Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

DmanGTR

New York

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

Review from notes (9/22/09) at MacGregor's

A - poured very dark brown with short lived tan head that left a nice cap and laces well. 4.5

S - strong roasted barley and a hint of coffee beans. Some cream and caramel. Mild fruity undertones. 4.5

T - rich toasted malt, caramel, and expresso. Wow this is awesomely roasty like an intense porter. I only complain of the booziness. 4.0

M - thick and full bodied but not sticky at all. Smooth. 4.5

D - I cannot find flaw with its drinkability. 5.0

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2010 14:53:17 | More by DmanGTR

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Rustico back in 2009.

Poured near black with same faint garnet highlights. A nice, big tan head with a lot of lacing as it went down. Smelled of roasted malt, Belgian yeast, chocolate, orange, vanilla, and a bit of oak. The taste was quite similar, with the oak and orange peel really coming out. Medium mouthfeel, but a bit too dry, likely from the oak. Overall, a very nice and interesting addition to the series, and I'm looking forward to tasting it again over the next few years.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2010 19:45:30 | More by Thorpe429

ArrogantDeadGuy

Virginia

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

The dark beauty of this poor is something to behold with its frothy tan cap. The aromas of dark sweet malts, fuity hops, and chocolate are great in unison with a mild spice and vanilla accents. The taste enduces much salivation as the tartness is just barely dominant over the sweet roasted malt and cocoa flavors. The body is just south of bold and it is a great beer to savor and sip. A really good offering in Stone's tradition of great Vertical Epics.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2009 21:42:34 | More by ArrogantDeadGuy

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Ordered a glass at Tap and Table in Emmaus - very, very tasty. This is a big chocolatey, but balanced and dry, beer with a little Belgian influence. It's not that close to the few Belgian stouts, but it's also no traditional double stout. The flavor is dominated by semi-sweet dark chocolate and cocoa powder while citrus-orange hops peek through and leave a bitter finish. Yum.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2009 00:50:35 | More by tempest

dstc

Florida

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

On tap. Pours dark with a light brown head. Sticky lace.

Sweet medicinal aroma plus something I can't put my tongue on.

Toasty malts with that coffee like, bitter, porter taste. Alcohol is present.

Medium to full in mouth with alcohol bite.

Good stuff. Would like to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2009 21:41:57 | More by dstc

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

On-Tap into a Weyerbacher tulip.

Nine Nine Nine holds a shoeshine black look with some mudy brown around the edges. On top the cap just barely covers the surface breaking into a bunch of scattered islands. Splattered paintball lace with a light tan line. Some good stick here and there but not strong holding. Easy to bring the head back with just some swirls.

The smell reminded me of a mix of a american porter with a touch of BSDA. Some hershey's chocolate and cocco nibs. Getting some piney hops in the back with a mix of bananers and orange peel. A bit of roasted burnt coffee in the back. I did not pick up on the Belgian yeast.

A fruity robust porter in my mind. The orange and banana mix really shows itself strong in the beginning and holds out. Some underlining spices with some Belgian yeast with alot of warming. Some piney hops onthe tounge not to overpowering. Light vanilla bean and not as much chocolate as expected. Some roast and smoke towards the back, this is good beer.

Smooth, easy and no interference from the slightly large alcohol, but some shows itself towards the end of the glass, no heat though. Slick with a medium feel and some carb felt. The finish is just a bit of every flavor integrated. Beautiful.

This is one tasty ass brew. After being very dissapointed in last years version, stone redeems itself with this unique BSDA/Porter, whatever you want to call it. I would not mind having a bottle of this to myself one day over some time and smoked meats.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2009 20:40:04 | More by onix1agr

jwarren2388

New York

3.45/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: On tap in a tulip glass. Poured a completely opaque jet black hue with a finger length of deep tan head that left behind splotchy lacing.

Smell: The scent is that of burnt espresso, tinges of belgian yeast and even slight touches of coriander, orange peel and currant.

Taste: Starts off with a big pillowy malt that floats over your palate and deposits nuances of the citric orange peel and heavy amounts of yeast. There is an abundance of dark chocolate in the malt and it carries the touches of spice and slight hop bitterness till a big dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Had a medium body and is has a lingering aftertaste much like that guy at every party who doesn't realize you want him to leave.

