Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

DarthKostrizer

California

3.28/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared a bottle with Alucard4

Look: Black with brown rings around the edges 1/2 inch head and good retention

Smell: Belgian yeast with some vanilla and notes of chocolate

Taste: Upfront is a earthy kind of dirty Belgian yeast note and the backend has quite a bit of coffee and traces of chocolate

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation and a bit chalky

Overall: When this beer first came out I loved it so much that I bought a whole case and now that a couple years has gone by this beer has taken a turn for the worse and I feel next year when people do the huge vertical they will be even more let down

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 21:37:18 | More by DarthKostrizer

chugalug06

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Nice brown soapy head. Looks like ginger bread. Brew is jet black. Thin viscosity.

S - Nutty. Bananas. Chocolate. Slightly homebrew-y... Some vanilla, not much.

T - Very nutty. Rich milk chocolate. I could see slight orange too, nothing overwhelming. Not over spiced. Not too much hop, most by now have faded. Lots of vanilla.

M - Smooth and rich. Big complexity. Perfect carbonation, no heat, and amazing bitterness.

O - A well brewed beer by Stone. Nice Job. Very much enjoyed this brew. Good thing I have a few more ;) Very Unique.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 04:31:48 | More by chugalug06

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks alex

Pours a deep browned out, almost black color. Tanned head rests on top, leaving some patchy lacing and retaining with some film layers.

Nice roasty malt character in the nose with some nuttiness and dark chocolate. Bready with caramel and slight boozy warmth. Very faint belgian yeast presence.

Decent roasted character up front with nuts and dark chocolate. Light belgian yeast with a hint of spice. Thicker malt backbone with bread crust, caramel, and mocha. Finishes a little warm and sweet.

Fuller medium body, decent carbonation, a little chewy and sticky on the tongue. This was my favorite of the past 3 Vertical Epics, and it appears to be doing nicely right now.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 16:09:58 | More by xnicknj

JustinAniello

Connecticut

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours pitch black with a three finger cream-colored head. Dissipates to a nice cap and lacing.

S - Heavy browned caramel and coffee aromas. Light chocolate with a mild piney hops in the background.

T - Starts as a sweet caramel and milk chocolate, turning into a browned caramel and coffee. An orange flavor briefly shows up in the transition. Nice hop bitterness lingers in the end. All the flavors are rather bold.

M - Medium body with light/medium carbonation. Goes very well with the flavors.

O - Still drinking very well more than two years after bottling. A well rounded medley of flavors and aromas, great for just sitting down and savoring. Most definitely going to try their homebrew recipe on their website. Another great beer from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 00:06:38 | More by JustinAniello

sprucetip

Alaska

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes. Very active, with 2 full inches of inconsistently composed mocha foam filling the tulip. Fluffy and dense in places, big bubbles in others, it fades quite slowly and leaves thick lacing. The supporting liquid is dark brown and without highlights.

Smells of dark fruit, booze, floral hops, and malty sweetness. Pleasant and fairly complex, but not intense.

Light roast, chocolaty malty sweetness, dark fruit, a bit boozy, with moderate bitterness throughout. Bitterness also increases during the finish.

Good carbonation, smooth, almost rich, medium full body. Despite the fullness, it has a generally dry character and finishes bitter.

Really tasty and smooth, with good complexity and balance. Just a little too bitter, to me, for the style. A really good brew that I'm thankful for having had the chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 06:51:59 | More by sprucetip

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. Bottle poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Very dark brown almost black with a nice small 1/2” head that recedes to a 1/16” cap. Nice lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt with chocolate, those two aromas dominate the nose.

Taste: Follows the aroma with a chocolaty rich roasted malt flavor. Also getting a mild licorice flavor. Very well balanced and delicious, the flavors work very well together.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with good body and carbonation.

Overall: Very good beer, somewhere between a stout and a porter. Glad to have a few bottles tucked away.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 17:28:11 | More by BobZ

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

Nice dark brew here with a nice thick tan colored head on top. The smell of the beer has some coffee notes and chcoclate along with a healty dose of hops and Belgian yeast. The taste of the brew is a little citrusy with the roasted malts following up in the dry aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the brew is quite nice, rich and semi-thick feeling. Overall this was a really nice brew and I'm glad to have had it.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 02:51:43 | More by Knapp85

Marty30

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into A Duvel tulip at 50 degrees.

