Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale (Red Wine Barrel Aged) - Stone Brewing Co.

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed 12.12.12
Celebrating the Vertical Epic series

P: Dark orange slight haze and tan head. Slight lacing.

S: Sweet fruit cake, bourbon, vanilla bean, dank booze that burns my eyes when smelling the glass. Chocolate and cocoa powder.

T/M: Not a huge difference with the wine barrels but does develop the flavors nicely. The taste follows the nose with added smoke and dark chocolate. Full bodies creamy and nice carbonation. Fun fishes smooth and prrogressive drying.

O: Event though the change was not dramatic I prefer the barrel aged version. It's not overpowering and doesn't distract from the great base flavor. The cocoa still shines through nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 19:57:30 | More by Hopswagger

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

05-07-2013 23:17:08 | More by cadaugherty

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

04-27-2013 09:17:04 | More by Kelp

ant880

New York

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

04-26-2013 19:20:59 | More by ant880

mdaschaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-19-2013 21:47:13 | More by mdaschaf

Pecan

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-08-2013 23:05:44 | More by Pecan

Sparky44

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

03-24-2013 00:19:58 | More by Sparky44

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

02-25-2013 04:12:51 | More by t0rin0

BBrewington

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

02-12-2013 20:15:36 | More by BBrewington

ROBSTARR

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-06-2013 20:16:12 | More by ROBSTARR

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%

01-26-2013 00:52:02 | More by FLBeerGuy

chefduff2

New York

3.25/5  rDev -20.7%

01-05-2013 23:11:24 | More by chefduff2

jodan

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

12-24-2012 07:14:36 | More by jodan

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at the Tap and Mallet Vertical Epic tasting event. It arrived in a D’Achoffe Belgian Independence Day tulip glass, glowing a dark black coloring. It held a two finger head of medium brown bubbles, showing nice retention. Thick sheets of lacing dripped down the glass, while carbonation appeared average. No haze or sediment was noted. The aroma gave thick caramel sugars, burnt brown sugar, light smoke, and metallic yeast. The malt profile, with all of that heavy sugar and deep syrupy bite came across very bock-ish. More serious molasses and cooked toffee bite came to balance with warmth. Our first impression was that there was heavy spice and woodiness to the flavoring, making this a very warming beer. The flavoring opened with brown sugar sweetness, faint citric hop balance, and pale malty toast. The peak came with plum, caramel, fig, metallic bite, and a more even soapy hop bitterness. Vanilla starkness, even woodiness, brown sugar warmth, caramel malts, metallic, bite, and a wash of booze finished things off in much the same fashion. The aftertaste breathed of brown sugar blended with char, burnt coffee malts, light chocolates, faint metallics, and souring lactics. The body was medium, and the carbonation was full. There was heavy foam and slurp to each sip. Wet juiciness coated the mouth at first, overlying astringency of drying coffee bite and stark drying booziness. The abv was appropriate, and this beer was more of an easy sipper.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was the nice woodiness of flavoring. The nose gave nice depth, but didn’t really blow us away to any point. The wood should have been more here, as should have the vanilla to hold against it and that orangey sugar bite. Otherwise this was a tasty and strong variant, with just the right amount of age on it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 14:33:56 | More by TheBrewo

sandiego67

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

12-22-2012 04:20:39 | More by sandiego67

drewone

California

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%

12-22-2012 02:04:56 | More by drewone

russwbeck

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The barrel aged version's body is incredibly similar, but with slightly less head. The head also doesn't stick around as long as before. 4

The aroma has a nice balance, and is slightly different from its non-barrel-aged self. This time it starts off with chocolate and booze, giving way to sweet vanilla and grapes. The finish is all oak and roast, putting a nice cap on a complex beer. 4

"Tannins and oak take over the taste of the beer. Otherwise, there's roast, vanilla, and chocolate making appearances. I think the barrel might have impacted this beer in a negative way on the taste, as I much preferred the taste of the original version. 3.5

The heavy body is carbonated very well. The drinkability is still very high, as the complexity of the aroma keeps me coming back for more. 4.5

Value: You guess it, $3 for 4oz. I would definitely pay that for this beer again. 5

Not as good after spending time in the barrel, red wine barrel aged 09.09.09 is still a great choice. This beer ranked highly in terms of best of the night, it just didn't stand up to the beer's original recipe. 4

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 19:10:16 | More by russwbeck

GrindFatherBob

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

12-16-2012 05:07:42 | More by GrindFatherBob

Adamostella

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

12-14-2012 05:54:18 | More by Adamostella

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

12-13-2012 22:34:45 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

jaasen64

Massachusetts

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

On-tap at Lord Hobo for their Vertical Epic event on 12/12/12. Part of Flight "E" (BA versions of 08, 09, 10). 5oz serving in a flight glass.

A- Pours a dark opaque jet black with a thin mocha brown head and nice lacing. Appears very similar to the non-BA 09 with maybe a little bit darker head.

S- Chocolate, roasted malts, hint of coffee, tangerines, red wine, and oak in the background. Nice balance of the barrel that comes out a little bit more as it warms.

T- Chocolate, slightly roasted malts, hint of red wine and oak hiding in the background along with some light dark fruits.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, smooth, very easy drinking.

O- This was my favorite of the BA variants. I liked how the red wine barrel complemented the flavor and actually brought out the flavors in the base beer even more. If anything the red wine could have came out a little bit more but not too much. It's definitely not the best barrel-aged beer I've had but I really enjoyed drinking this one and it was one of my favorites in the entire series.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 20:29:23 | More by jaasen64

nollie77

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.4%

11-12-2012 02:45:11 | More by nollie77

MrVonzipper

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

02-18-2012 07:23:11 | More by MrVonzipper

hawkmage

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

12-31-2011 17:27:34 | More by hawkmage

jerz

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

11-18-2011 05:17:12 | More by jerz