Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Zorro

California

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Inky black beer with a mediums sized brown head.

Smells spicy with a good holiday spice mix. Patent malt and clove, with oranges, and spruce needles. Coriander and licorice with mint and a strong dose of clove.

Starts out tasting of spice and patent malt, after taste is clove. Spruce, pine, clove, cinnamon. Some chocolate taste but the char of the malt is stronger. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall it is good. Still it is really a Christmas beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:11:33 | More by Zorro

45nDown

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Just don't drink this. Takes the Stone Arrogant Bastard to a whole new spicy level. Mix of slow and warm drinkin spicy goodnes. Don't judge just drink. There is ALOT going on in here but this beer really needs to be tasted slow. apparently it will-be better years to come.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 06:26:03 | More by 45nDown

DubbelTrubbel

Iowa

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 12-6-12. Poured into a tulip glass

A- Black with a half-finger head of small tan bubbles

S- chocolate, hints of coffee. I do get some of the nutmeg and allspice.

T- dark roast flavors, noticeable bitterness, and a nice spiciness.

M- slick, but on the thin side for the abv. Drinks like a cup of hot chocolate. Carbonation only slightly prickly.

O- The promised "Belgian abbey-ish" characteristics are very restrained. It is certainly drier and more in line with an imperial stout, and the spiciness confuses it even more. There is some sweetness, though. I don't usually like beers with a lot of added spices, but this one is balanced and well done.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 05:20:00 | More by DubbelTrubbel

dbrelsfo

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

06-19-2013 01:50:40 | More by dbrelsfo

hardy008

Minnesota

1.65/5  rDev -58%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5

Dark black with a less than one finger tan head with good retention for the abv, and spotty lacing. Looks more like an Imperial Stout than a BSDA. The aroma has cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. The aroma of the spices is so strong, that I can't smell anything else. I like these aromas in pumpkin beers, but the aromas here are much stronger than the aromas in pumpkin beer, and are way too strong in my opinion.

The taste is dominated by the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, all of which are way too strong. There is a combination of sweetness from the spices, and charred roasted malt which clash with each other badly. Whoever thought these flavors would work well together was badly mistaken.

Medium bodied with too much carbonation. Finishes dry and bitter. The aftertaste is similar to brushing your teeth ,then eating peppermint candy while drinking coffee. I usually like or love almost everything Stone makes, but this is a huge exception. I'm glad I didn't buy more than one. of these. This beer does not resemble a Belgian Strong Dark Ale in any way.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 01:22:09 | More by hardy008

Stonewallstrong

Idaho

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

06-19-2013 01:01:54 | More by Stonewallstrong

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-18-2013 23:37:33 | More by PEIhop

Poupae

Thailand

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

06-17-2013 23:00:07 | More by Poupae

Bustersuess

New York

2/5  rDev -49.1%

06-17-2013 05:24:11 | More by Bustersuess

warnerry

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-17-2013 02:57:36 | More by warnerry

TastyIsBeer

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

06-16-2013 01:43:44 | More by TastyIsBeer

lilnicky068

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

06-15-2013 19:49:03 | More by lilnicky068

Morockm

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -23.7%

06-15-2013 13:59:03 | More by Morockm

iCabaLLero

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-15-2013 07:58:22 | More by iCabaLLero

vfgccp

New York

3.54/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Opened June 2013

A - Black body, used motor oil. Dark khaki head with nice retention and lace.

S - Smoked pepers, jerk rub, allspice, black pepper, light caramel malt, milk chocolate.

T - Huge spice and floral note. Allspice, grains of paradise, blackened spice, burnt gingerbread.

M - Medium body. Dry, nutmeg finish.

O - Too much spice for my taste. Ironically this could use a few years.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 04:00:08 | More by vfgccp

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-13-2013 18:58:30 | More by djre4orm

utopiajane

New York

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours nearly black with a flourishing tan head of creamy foam. Dwindled slowly to a cap and ring that never faded and left some great lace. Inviting and dark almost bewitching. Nose is a mix of spices and fruit. I smell cloves cinnamon, is that ginger? and nutmeg. As it warms it opens up to some yeast, orange and a fruit smell that I couldn’t quite pin down is rose hips. The toasted malt gives it a breaddy cookie like quality. There’s a breath of alcohol and a marvelous hint of chocolate. It’s a Xmas cookie in a glass. One of the most complex spice profiles I’ve encountered. Taste is lighter than it smells and not as sweet as it smells either. Smooth, burnt around the edges with plenty of bread underneath it all. Not too fruity. A little alcohol to taste is really nice in this. Hops finally come up bitter to take it into the long dry finish. It even has a charred quality that’s not disagreeable. Warming and very festive. This is a hard to describe strong dark ale that really surprised me. Far from overly sweet it’s one I would have again. I wonder how it ages?

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 09:05:59 | More by utopiajane

schaffer9252

New York

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-12-2013 01:12:16 | More by schaffer9252

jarrgal

North Dakota

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%

06-10-2013 02:12:45 | More by jarrgal

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-09-2013 20:30:28 | More by liamt07

devilben02

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

06-09-2013 20:22:49 | More by devilben02

civicm87

New York

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-09-2013 04:43:48 | More by civicm87

MNPikey

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

06-09-2013 04:03:37 | More by MNPikey

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Obsidian. Not much of a head. More of a mocha colored film on top. Not much lace. Just a thin ring of khaki around the rim

Aroma: Well they were going for Belgian Christmas and they nailed it. Lots of cloves and cinnamon. Some nutmeg and allspice. Gingerbread. Not really picking up the orange zest. Maybe faintly. Some molasses and lots of roasted malt. Very nice

Taste: Big roasty malt. Lots of spice but mostly cinnamon and nutmeg. Good amount of cloves. Some bitter chocolate. Belgian yeast. Dry alcohol. Would be awesome in winter. A bit out of place in June but that's my own damn fault

Mouthfeel: Very smooth but very spicy. Also really drying. Very little carbonation

Overall: Stone accomplished what they intended to do here for the most part. This is a pretty nice brew and it makes me long for winter but overall a little too dry. I haven't tried any of the other vertical epics so I'm not sure how this stacks up but I'm happy I got to try this

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 04:03:00 | More by MistahBeah

Zach136

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-09-2013 00:57:09 | More by Zach136