible that citrus peel also contributes to bitter finish.

Full bodied with lively carbonation.

Very drinkable for 8.4% abv.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 03:36:47 | More by JRhode

Sticket

Wisconsin

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

P- a declared 8.4% abv in a 22oz brown bomber bottle.

A- pours a clear medium amber to deep gold with a light tan colored bubbly head that recedes into a ring around the edge.

S- citrus of lemons and oranges and ginger aroma.

T- starts with a mild sweetness followed with bitter ginger spice and finishes with a moderate amount of bitterness from the hops, alcohol is hidden well in this powerful (and to the style) flavor.

M- medium body that is moderately carbonated.

D- well balanced with a solid amount of alcohol that goes down easy but sits a little heavy. A great tasting beer, but most won't drink more than one at a time. I could see myself sitting down on a dark and cold winter night celebrating with this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 00:46:18 | More by Sticket

koolchas

California

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

* bomber poured in a tulip glass

i have had the enjoyment of drinking two of these so far as this is my first taste of the anticpated vertical epic series from stone brewing.

poured a deep dark golden color with a splash of amber mixed in with carbonation bubbles clinging to the the majority of the tulip. the smell is definetly more spices vs. citrus. as mentioned many times, it has the taste of pepper with orange and banana overtones. very belgian in style. a bit of alcohol bite lingers in the mouths but, only for a short period of time as the aftertaste of sweet citrus kicks in making you want to sip more. very tasty but, be careful as that abv can sneak up on you and hit you with a left hook.

overall a very good brew and i am sure this one will get better as it ages. my recommendation is get at least a case if you enjoy the first bottle since it can be cellared until december 12, 2012. i just hope i can keep a bottle that long! hats of to stone on this one!

cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 07:46:31 | More by koolchas

masterhomebrewer

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Found a stash of bottles recently at a small packy on the outskirts, so I decided to pop one.

A = Really pretty cloudy, rich pale body with an inch-high, fluffy, pure white head that lingers. Looks really nice.

S = Hmmm. Exactly like Vernors Ginger Ale, if you remember that one. Nice, but not what I want in a beer: sweet, spicy (ginger, coriander, nutmeg) and a touch of alcohol.

T = A lot like the smell. Fortunately, the Vernors taste -- very sweet ginger and spice -- though strong, fades fairly quickly, making room for some pleasant hop bitterness and a warming alcohol burn.

M = Really thick and luscious, just as I like my big beers to be. Smooth and warm with prickly carbonation that works in tandem with the soda-pop-like qualities of the beer.

D = There are a lot of good things in this beer, but perhaps a bit overdone in terms of spices. The sweetness and overdone spiciness combine to make only a moderately drinkable beer. One pint and I'm done with it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 23:00:39 | More by masterhomebrewer

tomParis

Massachusetts

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

Light orange color, fairly clear.

Smells of ginger, orange peel (grapefruit according to the label), and Belgian candy sugar in no particular order. Also, some saison-y aroma and a hint of something weird that kinda reminds me of eucalyptus. The alcohol and esters are noticeable, but not overpowering.

Taste is dominated more by the ginger and citrus, with some nice sweetness to balance it out. But there is really a lot going on here. Good carbonation. Crisp, medium to medium-light body.

With all the bold flavors and aromas in this beer, I really think this could be one of the best of the VE's when 12-12-12 rolls around.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2007 00:42:18 | More by tomParis

calebmills

West Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

To start this is one of the first beers ive been able to try that was above 6% alcohol other than stones arrogant bastard ale which i was not able to fully enjoy because i had already had too much to drink that particular night...anyways this beer is a slightly hazy orange. sort of fruity tasting but for the high alcohol content its well masked and very very smooth.. this is my first beer review as well and this is a very complex beer to try and explain for my first try but i definately recommend it if you come across a bottle!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2007 04:53:44 | More by calebmills

raiser

California

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

Picked it up because it looked interesting

A. translucent light gold. Light carbonation, very little head mostly on edge of my snifter, and lasted 1 minute.

S. Ginger, Citrus, maybe some cinnamon, not very distinctive.

T. If you like fruit + ginger you've found a beer. Sweet and tart, with little aftertaste.

M. Light... Tiny Bubbles

D. Not really my gig, but I think the wife will like it. Hides the 8.4% well. It's worth trying if you have access to it, but I wouldn't go out of my way unless you LOVE ginger and/or citrus beers.