Drinkability: An OK beer that is definitely a sipper, even though the abv is low the flavors are high.

Overall: Needs age in my opinion and was even intended for that, it has too much bittersweet cocoa in it for me and not enough other malt offering for me to really love it. With age however hopefully overpowering flavors will mellow and it will be well rounded

(will edit upon revisit in a few years)

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2009 18:45:52 | More by jwarren2388

gunnerman

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Lodge in Boca Raton, FL. Poured into a chalice pours a pitch black with a serious fluffy head that leaves much lace on the glass. Smell is of dark roasted chocolate with underlying hints of citrus fruits. Taste upfront has a choclate character to it, followed with slight hints of orange peel, a peppery finish toward the back end. All the flavors came together nicely. This would probably be even better with some age on it, overall a very good sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2009 12:49:30 | More by gunnerman

Zeisloft

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Max's Taphouse- Baltimore

Max's description of Stones Vertical Epic 09/09/09 was just "Dark Belgian Ale". I wasn't too sure what to think before it came to me. But I was not thinking Porter. And then I saw it. Dark as night, creamy tan head. Porter overcame my mind. Chocolate came through on the nose, with not much else. Then the taste. Definitely some chocolate, vanilla and little spice. Could use more spice to break up the chocolate. I would expect a little more hoppy bitterness from Stone (but not too much to over power everything, just enough to pull everything together). The beer was not too heavy or too light.

I would not call it a Belgian. Maybe when sitting in a cellar it will round out better, but for now it is a Porter. With that note, I normally do not like porters. Usually a porter has the burnt taste to it. The VE090909 did not. It was sweet and delicious. Although, one was enough. Not something to have a night of. (Especially at 8.5%.) I think I will try to go and grab a couple of bottles, this is a beer that should be really good on a cold night in the winter. I am thinking Christmas time.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2009 22:08:37 | More by Zeisloft

rtepiak

Poland

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

somewhere in between a belgian and an american porter. quite nice body. not extremely heavy in body. a nice head of off chocolate. nose of fruit esters and cocoa. palate of that... which grape, apple and chocolate. too sweet to be consider any type of earthy. nice body. separates horrible as it gets warm.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 10:17:46 | More by rtepiak

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose is softly malty with malt-fruit characteristics (grape), softly creamy. Smells pretty good, fairly light.

Pours pitch black with mild head. Looks pretty good.

Chocolaty malty and roasty bitter, slightly alcoholic, creamy smooth with medium-full body. Good amount of roasted midtones. Soft sourness, roasted malt sourness. Soft dried fruit and herbalness. Very light oak, rather understated in flavor and mildly spicy in mouthfeel. Pretty dry finish, kind of powdery dry, with cocoa nib and more roast. Tastes pretty good. Feels good. Pretty good drinkability.

A good solid stout, I don't particularly note any Belgian influence. Not worth the hype.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2009 20:23:09 | More by MrHungryMonkey

jeremyd365

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a thick, dark, ambery-brown with a slight head. It smelled of chocolaty coffee with hints of dark fruit. It tasted of chocolate and coffee. It had a solid mouthfeel and was very drinkable for it's heaviness. The alcohol was hardly noticeable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2009 04:01:51 | More by jeremyd365

whoneeds8

Texas

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

Poured out of tap into a chalice complete black with a thick tan head. Great lacing all the way down. Smelled of raisins. The taste didn't have much up front, no hops that I could tell what so ever. However the taste moved into a black liqourish taste with hints of chocolate and raisins. There was a great deal of malted sweetness to the mouthfeel with very little noticable carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2009 03:25:48 | More by whoneeds8

DNICE555

Connecticut

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

On tap at plan B

A - Pours an opaque black with a nice 1 finger head that dissipates quickly.

S - Chocolate, Vanilla, Roasted malt, yeast.

T - Chocolate, malt, yeast, citrus, hops.

M - Medium to full bodied with light carbonation.

