Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

harrymel

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured to NB globe during an 06-10 VE tasting.

A: Golden, hazy with single finger fine white foam which sticks around. Decent spider lacing. Golden butterscotch look.

S: Peppercorns, green apples, belgian yeast. Floral qualities, jasmine. Decent, but not great.

T: Cloves, apples, bananas over a slightly sour amberesque ale. The beer also evolves to reveal a slight alcohol flavor. Not really a taste I would anticipate from an IPA (even belgian).

M: medium body with fine, assertive carbonation. Leaves the palate dry.

D: This is a decent beer, but not nearly as good as some of the other offerings from the series I sampled.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 18:18:20 | More by harrymel

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Stone

A: The beer pours a clear golden color with a white head and and spots of lacing.

S: There is still a surprising hop presence to this beer with some nice bright fruit notes, but those may be from the Belgian yeast strain. There's a bready and sugary sweetness to the nose along with some mild alcohol.

T: Quite a bit of bitterness on the tongue with citrus peel, particularly orange and tangerine. The hops are a bit grassy but provide some pine, too. A bit of pear sweetness along with the bread.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation.

D: Not surprisingly, this beer is nowhere near as good as it was when it came out a couple years ago. But it's still drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2011 01:23:01 | More by womencantsail

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on 1-30 along with the 09 and 10.

A - Poured out a semi-cloudy, golden yellow color with a one-finger, off-white head of foam. It left thin rings of lace.

S - It smelled slightly phenolic with good yeasty quality. Some tropical fruits were detected, too.

T - Good spicy and yeasty first sip with sweet caramel, a sharp hop bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

D - This was really good with 2+ years of age. I would've loved to try on fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 22:40:31 | More by zeff80

dragonWhale

New York

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very nice, very nice. Before looking this up to review I thought I was sippin on a hoppy saison. A brilliant gold, quite clear. Estery, can'tquiteputmyfingeronit goodness. Not much Americohop presence. Very floral hops, grassy too. Nothing in the way of citrus and pine. Classy. I mean $150/hr whore classy. Very tasty with a giant alcohol finish, especially for the mere 8.6 and the 2 years that this has sat dormant, awaiting execution. Delicious. My last bottle. Had to throw it back on the wants..

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 03:52:10 | More by dragonWhale

mltobin

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Whole Foods Bowery.

Appearance is a hazy golden color with a thin white head.
Smell contains belgian yeast, some citrus, banana. Taste is sweet, grapefruit comes across, also some acidity, along with candied sugar. MF starts off smooth, and then picks as the sip continues & dry in the finish. Drinkability is very good on this Belgian IPA from Stone. One of my personal favorites from the few that I have consumed from the Vertical Epic series.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 00:31:57 | More by mltobin

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pretty glad I found this for $7 with two years already on it!

Pours a golden amber aith white head that fades quickly to almost nothing (probably because the alcohol is 8.6%)Leaves nice lacing though.

Smell isnt over powering but of lemon and orange. I think the yeast contributes a lot to the smell.

Taste and mouthfeel are great! It tastes like a citrus foreward IPA but semi subdued. The bottle conditioning makes for a great smooth creamy mouthfeel and covers the alcohol quite a bit.

Im gonna go pick up this and the 09 to let sit for another year!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 02:57:57 | More by Eriktheipaman

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Drank 12.29.10 after sitting in a low 50's basement for 2 years.

Golden hazy yellow. Straw. Thick frothy head.

Very fruity tart apple aroma with a solid yeasty honey background. A tangy amount of floral/resin hops brings up the rear.

Sips with a nice little tang at first but is very fruity and smooth with a nice Belgian kick in the back. Estery and full of fruity hop notes that are subtle but leave a fruity dryness like a champagne.

Drinks juicy and light with a great bubble tingle.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 01:44:12 | More by DrinkingDrake

YouSkeete

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found this guy at my hometowns liquor store last week. Why this hole-in-the-wall have a two-year old Stone... I'll never know.

