Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Reaper16

Alabama

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bomber served into a snifter

Pours a nice blackish color. It's pretty dark, as is the roasty, brown head. A pretty active, sizable head, at that.

The smell still has some of that tangerine peel quality. I figured it would fade away over the years of aging; it has, but not by as much as I figured. That citrus peel note blends pretty well with the spiced chocolate aromas. This is definitely a Belgian yeast strain.

The flavor is pretty smoothed out at this point: floral spiciness, milk chocolate, a bit of orange. I'm not in love with it, and I'm a person who loves Belgian stouts. I think what I'm looking for is more roast to match up with the phenols. As is, this is like a lesser variant of something like Boulevard Dark Truth.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 22:18:18 | More by Reaper16

ajzy

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -26.8%

05-18-2013 13:17:22 | More by ajzy

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Never tried it fresh, but trying it now!!

Pours out a dark black with a nice 2 fingers of cocoa looking head.

The aroma has a nice blast of citrus upfront and that's followed by a mix of bittersweet dark chocolate and some vanilla. There is a bit of oak in there, but not much and some roasted notes as well. Kinda smells like a Porter.

The taste is also very upfront in the citrus department with notes of orange and tangerine. The chocolate notes go between the bittersweet dark chocolate, but a sweet milk chocolate too. The vanilla is there, but it doesn't stand out as much as in the nose and the oak is present in the back as well. There are decent roasty notes throughout.

The body is medium and the mouthfeel is rich and creamy. The ABV is hidden completely at this point.

It's a very tasty beer, but I assume since this was brewed in a Belgian style that all the Belgian characteristics have faded with time. Tastes more like a Porter, but still worth trying if you can still find any somehow.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 15:59:48 | More by JohnnyMc

ajtorres311

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -32.9%

05-15-2013 22:53:24 | More by ajtorres311

Zbeetleman

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-15-2013 02:59:22 | More by Zbeetleman

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -20.7%

05-13-2013 22:28:03 | More by mikeincharleston

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

05-13-2013 01:50:33 | More by vrbulldog22

PlinyBeMiney

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-12-2013 21:47:52 | More by PlinyBeMiney

koopa

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-12-2013 02:35:18 | More by koopa

blknikon

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-08-2013 19:35:25 | More by blknikon

aLenwell

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-07-2013 23:24:00 | More by aLenwell

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-07-2013 23:16:03 | More by cadaugherty

dalepryor

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

05-07-2013 21:43:02 | More by dalepryor

Obsidian

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-04-2013 04:40:35 | More by Obsidian

nova009

Kentucky

3.59/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bomber into a snifter

A- pours a deep dark brown the color of cola, a one finger tan head emerges and dissipates down to a covering, decent amount of bubbles pop at the surface

S- roasty dark malt, bittersweet chocolate, alcohol, candi sugar, dark fruits particularly figs and raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg

T- black coffee, cocoa nibs, vanilla, alcohol, extremely roasty and overpowers anything close to belgian flavors

M- medium body, decent carbonation, slightly creamy but finishes dry

O- Slightly disappointed in this one, the body was a bit too thin for my liking, additionally most of the belgian flavors were either non-existant or, and more likely, they dissipated over time with the aging, still drinkable but nothing to write home about

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:26:38 | More by nova009

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

5/5  rDev +22%

04-29-2013 01:45:56 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

04-27-2013 09:18:07 | More by Kelp

AlphaKingKegger

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-16-2013 03:51:32 | More by AlphaKingKegger

mdaschaf

Washington

3.76/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had on tap at Brouwers on 12/12/12, review from notes.

A: Quite dark, pretty much black with a small tan head that sticks around for a bit and leaves some random lacing down the glass.

S: Some light Belgian yeast, a bit of chocolate, roasted malt, banana, and some wood.

T: Quite similar to the aroma, some banana, more dark fruit in the flavor profile than the aroma, with a bit of chocolate, cloves, and raisins.

M: Medium bodied, maybe a little thin. Slightly dry finish.

O: This one was fine, not my favorite, but not bad overall.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2013 00:05:33 | More by mdaschaf

robbrandes

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-03-2013 06:07:12 | More by robbrandes

enelson

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

03-31-2013 14:28:09 | More by enelson

Buckeye982

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.4%

03-30-2013 02:27:41 | More by Buckeye982

bigclydeoliver

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

03-26-2013 02:00:23 | More by bigclydeoliver

DavidRose

Kentucky

2.75/5  rDev -32.9%

03-24-2013 22:08:28 | More by DavidRose

obywan59

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11/21/2010

I went into Kroger tonight intending to get 2 10.10.10s and didn't realize that one row was still the 09s. Lucky break. I had tried this several times, but never reviewed it.

Pours darkly into my Duvel tulip, with a 1 to 1 1/2 finger tan head that recedes rather quickly to a ring around th4 glass and slight haze over the surface of the beer. Good lacing.

A wonderfully fruity, chocolaty aroma reminiscent of cheesecake. A nicely sweet Belgian aroma.

A bit of sweetness, but nearly overpowered by the bitterness. Tastes of bitter chocolate, burnt malt, and a hint of coffee. I get no hops--unusual for a Stone brew. The malts reign supreme.

Medium-bodied. Just slightly sticky. Nice warming alcohol burn in the throat.

A good drinker, but the ABV slows you down.

I took no notes, but I seem to remember this being sweeter before. Like my last homebrew (a Baltic Porter) it seems to be less sweet, more bitter, and more Kick-Ass, now.

03/21/13

This time around, I get a 4 finger tight, tan colored head that becomes chunky as it recedes, leaving some magnificent lacing. The body is black with no highlights.

Overall, the aroma reminds me of chocolate milk. Still, I can almost get my original impression of cheesecake. Hints of vanilla, chocolate, and oak, with tropical fruits and spice.

Light sweet malt upfront, but soon followed by bitter chocolate and roasted flavors. A hint of coffee, and some tart citrus aspects as well. A bit of dark molasses and vanilla shine through. Caramel and oak in the finish.

I call it medium-thick this time around. Moderate syrup becoming drying in the end. Light warming alcohol in the throat.

Not only does this beer smell like chocolate milk, but the thick tan head acturally looks like frothy chocolate milk. I think both the bitterness and the alcohol have mellowed in the two years and four months since I first reviewed this. Unlike the "08, this beer has improved, I believe it's a better beer now. I've knocked the taste up to a 4.5 from a 4.0. This is an elegant brew. Nothing harsh about it. I wish I'd saved more. I guess I'll have to brew it myself.

With 3 more of the series to resample, I'm saying this is likely the best brew of the the VEs I've tried (2007-2012)

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:58:55 | More by obywan59