D - Very drinkable for 8.9%. Alcohol only provided a slight warmth. Nice hop backbone on this one. Almost tasted like a hoppy stout.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2009 04:10:53 | More by DNICE555

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black into the snifter with a two finger tan head that retains pretty well and leaves medium lacing. Smells and tastes of nice belgian yeast, roasted malts, dark fruits and good chocolate. I really like how the roast chocolate and malts come in a bit late. Smell was not very strong, but the elements there were good. Mouthfeel is a bit light for the flavor but has a very nice warmth and smooth carbonation. Drinkability is good, nice taste, price is alright, alcohol may take this over. Will definitely be aging this one.

UPDATE 02/02/2013.

T- Deep and roasty with a Belgian yeast influence. Cocoa and coffee roast malt notes, oxidation a bit, toasted nuts and some raisiny dark fruits. Good vanilla and oak feel as well.

Scored: 4.25, 3.75, 4.25, 4.0, 4.25

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2009 04:11:55 | More by cbutova

ColdBeer30

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

It was dark in the bar but I want to say the color of the beer was a dark cocoa with a dark tan creamy dense head on top. It was served to me in a wide mouth Chalice. Carbonation was low from the look but there was a full thick ring of lacing.

The smell was of dark coffee grounds and espresso at first followed by chocolate of the more bitter sweet kind. Smell finishes with roasted malts and subtle grassy or leafy hops.

The taste comes in opposite. First came a blend of chocolates (dark and heavy cream milk chocolate) then the roasted malts, strong coffee (the kind you want to wake up to) and a touch of bitter or slightly briny hops which hardly lingers, there just long enough that you are looking even more forward to that next hit of cocoa.

The mouthfeel is well balanced and extremely creamy. Carbonation is pretty mild but the beer isn't flat. With everything else your mouth is experiencing you don't really even notice it.

The beer is full bodied as any porter or dark belgian would be, coming out of the tap I could drink several easily.

Seeing as this beer is meant to be aged about 3 years I am definitely going to stash one away for later. I can see the potential for it getting even better.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2009 01:22:26 | More by ColdBeer30

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

It was dark at the table and the glass (11oz) although thin was completely black. The tan head seemed constant at first with about a quarter inch but did eventually die.

The aroma was just about only smoke IMHO, maybe some dark molasses or fruits. The taste was dominated by burnt malt and a finish of bitterness.

Mouthfeel was thin with the bitter aftertaste. I hoped for more but all in all a good sipping Dark Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2009 16:06:20 | More by ImusBeer

Destral

Nevada

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

Had the 09.09.09 on tap in a goblet from Aces & Ales

Appearance:
Dark, with a medium brown head that fades quickly, leaving moderate lacing.

Smell:
Had a mild chocolate aroma, slightly smokey or roasted (almost like Starbucks coffee to me).

Taste:
Chocolate seems to overpower the other flavors, with roasted malt and a hint of bitterness following. Subtle alcohol kick, but nothing overwhelming.

Mouthfeel:
There was a surprising bit of carbonation (very fine bubbles), but full bodied and smooth.

Drinkability:
The 09.09.09 tops the list of Stone beers I've had. The richness of the flavors really hide the alcohol well, and it would be easy to have several of these sneak up on you if you're not careful.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2009 08:15:33 | More by Destral

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Cole's. Chocolate quad. Very dark Belgian chocolate brown with thick lace. Full mouthfeel. Thick lace follows. Fruity, a sipper, there is chocolate and there is bitterness in the mouth. Vanilla in deep secondary. Bought a bottle to see how she ages.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2009 23:49:09 | More by northyorksammy

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from tap at TJs in Paoli PA. What a treat. Poured into a tulip glass.

A: Jet black with a one finger light brown head. Full encompassing glass lacing.

S: Dark roasted malts, chocolate, yeast, spice and a touch of hops.

T: Dark roasted malts with flavors of dark bitter chocolate, dark fruits of plum, cherry and a bit of orange. I even get some coffee flavors. Some underlying sweetness of the fruit sticks around with that sweeter milk chocolate coming through. The Belgian yeasty flavor sticks around throughout and provides a unique twist. Finish brings on the hops (this is Stone of course) with grassy floral flavors and just a hint of alcohol. Wow, great beer.

M: Full, coating, sticky, prickly and a light alcohol, very nice mix.

D: Excellent for what this beer is. Amazing.