A. Pours a dark brown and turns black once in the glass. Only a half finger tan head shows up.Some lacing on the glass.

S. Smells of dark cherries and caramel with a hint of earth oxidation maybe.Some brown sugar.

T. Definately some oxidation in this bottle.A little cherry taste and maybe some faint dark fruits, a good grainy background. A little bit of a metalic taste going on in the end also.

M. Kind of a light medium mouth,with pretty good carbonation.With a lingering aftertaste.Dry finish.

Overall I was hoping this would be better. Of the vertical epics I have had this was the most dissapointing.I'm not so sure how this beer will hold up.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 01:46:04 | More by Marty30

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from backlog city

A - It pours black as night and is capped with a pillowy tan head; it looks like a Belgian Stout.

S - The aroma is slightly sweet in a milky sense, and it is also quite roasty, offering notes of coffee and bitter cocoa. Dark fruitiness, specifically prune and date, is the mainstay once it begins to air out.

T - The flavor follows the nose but expands the profile to include a sort of Imperial Stout big-deliciousness. Bold notes of unsweetened cocoa, toffee-caramel, carob covered raisin, and estery dark fruitiness are vibrant, and are joined by milder spice undertones.

M - The feel is excellent; very creamy and softly carbonated.

D - I am quite impressed with this beer, it is the best VE I've had so far.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 00:01:24 | More by ktrillionaire

Cavery

California

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes, shared with Klym and Sunday Sour. Poured into a Stone Nonic glass.

A: Coffee black with creamy coffee bubbles. Two finger bean stock head raised up like baked brownies. Lacing featuring horizontal sticking lines. All in all it looks scrumdidliumptious..

S: High quality vanilla bean that paints a delicious picture. Light notes of figs, dark raisins, and perhaps some sweet sugared prunes. A middle of deep molasses medjool dates enters with warmer temperatures. A wonderful end suggestion of Bananas foster as I focus.

T: Coffee black with some shots of espresso. A really deep nutmeg/cardamom spiced woodiness. There is a super subtle roast flavor that sweetens with roasted marshmallows. Remnants of lingering cigar smoke burn through the warming beer. Amazing drinkability.

M: The mouth is phenomenal. This beer is just right as it is now. I think there could be a loss of some carbonation without a hit to the quality of the drink. So solid it hurts.

O: I will look forward to this vertical again on 12/12/12. One of the better stone verticals to be had to date. Just a wonderful beer that encompasses a whole buffet of delicious chocolatey baked goods. Bravo stone, a fine year indeed.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:01:28 | More by Cavery

Klym

California

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Second in my morning session with Cavery and SundaySour. Poured into a stone nonic.

A: Dark dark dark with a very handsome two-finger tan foam head; this one seems special. Lacing is weak, though.

S: Chocolate, vanilla, oak, wood, molasses, some spice and a small bit of dark fruits. Not so aromatic but I love to dig my nose into it.

T: Yeah, I'm picking up another bottle of this. Roast, vanilla, sharp cheeses, chocolate, molasses, wood, pepper, banana, citrus, and a little salt bite. As complex in the flavor as it was on the nose. Loving it. Alcohol undetectable, extreme drinkability.

M: No complaints on the mouthfeel. Seems strange to drink something with this flavor profile that is relatively thin and generous in carbonation; I found it an interesting twist and plus, not a negative.

O: This is a complex beer and I learned something new about it every look, sniff, and sip. Hard to imagine regretting trying a bottle of this and keeping one in the cellar. Have you any love for the dark side, get your hands on this.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 19:27:56 | More by Klym

SundaySour

California

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

I drank this with Cavery and Klym, those morning lushes!

A: Big brown head and a murky chocolate brown color. Can't see through it at all, no snorkeling in this pond. Like a lot of other beers from Stone, it has great lacing.

S: Smells like roasted pumpkin seeds, salty dark chocolate, and a pinch of nutmeg. In fact, this would make a killer ass pie. The smell is rich and like autumn in a glass.

T: Mouth eruption! Initially tastes like walnuts, with a nice dark chocolate center and finish. This really does taste like a $10 candy bar you get somewhere called "Le Choc" or whatever.

M: Creamy and thick, not fizzy. Like a dessert, it stands on it's own.

O: This beer is powerful and delicious, like the stallion of beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 19:25:48 | More by SundaySour

baggio

Sweden

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle@Home

Apperance: Very dark brown with a beige head and lots of sticky lacing.

Smell: Ripe fruit, Vanilla, Chocolate and some dark bread.

Taste: Tobacco, Hint of vanilla, Bitter chocolate, Leather, Coffee.

Mouthfeel: Very filling with a sweet and bitter ending filled with chocolate and vanilla. Low carbonation (but it is there!).