A: Cloudy bright yellow with a very slight orange tint, medium white head, lots of lacing.

S: Smooth and dry malt sweetness, large fruity body, and lots of honey sweetness. Yeast and Belgian hops are strong, but not heavy in the nose.

M: Fruity sweetness, and a boat load of bready pilsner malts, both dry and bitter yet rich and flavorful. Fruits consist of maybe apples, oranges, bananas; definitely on the lighter side. Floral notes are noticed, along with some grain and wheat undertones. Finishes syrupy and sticky.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. Moderately nice finish. I have to admit i feel like there is something missing, but i can't put a finger on it.

D: definitely a great tasting brew, but not my favorite out of the VE Series.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 00:05:08 | More by YouSkeete

Boto

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber: This one pours an almost clear golden color. There was a skall white head that didn't linger or leave any lacing. The aroma is nice. Some peppery spices, orange, lemon, yeastiness to the nose. The flavor is good. Somewhat like a tripel, but some hop bitterness to the finish. Some yeast, lemon, clove, orange, spiciness to the taste. Dry finish. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 20:13:59 | More by Boto

DovaliHops

California

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very slightly hazy golden color with a medium-small white head that disappears quickly. Scent is Belgian yeast, lemongrass, a little bit of hoppiness left, apples, spices, orange peel, and pear. Lots of fruitiness going on. Taste quite delicious. All the fruitiness is very present in the taste, but the hoppiness has faded away completely it seems like...maybe not completely, but damn near close. Tons of apple and pear flavors. I also get some white grape flavors that are comparable to 10-10-10. The lemon zest lingers on the palate after every sip along with some pleasant spiciness and a bit of alcohol warmth. Mouthfeel is full-bodied and crisp. Drinkability is high. I never had this beer fresh when it was released over 2 years ago, but I think it's drinking very well right now. Gonna save the other bottle for the Epic 2012 vertical!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 08:02:48 | More by DovaliHops

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy golden yellow in color and poured with a thin white head that quickly disappeared, leaving lacy patterns of bubbles floating on the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of oranges and spices in the nose; hints of grapefruit and yeast are also discernible.
T: Like the smell, citrus and spicy flavors dominate the overall taste, overshadowing the underlying malts. The finish has a moderate amount of bitterness from the hops.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the finish and some hints of warming from the alcohol.
D: This is a beer that needs to be slowly sipped given its alcohol content and the amount of bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 04:29:19 | More by metter98

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear, bright, yellow-hued body underneath a tall, white head fed by sustained streams of fine carbonation.

Smell: Light pale malts with some small, sweetish hints, touches of florals, peaches, less-than-dry white wine and with citrusy notes of American hops, though understandably a bit curtailed from two years of quite aging in the keg.

Taste: Pale lightly malted barley with sweet, honeyed traces to it, welcoming in fruit accents of peaches, apples, grapefruits, and white grapes. Subtle florals. Medium level of hop bitterness remaining two years out pairs with the spicy clove-like phenols. Noticed vein of alcohol running through this brew. Finishes dry, warming, and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Slight overall stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: 08.08.08 runs in line with others of its ilk, like Duvel Triple Hop or Urthel Hop-It, though I'd like it with a skosh more carbonation to it to keep things moving in the mouth. Still pretty nice, though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2010 17:22:15 | More by ChainGangGuy

FosterJM

California

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

38th review on BA
bottle to tulip

App- Orange hazy sunset color with 2 finger off white head that loudly fizzled down the glass.

Smell- Huge hop notes with citrus and spice notes and that belgian strain coming through quite nicely.

Taste- This is a smooth IPA. I am very happy I found this laying around. It's slightly sweet with a flavor I just cant put my finger on but it wants me to keep drinking. Stone is very good at this Vertical series. I really want them all, too bad 02 is $750 on ebay right now.

Mouth- It's sweet but not too in your face. I find it to be a delicate balance of flavors but comes through quite nicely.

