Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Thedaver4220

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First vertical epic and first beer brewed with chili.

Pours a nice amber redish color with a 3/4 finger head. The smell, to me at least, was a hoppy almost spicy smell with a touch of cinnamon at the end. The taste I think is the highlight of this beer. I think a hoppy, spicy version of big red bubble gum when drinking it. The heat left on the palate was also a highlight. Being a fan of spicy food this was a pleasant way to finish a sip of this beer. Overall a very nice beer. If it's at your local store grab one.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 07:15:40 | More by Thedaver4220

BenHesk12

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Jupiter restaurant in Berkeley CA.

Appearance - Stone VEA 11 appears a very deep enticing hue of reddish amber, almost like a red ale.

smell- it's a whirlwind of fruit, belgian yeastiness, and of course the cinnamon and chile that make this beer special.

taste - Pretty much a thoughtful interpretation of a strong belgian ale. High alcohol and belgian yeasts blend nicely with the chile, cinnamon, and sour notes.

mouthfeel - to me this beer had the sharp feel of a red ale, but without the sourness. Its delicately carbonated, and has the expected texture of a fine belgian ale.

overall - an interesting take on a classic style, high quality, and as others have said, a palate overload. I wouldnt expect much less from Stone, and this beer only being brewed one time, if you ever see it, TRY IT!

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 23:08:01 | More by BenHesk12

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22 ounce bottle into tulip glass. We're close enough to 12.12.12, right?

A: Slow pour results in thick foamy 4 finger head which slowly subsides to moderate lacing and a cap. Beer is a brownish-crimson.

S: Just incredible. Sweet malts, lots of cinnamon and other spices, and chili peppers.

T: A lot of sweet malt, some spice, and the finish is all chili peppers. Can't feel alcohol heat despite high ABV or it is synced well with the peppers. Either way, it works. Complexity not terrifically evident with all the spices involved.

M: Definitely full-bodied, syrupy, and with heat, so while it's great for what it is, the drinkability is reduced. Keep that in mind, as finishing this in one sitting turns out to be a bit of a chore.

O: As this is the first of the series I've had, I'm drinking this without relation to the previous 9 offerings. I like it for what it is and recommend sharing rather than trying to go it alone.

I have another one aging, but don't expect it to be much different post 12.12.12 than it is now.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 20:35:35 | More by IvoryFoxhole

mjohnson17

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Aged 14 months

A: Pours very hazy amber, thick 3 finger off-white head.

S: Tons of belgian yeast smells; banana, pepper, cinnamon, ester. To be honest this smell a lot like a home brewed belgian.

T: Chilis and cinnamon up front, a bit of that belgian brown malt taste in the middle, finishes with a pepper/ green chili kick. It almost has a metallic taste as well. Pretty lackluster if you ask me.

M: medium body and medium carbonation

O: I can appreciate 11.11.11 for what it is, a chili beer. It's not bad but I don't need to have it again. There was a good amount of flavors going on but none really shined through which just left me saying 'meh'.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 18:30:01 | More by mjohnson17

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Certainly an epic. This is not exaggeration.
A: Nice and cloudy, almost a blood red. Yellowish head, medium lacing with good carbonation
S: Chilies and cloves. Fruity bready hoppy roasted malt with a hint of smoke
T: Chilies and hops. Citrus and something bright...
M: Nice yeast activity, very smooth and flavorful with ample aftertaste. A tiny bit o' alcohol
O: For this to be 9.4% it is absolutely beyond drinkable. Super interesting flavors, I mean really uncommon tasting beverage for a beer. It is soothingly spicy, and, well, wowing. Hoping to pick up a bottle of the 12.12.12 fresh hop monster as soon as an east coaster possibly can!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 01:37:48 | More by PatriotsRule

20ozmonkey

California

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

Poured from a bottle into a Stone 15th anniversary glass. The distributor for San Francisco took a while to get this one and I'm glad that they were finally able to get it.

Colors is dark dark amber that is very clear and much more red when held up to light. The head is small and coarse.

I've been excited for this beer because I grew up in New Mexico and am fond of the green chiles that they used in this beer. You can smell definitely smell them in the beer and it mixes interesting with the apricot and clove smells of the belgian part of the beer. I smell only a bit of cinnamon.