A bottle to be shared for sure as it is a true sipper. Nice ve-beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 20:29:55 | More by baggio

SilentSabre

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured up a wonderful, rich, inky black with a medium brown foamy head.
Smell was big vanilla, damp, freshly sawn timber, chocolate, and a bit of coffee hiding deep down.
Taste was big toasted chocolate malt with a touch of spent coffee grounds and some buttery caramel. Finished pleasantly bitter with a delightful European-style earthy bitterness.
Nice feel in the mouth and pleasantly carbonated and very smooth. Certainly very well crafted, but I expect nothing less from these guys!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 14:45:36 | More by SilentSabre

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a 2 inch dark tan head that fades to a thin cap. Thin clumps and broken rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smells of dark fruits (raisins/plums), brown sugar, vanilla, and citrus zest. Taste is of dark fruits and citrus zests, burnt sugar, with some chocolate and vanilla flavors. Mild citrus zest bitterness after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a lot going on. I was expecting a standard BSDA but this one has a lot of different smells and flavors intermixed. This one has aged well.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 05:03:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

- from the notes and a bomber bottle
A - dark to near black with a brownish frothy head.
S - chocolate roasted malts dominate.
T - chocalate, vanilla, roasted malts and fruit tinted malts dominate.
M - heavier bodied with a lower carbonation and a very smooth feel.
D - quite drinkable but the heaviness will certainly catch up to you.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 22:20:07 | More by Beer4Baltimore

BrewCrew2010

New York

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a black body with a tan head. Mild lacing on the glass with good head retention.

S: Roasted malts dominate the nose with coffee and bitter chocolate notes. Light dark fruits and some citrus.

T: Not a very complex palate, but still a nicely balanced flavor. Upfront Roasted malts balanced with the earthy hops. There are also some dark fruits, vanilla, dark chocolate, & citrus notes. Belgian yeast also plays a nice part.

M: Medium-full body; low to moderate carbonation; smooth mouthfeel.

O: Not a bad beer and a decent example for the style. I believe there are better Belgian Strong Dark Ales out there, but let's see what a few more years will do. I will drink this again obviously, but only 1 more since that's all I have left.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 01:51:21 | More by BrewCrew2010

trappistlover

Arizona

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(22oz bottle from AJ’s Via Linda). Pours black with red hue when held up to the light. Tan head with some lacing. Aroma has chocolate, liquid smoke, vanilla and some citrus. Taste is sweet with more citrus and some roasty bitterness. The sweetness balances the roastiness out nicely. Medium bodied with an oily texture. Bitter finish. Pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 04:20:21 | More by trappistlover

drewba

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep black with purple notes and a tan colored finger head after an aggressive pour. Lots of big bubbles along with some really tiny bubbles and very splotchy lacing.

S - Loving this smell; milk chocolate, honey, roast, lots of nuts, bread, some wood. Somewhat dry and very little sweetness. Despite it smelling pretty good, the aroma is very faint.

T - Plenty more of that milk chocolate I found in the nose - milk chocolate with some dark chocolate, plus some mocha action going on. It actually almost has a chocolate milk type of flavor going on. The chocolate is very dry and mixes well with a dry, wood flavor found in the end. Lots of roast and hearty bread, faint nuts, tobacco, dry & salty leather, coffee grounds, star anise and the tiniest amount of plum and grape in the finish. This is pretty much a flavorful porter...

M - thin to medium body with a fantastic smooth mouthfeel. If the body was a touch thicker, this would get a 5/5.

O - I wish I would have had the chance to try this fresh, but even at almost 2 years old, this is mighty tasty. Like I said earlier, this has more characteristics of a porter than it does a BSDA, but I'm not complaining. I will look forward to this one the next time I do a vertical epic.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 03:47:14 | More by drewba

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.85/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stone 09.09.09, bottle bought at Beverage World in Peekskill, NY, for $7.99 plus tax and deposit.

Appearance: Served in my Sierra Anniversary snifter, 09.09.09 pours thick and oily, with a glug and a gurgle. Sligthy less than a one-finger head that dies quickly, leaving a rim and a mantle and some thick bubbles. Good carbonation and decent lacing. Color is damn black! Sure does look like an Imperial Stout... some auburn tones when swirling the glass.

Smell: Chocolate, roastiness, dark sugars. A tad of coffee. Damp grass, barnyard, past-its-prime weed. Very earthy and rural.