Drink- Keep this one coming. I wish they made this a full time selection. I am off to find another one to age till the VE series is over.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 00:40:28 | More by FosterJM

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The midway point, my VE hump day.

A: The Belgian IPA is a pale golden color, quite translucent. Very little in the way of head, a few wispy strands.

S: The nose, ahh the sweet blend of tripel botanicals, strong hops and a twang of Belgian yeast. The best smeller of the night.

T: The hops are off a step, this being 2 years old and all. Luckily the tripel spices are lively and sharp. Coriander, pears and pepper create a complex flavor that coaxes the last remaining citrus oomph out of the hops. The yeast strain adds additional sweetness that, along with the hops and tripel, lend a gritty bite to the ale.

M: The mouthfeel is a study in contrasts, the bite of the hops, the sweetness of the yeast, the strength of the tripel. My favorite of the night.

D: Another whopper, too strong for its own good. I wouldn't hesitate to have a few more pints, a Belgian IPA that has aged nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 14:19:35 | More by akorsak

Phelps

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks: like liquid gold. The beer pours from the bottle a resplendent golden-orange, almost completely opaque, with a tiny head of pure white composed of fizzy soda bubbles that effervesce quickly, leaving a tiny lingering ring. No lacing to speak of.

Smells: some hops remain, imparting citrusy orange flavors. Very spicy. Coriander, pears, lemon, red apples, white peppercorns. It's odd, almost like breathing spiciness. I can feel a heat in the back of my throat as I breath in.

Tastes: enduring. Though the years have performed their work on the hops in the nose, it's amazing how well they've held up in the flavor. This is a Belgian IPA if I've ever had one. Starts fruity, with flavors of pear juice, banana, clove and maybe even some floral lavender. Then a blast of bitter, citrusy hops, with orange juice lemon zest. The flavor of sweet orange creamsicles hits at the swallow before an oddly dry finish.

Feels: whipped. Lightly carbonated, medium-bodied and pillow-soft. It's nice to just swish around the mouth.

Drinks: For a two-year-old Belgian IPA, this is exquisite. Still fruity, still hoppy, still complex. I'm not confident my second bottle will hold up until 2012, but we'll see.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 08:32:20 | More by Phelps

caddybuyer

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Life is short, why wait until 2012. This is a re-review with a more favorable outcome.

A-pale straw with a copper tinge, with a thin white head with nice lacing.

S-Belgian yeast, grass, musk, saddle, and a hint of lemon and bananna and a bit of alcohol in the background. Very little hop aroma detected.

T-Belgian tripel yeast, fresh green apple, a hint of green grape juice, pear and corriander. Dry finish with herbal peppery hops leading the way out. The watchword here is "crisp". ABV is well hidden, and the complexity of this ale begins to shine as it warms. I expected this to be a much more highly hopped ale, and perhaps it was when it was young. It has mellowed into a very nice tripel, however, and while this is not my favorite style, I can appreciate that this is well done. In any case, this is much better than it was a year ago

M-Medium mouthfeel and carbonation

D-This is a pretty drinkable beer, and one that could sneak up on you given the ABV. .I think the Cali-Belgique hits closer to home for the West Coast meets Belgian thing, but this is a pretty nice effort.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 01:03:08 | More by caddybuyer

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden orange colour with some white head and nice enough lacing. Smells like spicy Belgian yeast with some citrus notes. Flavour has a kick of bitterness, but also a very dry flavour to it. Nice carbonation and easy to finish off my half of the bomber.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 19:52:28 | More by kwjd

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma is like a saison, getting pepper first of all, clove and bannanas. Golden blond colour with white Caesar head. Understated hops, lemon rind. Above average mouthfeel. Good drinkability.I think the yeast will fade out in a couple years which make it even more interesting, take the edge off the yeast.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 00:49:51 | More by northyorksammy

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store Pub. Pours a nice golden with a fairly short head but nice lacing. The smell is fairly light but with some nice earthy and citrusy hops. Tastes big and piney with some cream and citrus, especially on the finish. Creamy and smooth in the mouth, with a bit of prickliness at the end. Overall it's pretty nice, I particularly like the orange and cream finish- makes it taste a little like a hoppy creamsicle!