Up front you get the taste of the chile with the cinnamon coming up right after. I'm glad the flavor of the cinnamon isn't more overpowering than the chile and it's more of a subtle flavor. There is a lasting bite from the chiles that is much more pleasant (I think) than other chile beers like the Rogue one.

Mouthfeel is medium carbonation and medium bodied.

Straight 4's across the board. I thought this would wind up being a "good idea, decent beer, but not great" kind of thing, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. Gonna have to get a couple more bottles to hold on to.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 06:35:32 | More by 20ozmonkey

mjgarrett2

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

You really can smell and taste the Anaheim chilies up front with the cinnamon presence on the nose. Struggling to appreciate any cinnamon flavor, where I mostly taste the chillie and special yeasts.

An interesting and whimsical beer on the whole from a brewery who have the tradition of smacking you in the face with bold hopped up monsters.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 01:16:17 | More by mjgarrett2

starkmarvelo

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stone Epic Vertical 11.11.11

A- clear ruby in color with a two finger head. Very pretty.

S- smells like hot Tabasco and slight chile fruit. The aroma is dominated by the Anaheim chiles.

T- lots going on here. Slight hint of cinnamon, caramel, burnt sugar, ground coffee, even a bit of cacao some fresh green chile fruit. Bitter finish with a slight cheese aftertaste. Very complex.

M- medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Chile warmth in the back of the throat after a few sips.

O- like I said, there is a lot going on with this beer. At first my palate was bombarded with a bunch of different flavors, but after a while I was able to pick them out. So yeah, still tastes pretty good after a year. Happy Veterans Day!

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:05:07 | More by starkmarvelo

CasanovaCummins

Nevada

2.55/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is one of the most beeyoutiful looking beverages I think I've ever seen. Deep Mahoganish brown. Amazing color.

Unfortunately for me, that is the best I can say about this particular pour. It has a slight whiff of Root Beer and RED HOTS. The taste is also RED HOTS with a bit of banana thrown in, maybe a bunch of cloves and a hint of cinnamon.

One very interesting aftertaste. Think Ancho chili smoke and again, RED HOTS. After awhile it gets a bit bitter and even smokier. Like a liquid, hot, candied smoke.

I think the hot edginess would only get amplified with time. And I'm not certain I will give this another try.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:17:42 | More by CasanovaCummins

Fadefury

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - 1 1/2 to 2 inch head with a amber/dark brown body

Smell - Very fruity, with hints of cinnamon(I think?)

Taste - The taste is nothing like the smell. Not even close. I had this beer with spicy/hot wings, and I'd imagine it truly helped with this beer. Very strong and I could not taste any of what I thought I could smell, i.e. the banana and cinnamon spice.

Mouthfeel - High carbonation, and very thin

Overall - Would only drink with the right meal in front of me. No way would I drink this by itself again. Too strong, and far to bitter for my taste. The beer smelled and looked great, but ended up being nothing spectacular after that.

Serving type: on-tap

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 02:16:03 | More by Fadefury

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is full of charter thanks to the hops and cinnamon. The apperace is a nice favorable brown color. It taste great and can not taste the alcohol. It reminds me of a IPA with a slight cinniamon like taste to it and its a good heavy beer. the chillies add a nice spice during the beer taste and if they would have been more aggresive on the citrus beer hops this would have been a great beer

My expert advice: definity try it
would buy again

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 06:16:47 | More by chicagoanbeerone

pleasewearpants

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lovely dark amber color with slight beige head. Aroma is interesting - light chile kinda darts around a more present alcohol/caramel smell. Taste is really fun. Chile hits first but not at all in a spicy way. Vegetal and fresh. Backed by a nice caramel malt body yet never overpoweringly sweet. Transitions then to a bitter/cinnamon finish. Alcohol is concealed very well - really easy to drink. Prickly mouthfeel from bright carbonation. Really looking forward to 12-12-12 and the impending message board war about the guy selling his vertical collection for $10000. It's just beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 01:35:13 | More by pleasewearpants

viaingo

Maine

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Stone Brewing Company is truly an innovative brewery. Every year (and a month and a day) they decide to brew their 'Epic Vertical". This year Stone decided to brew this epic treat with cinnamon and Anaheim chilies from Hatch Valley in New Mexico. I could definitely taste something special with this beer.