Taste: Follows nose, with a carbonated chocolate touch on the tip of the tongue and some old hops coming up afterwards. Dry, chalky cocoa and a tad of spice and wood. Hops at the end of the sip. Strange, unique.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and flavor, full carbonation. There is a bitter hop bite around that lingers, and again that barnyard-y dampness, like a cow pen after a heavy rain where the straw bed gets all messed up and it smells. This is supposed to age well until late 2012, but I get the feeling that it might not be totally right. Dry, slightly spicy and prickly finish.

Overall: Drinkability is alright, a little heavy and boozy and "earthy", not super appetizing. I expected more of this brew, but then again, I guess we can't expect THAT much of the Stone Verticals!!?? :-) Interesting, but not great. I thought aging would do more to this epic and bring some wonders out. A semi-fail, but still enjoyable. Glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 03:36:55 | More by DoubleSimcoe

Sam21

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased for $8 in January of 2010.

Appearance - Black body with an excellent brown head cuing you in to the strong roasted malt presence. Great retention and lacing.

Smell - Dark chocolate is noticeable first and foremost. Bit of roasted coffee and some caramel. Mysterious layers of dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and marl sweetness.

Taste - Dry dark fruits and bittersweet dark chocolate. Layers of chocolatey sweetness throughout with a touch of dark roasted coffee. The oak enters towards the end with a supporting cast of vanilla, dark malt, and a light bitterness. Finish sees everything come together into a long velvety finish. Oak lingers.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied and very creamy. The carbonation is thick and soft. Very smooth, although I wish it were a tad lighter.

Drinkability - A complex adventure in a bottle. Wonderful as an after dinner sipper and one that I really enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 21:13:18 | More by Sam21

SuperNova777

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A:Pours a very dark brown color with ruby highlights when held up to the light. Fingers worth of khacki color head that falls slowly, excellent lacing is left hanging on the glass.

S:Intial smell picks up a lot of roasted chocolate then followed up with a slight fruit orange hint. Also picking up some vanilla in the mix as well, a very good smelling brew.

T:Taste is more dull then the nose but still good. Chocolate on the front and middle make way for slight fruitiness on the backend that is then dominated by big roasty flavor that lingers around.

M:Very rich and creamy body that seems to just melt in the mouth once it is entered. Lips left with a little stickiness and palate has a roasted chocolate covering that just hangs around.

O:Can't really say what a little of time did for this one since I did not have it fresh but right now it is drinking extremely easy for the ABV with good flavors still coming out strong. The body is a really nice feature that this has going on for it along with the solid flavors, well reccomended.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 22:15:04 | More by SuperNova777

vfgccp

New York

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

- Pardon the abbreviated review, this was sampled at a free Stone tasting. Special thanks to Big Z's in Huntington NY -

A - Black with mocha highlights. Bone-white head.

S - Mellow marshmallow, brown sugar. Dried plum notes.

T - Nice chocolate character. Smooth toast. Gentle hop backdrop.

M - Smooth

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 02:36:29 | More by vfgccp

KYBrewgrass

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Served at Pazzo's Pizza Pub in Lexington, KY. I was surprised and happy to see it on tap!

A- 4.5 This brew is a deep brown/auburn red with a foamy khaki head that has good retention. Thick lacing off the bat and it sticks all over the glass throughout the drink. This looks like a great beer.

S- 4 There's a lot going on here. I get hops, roasted malts, coffee, maybe even a little chocolate... Very intriguing.

T- 4 Like the aroma, there is quite a bit of flavor to take in... but that's a good thing! It is rich and nutty. There's a slight malty/chocolatey sweetness to it that is promptly addressed by a bittering hop flavor. It is slightly boozy on the finish, my only downside..

M- 4.5 This brew is a great medium body with nice carbonation. It starts clean and crisp and finishes smooth and creamy.

D- 3.5 As much as I enjoy this craft ale, I couldn't handle too much of it. Its booziness and strong (although balanced) flavors could be overwhelming after a bit. Nonetheless, it's a great brew and recommended for anyone that can get their hands on it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2011 19:53:44 | More by KYBrewgrass

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very dark brown almost black with just the faintest red hints around the edge. Tan head drops to a nice cap. Thin lacing. Great chocolate nose with some dark cherries in the background. Taste of bitter chocolate up front, some dark fruits follow and then finishes with a little alcohol bite and a solid bitter aftertaste. Medium body on this one. I don't recall enjoying this one as much when it was fresh, I think it's aged nicely. This one is really strong overall. One of the better epics in the series. I really enjoyed and I'm glad I have 7 more in the cellar. Went great with a dark chocolate truffle.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 22:31:29 | More by beermanbrian