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2010 02:32:03 | More by Georgiabeer

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to blackearth for busting this one out of the cellar.

Poured from a bottle into my glass.

A: bright golden yellow, small white head, light soapy lace

S: sweet doughy malt, solid amount of of citrus, heavy on the oranges, light pine mixed in

T: very similar to the nose, orange essence yellow cupcakes cup to mind

M: medium body with mild carbonation

D: overall this is astyle that I just don't get. Well I get this one. Very flavorful and drinkable. I would have no problem finishing a bomber myself.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 01:32:29 | More by beerwolf77

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One from my case purchased and cellared since 08. Nice dark golden color. On the cloudy side. Thin wispy head that manages to trail spotty lace. Smell is sugary with some whisky burn in the background. Hops is much more subdued than when this was fresh. Taste is a great mix of sweet up front with bitterness on the finish. It has matured nicely and mellowed considerable since it was fresh. Nothing less than what I would expect from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 00:19:31 | More by beermanbrian

bilyboy65

Colorado

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is a fantastic release yet again. 2 years old now and still fresh. I wish I had tried one in '08 to compare it too.

A: Slightly cloudy, light amber with a pure white head. Lacing that coats the glass and a heavy film left behind. Decent carbonation to keep the head around after 2 years as well.

S: Hoppy bitterness jumps out at you with a sweet malty scent to follow right behind. Tying it together seems to be a yeasty scent riding the hops to your nose. All works together to make a very nice nose.

T: Very well balanced flavor between the hops, malts and yeast. Some pulls seem to have the sweet malts dominate and others the hops. The yeast seems to just be there to act as a blending agent. Very nice.

M: Dry medium bodied beer.

D: 22oz bottle is gone before I finished this review. :)

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 03:13:21 | More by bilyboy65

ZX6Chris

California

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared at a Vertical Epic tasting with my friend Armand.

A-Good head, White bubbles that are larger the the previous Epic's, dissipates quickly, golden straw yellow.

S-Hop aroma, piney, citrusy.

T-Flavor follows through, a little grassy.

D-Good drinker, big flavors but very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 01:46:54 | More by ZX6Chris

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a clear, translucent copper with a smallish off-white head that quickly recedes to a small film, but laces well.

some peppery, fruity aromas hints at a belgian yeast while some citrusy and grassy hops back things up a bit. bananas and cloves, yah, but plenty more. Traces of a belgian tripel, but with some hops as well. not bad at all.

taste is similar to the aroma, but also adds some malts to the package. peppery and fruity with banana, clove, plum, raisin, and apple flavors added to the wheat toast and caramel malts which give way to some grassy, citrus, and earthy hops, which have probably faded a bit over the last two years. a bit of warming booze comes through on the back end. nice.

medium bodied with ample carbonation and a nice lingering bitterness.

drinks rather well. booze can be harsh at times, even though its been aged for two years. that may age out in the next couple of years when the vertical is complete. otherwise, this is a nice, hoppy tripel with plenty of complexity and flavor. will look forward to trying this again in a couple of years.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 06:10:22 | More by silentjay

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a nice golden-amber color with high carbonation evident and one finger of off white head that doesn't last very long.

s - Smells of bananas, cloves, spices, yeast, and sticky sweet fruit malts. Some citrus came out as it warms up.

t - Tastes of bananas, citrus hops, grapefruit, oragne, spice, and yeast. A tiny bit of bitterness, but not much. More fruity malts as it warms up.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and easy to drink for 8.6%.

d - The bottle says it is a Belgian tripel, while BA says it's a Belgian IPA, and I can see both sides of it. I thought it smelled pretty good and definitely like a tripel, as it didn't have a lot of hops. The taste however actually still had a lot of hops to it. Either way, it was an enjoyable beer I'd try again. Interested to see what'll happen in 2 more years.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2010 23:58:24 | More by mdfb79