Overall this was a fabulous beer. This is really a Belgian porter or stout, but since there is not a category for this, it got put in the BSDA class. Such complexity from a great brewery, how can you not love this beer. I put aside a case to age, this beer will only get better. Pick it up if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2009 13:39:34 | More by Kadonny

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

Hopefully this review won't be inadvertently purged like my last review of this beer was. On tap at Max's the other night.

The beer pours a darkish brown color with OK head retention and decent lacing. On the nose I get an intriguing aroma of rootbeer, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Flavors on the palate generally replicate the nose, but with a considerable hop bite in the finish (naturally; after all, this is Stone). This beer has at most moderate sweetness, and it's quickly pushed asided by the drying, hoppy bitterness on the finish. In addition, there's also something of a sour apple, cardboard flavor to this beer. Hmmmm...mouthfeel is medium bodied, and I have to say that the bittersweet chocolate and somewhat noticeable alcohol detract just a bit from this beer's drinkability.

This is a nice enough beer, though one at a sitting is probably all I could ever see myself managing.

Edit from 3/15/13. Sampled at a recent vertical epic event at Pacific Coast brewing, this beer showed its age fairly well. My score was nearly identical to what I gave this beer back in 2009, with much of the original hop bite now nicely tamed by flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla and light burnt toast. The mouthfeel was a bit thin, but that was really the only sign of "old age" in this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2009 15:23:54 | More by johnmichaelsen

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the World Bistro

Pours a midnight black with a nice creamy tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

Smell is Belgian yeast, chocolate and roasted malts

Taste is nice and complex, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, yeasty spice, vanilla and some orange peal.

Mouthfeel is smooth and rich

Very drinkable beer IMHO, I love the complexity. One of my favorite epics yet. 8.9 ABV is well hidden.

This one is worth going out of your way to get. Get it while you can.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2009 05:08:56 | More by FLBeerGuy

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a thick black with only a few little ruby highlights, a bubbly mocha head of about half a finger. Some sheets of lacing.

Smells of caramel, some roasted/slightly burnt notes. Not a whole lot of smell at first. As it warms, though, a meaty kind of character shows up.

At first taste, a smokiness like bacon or charcoal hits me. A bitter roasted flavor follows with sort of a light marshmellow sweetness, some kick from hops. Dark fruit skins, there are kind of a taste & mouthfeel of tannins. As it warms, there's a lemon-orange citric finish. Very complex taste, but in a way that nearly overwhelms my mouth.

Along with that tannic quality, the mouthfeel is full & rich, foaming up nicely & leaving a bitter & acidic aftertaste. One of these is plenty, & I had to drink this slowly.

I enjoyed this, but found the onslaught of flavors to be almost too much, especially the bitterness & astringency that's so dominant. I realize Stone is all about making big, complex & challenging beers, but I'm finding that a lot of them are challenging in the same way. Not sure how many more of Stone' specialties I'm going to up for trying.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2009 21:56:39 | More by OneDropSoup

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Please note that there is a pretty big difference between the Kegged and Bottled versions. My bottled review was lost in a data crash this is for the Kegged version only.

Poured on-tap into a snifter. Pours a dark motor oil in color with a small brownish head.

Aroma of coffee, chocolate malts, slight tobacco.

Flavor centers around a smokey/roasted malt profile. Hops have died down to just an earthy flash of bitterness. Unsweetened chocolate is on the back end, with a slight smokey/cured meat flavor. Port like wine finish. Hearty.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and drinks pretty smooth overall.

A good beer for sure, but decidedly different that its bottled counterpart, which I enjoyed more. The bottled version had more of a piney hop character and also offered more fruityness and complexities. Still, the keg has a rauchbier meets stout like character and drinks well enough.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2009 17:01:57 | More by Stinkypuss

UA8

Washington

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

Had this on tap at flatbread

A- Pours an opaque mahogany brown with a creamy dark brown head.

S- Scents of heavily roasted malts, banana and light spices, and touch of light cocoa.

T- Leads with semi sweet malts. Midpalate hints of banana and spice touches. Finishes with a bit of smoke and chalk, also a touch of hop bitterness.

M- Moderately viscous with a nice smooth carbonation.

D- This beer sits somewhere between what I would expect of several different style pulling a bit from porter, stout, and belgian dark strong. Refreshingly different and I really think will become even more complex with some age.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2009 21:21:16 | More by UA8