It's not bad, but it's also not Epic.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 01:42:35 | More by raiser

thebarracuda

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a honey/golden color with minimal head. Light floral scent. A strong smack of hops. A powerful alcohol note with a light sweet aftertaste that touches the back of the throat. I can’t wait to try this beer in 5 years, I should have bought an extra bottle for every year

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 10:58:09 | More by thebarracuda

robg2251

Michigan

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an amber orange with a creamy 1/4" head that dissipated quickly.
Smell is sweet banana, orange-grapefruit and nutmeg.
Light to medium on the palette, a bit dry. Fizzy in carbonation that finishes with a moderate alcohol feel.
The initial flavor is light sweetness, and finishes moderately sweet - the 8.4% ABV definitely comes out in the finish.
This is Stones sixth in their "epic" series. They started with a batch on 02.02.02 and followed up year after year - obviously, this years was released on 07.07.07.
This is a Belgian style based on two styles - Saisons and Golden Triples.
This beer is pretty complex. You can taste the fruit flavors throughout it, along with a depth of spices. I'm not a real big fan of Belgians, but I do like to try them. This one will probably have to grow on me. The bottle suggests aging this until 2012. Maybe they plan on it tasting much better by then. Too late for me though, my bottle is already opened and I'm about to finish it!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2007 01:15:57 | More by robg2251

nephlim

Massachusetts

1.98/5  rDev -48%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I must preface this review by saying that Stone is probably my favourite brewery. The Ruination and Bastards are extremely well made beers; beers that I've converted BPR drinkers with. So, I expected allot from the Vertical Epic.

I poured it from a 1pt 6ox bottle into this nifty Samuel Smith pint glass (try to find one, they're nice). The colour was nice, looked on par for the style.

The smell was kind of, well, blah. There was spice, and alcohol. I couldn't make much out of it.

The taste and mouth feel were awkward. It felt thin, and hot. The alcohol was very forward, as were the spices. It also had an over "sour" taste, like it had been chilled, warmed, and then chilled again. It wasn't the clean taste I'd come to expect from Stone.

Maybe I just got a bad batch, but I expected much more.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2007 07:34:47 | More by nephlim

alexatlatx

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I drank this 22oz beer out of one of the new fandangled Sam Adams pint glasses.

The first taste i thought "oh great another ginger ale." Then as i tasted it more i focused on the Saison character and citrus notes. Pretty nice. Not as good as 6-6-6 though.

When it warms up to room temperature it gets a buttery nose and a quite intense ginger flavor.

I assume this ginger will mellow as it ages.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2007 05:59:02 | More by alexatlatx

Eirerate

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A wonderful choice for the hot summer evening after work sitting by the pool when I enjoyed mine. Poured a very attractive deep golden color into my glass with a small head that thinned quickly to a light film on the top. I wasn't blown away by the aroma, but the taste was delightful. Lots of spice right off the top, but a well balanced finish. Little to no lacing left behind in the glass. Felt wonderfully smooth in my mouth and really was a great way to finish this very hot summer day. I'm not sure how this beer really conforms to the styles it claims to be inspired by, but I enjoyed this beer very much and I will be anxious to see how the others I bought age over time — provided I can keep from drinking them.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2007 14:47:34 | More by Eirerate

dough

New York

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this beer into a Tulip at about 50-55 degrees.

Pours an amber color with about 1 inch of head which dissipates fairly quickly.

Nose reminds me of candy apples.

Taste: Hebal, orangeskin fruitiness with a malty undertone. I sense a drying finish.

Overall this is a decent beer and a nice take on a classic Belgian style. I am interested to see how this one ages and looking forward to another review in 5 years.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2007 03:46:15 | More by dough