Type: Strong Pale Ale
Color: Dark amber red, cloudy.
Body: Cloudy and slightly carbonated.
Head: Thick cream color. Lasts for some time.
Taste: Fruity taste with banana and critic notes. You can taste the subtle spiciness of the chilies in the alcohol.
Aroma: Lightly hoppy, fruity, and a bit spicy.

This is the penultimate edition of this masterpiece of brewing, so if you can find it in stores or pubs, try it.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 11:53:16 | More by viaingo

Ehrnstrom

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

appearance: coppery red, with a moderate amount of light-tan colored head and lacing.

smell: spicy notes throughout, clean and forceful. modest alcohol scent.

taste: literally spicy, after drinking half of it at least. full on ginger and cinnamon flavor. honestly, this beer is a grower, but it is a force for the taste buds.

mouthfeel: this beer is good, but I can see why it might not have universal appear. It is quite aggressive and the finish is strong. the flavors could be a bit more balanced.

overall: good, not great. worth trying because of the unique factor. has an almost whiskey like aspect to it at times because of the heat and higher alcohol (9.6%?).

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:46:16 | More by Ehrnstrom

beer272

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - appearance was good. Nice carbonation that lasted with some lacing.

S - Hops smelled pretty good.

T - taste was nice. No alcohol taste, hops forward and malt somewhere else.

M - Good mouth feel.

O - I'll admit I am not a hop fan. Aging may have helped this beer better.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 21:54:25 | More by beer272

AC-Mivsek

Ohio

2.04/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours very hazy amber, thin off-white head.

S- Overpowering spicy chili and a bit of cinnamon.

T- Very similar to the nose. It's basically all chiles. Cinnamon comes in a little on the aftertaste.

M- medium body and medium carbonation, but it is not easy to drink.

O- I don't know, maybe I let this sit for too long. I knew it would be spicy being brewed with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon, but this just obliterated any expectation I had. It is unbelievably spicy.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 00:32:26 | More by AC-Mivsek

IHyphySF

California

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a goblet

A: Dark amber/light brown also light nice light foam that quickly dissipates.

S: Strong smell of the chiles but also has the smell of olive juice ready for a martini with a small hint of smoke.

T: You really can taste the peppers mixed with smoke while the aftertaste leaves a nice fruity but smoky/hoppy taste in the back of my mouth. The cinnamon really comes out towards the end and is quite pleasant.

M: Lightly carbonated makes it very creamy in the mouth and it goes down smooth.

O: Their seems to be just an imbalance because there are some things i like about this on how smooth it is for being 9.4% the taste is great when i taste the fruitful parts and the cinnamon afterwards. But the lasting smoke flavor is quite off putting while i am drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 06:08:44 | More by IHyphySF

TroopScoop

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: clear deep brown/dark red. The white head quickly fades & so much that none clings the glass. (No lacing!)

S: just great. Warm cinnamon and chile spice invites the palate.

T: Bummer! Cloves and yummy belgian qualities up front, some cinnamon/spice & bitter tones to finish. You really need to search for the chile.

M: carbonated, flavorful, & smooth to boot.

O: I've had the bottled, and it easily takes the cake. Weird, I was so excited to have it on tap. In the bottle, I easily could've given it 4's across the board. My bottle had very noticiable chile notes & made the beer very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2011 03:07:51 | More by TroopScoop

HerculesRM

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: Poured from bottle into a chilled pint glass. I may have served it too cold.

A: Murky brown with a hint of amber, cloudy.

S: It has a very clean smell, but that's part of the problem. Not much fragrance to speak of.

T: Underwhelming. The chilis and cinnamon are weak, and I had to use my imagination to detect them at all, very slight spice. Slight alcohol taste. Decent malt profile.

M: Somewhat thick, appropriate for this gravity.

O: Overall a bit of a disappointment, though not a bad beer. It may have been better had I served it a bit warmer. I have a second bottle that I intend to cellar for a while, and I may update my review.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 14:11:05 | More by HerculesRM

HoneyLamb

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle purchased from Belmont Beverage in Granger Indiana last week.

Appearance: poured into a large pilsner glass. Obtained a two-finger head with a medium hard pour.

Smell: I smelled a light fruity sensation and a smaller touch of clove.

Taste & Mouthfeel: I could taste a small bite of the chiles, but couldn't pull the cinnamon that was added. Very solid after-taste, but definitely could be aged longer to mellow out that chile bite. I'm definitely going to buy another bottle to put on the shelf so I can taste it next winter. I'm predicting a 4.5 taste by that time. The mouthfeel was very compatible with my palette.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:48:33 | More by HoneyLamb

tat2dhllblly

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark burnt rose. It has the color of a setting sun on a cool fall day. The head starts 2 fingers high but quickly disappears to just a lacing across the top of this beautiful beer.

S: First off you get a lot of peppery spice from the yeast and some editional spice from the cinnamon. After this brew warms up a bit you get more of the pepper from the peppers themselves and some clove bite. Dried dark cherries, leather and dark candi sugar.

T: Initial sweetness is quickly blasted by dry pepper spice with little heat. Most of the "heat" I get seems to come from the cinnamon towards the back. Slight fig, young raw leather, no real heat from the 9.4% abv.

M: Perfect balance between cloying heaviness to a palate cleanser. Very welcomed.

O: A very good beer and a wonderful test of flavor and living on the brewing edge. The flavors all seem un connected right now but I truly see some age (as this beer is intended to do) really balancing this beer out and really making it one of the best the vertical epic line has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 03:28:45 | More by tat2dhllblly

oN3xM

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - Deep brown color that matches the bottle it came out of. A light head that dissipates quickly.
S - A very sweet aroma. Lots of fruity banana characteristics with a blend of clove. The cinnamon and spices hit the nose at the back of sniff.
T - Take the first sip and a sweet banana and clove mixture slams the palate. Following that is a spicy, dry flavor that settles during the aftertaste. Great taste.
M - Average amounts of carbonation. It was thicker than expected and really coats the throat after drinking. A little bit of an alcohol burn.
O - This was my first of the Stone Vertical Epic series, and I'm really impressed. I've read plenty of reviews that this edition didn't stand up to the others, and if that's true, then I can't wait to find/trade others in the series. It's sweetness and slight spicy characteristics make for a great pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 04:15:16 | More by oN3xM

GlassHalfFull

3.05/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The 2011 Vertical doesn't stand up to offerings such as the 2009. Fiery amber color with a slight yellow tint. Great lacing and perfect foamy head. But, the nose is very banana-ish with an almost floral bite. I admit, I'm not a huge Belgian fan. This beer really reminds me of a lot of the attributes I don't like in Belgian beers. The banana notes give way to a strong chili taste with slight hints of cinnamon. One would think that so many different ingredients would provide a complex, interesting taste. Yet, the beer comes up short and unimpressive. Even the banana quickly fades to a thin, dull, starchy mouthfeel. The carbonation is also a bit much for this beer. I expected a lot after the previous offerings, but this one came up short.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:07:52 | More by GlassHalfFull

harlanhu28

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle served in a Stone epic glass. Purchased at Total Wine in Tucson for 5.99.

Appearance deep amber good inch and half head that doesn't last long.

Smell a cross between Belgian saision and Belgian strong. Banana and very strong clove quite muddy on the smell and blends into spicy plum on the mid tongue.

The first taste has a tinge of alcohol on the tongue when it warms up in the mouth you have banana, clove, Belgian yeast and spicy plum many different levels of flavor spice and burn. On the end you have a slite hop and spice chili.

Mouthfeel is quite good it has weight and that part is they must have some flaked barley in this because it is very creamy.

Overall this is much better than last years it is way above the total failure of last years 10/10/10! It looks like Stone is getting their act together in designing new beers for the first time since the departure of their long time brewmaster!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 06:12:59 | More by harlanhu28

jedtheavenger

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A--deep reddish-tan with a quickly dissipating head. The color is a pretty accurate reflection of the cinnamon/pepper character of this beer.

S--yeasty and sweet, with muted cinnamon and malt. I was expecting a bit more of a peppery nose, but otherwise very pleasant.

T--Basically a vegetal, slightly spiced pale Belgian. I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't able to pick out the pepper flavor. I know it's not supposed to be spicy/hot, but I felt like the peppers made no contribution other than a bland plant taste.

M--Rich and a little sticky. It didn't have the carbonated perk of a lot of strong Belgian pales, so it quickly got boring.

Overall: interesting in theory, a little weak in execution. I really wanted to like this beer, but it just didn't have the unique profile I've come to expect from limited-edition beers (or Stone Brewing Co, for that matter).

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:42:39 | More by jedtheavenger