Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

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

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

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

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

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

Billolick

New York

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Looks like this one has been in a dark closet for 6 months or so. Chilled and allowed to warm up for about 45 mins.

Pours darn near black, mocha head, leaves a thick n rich head, quality, tiny bubble and nice looking fine sheets of lace.

Burnt malt, dark bitter chocolate , vanilla on the nose

Super smooth, big, bold, complex and flavorful Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Dense flavors of dark and bitter chocolate, more vanilla. Snap of belgian yeat in the rear.

Heady brew. Dangerously awesome

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 03:59:56 | More by Billolick

scottmichaelland

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was a good beer, but not extraordinary.

Appearance - Looked like a Belgian Strong Dark ale through and through, but not as much head/lacing as I would have liked. Something like an Abt 12 really is the peak of what a Belgian strong should look like, and this just felt a little weak compared to that, but still very nice. Dark brown, off white head.

Smell - Wow, amazing. Probably the best part about this beer. Christmas in a glass. I got cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and so much more. It smells like the candles you like around Christmas time, absolutely fantastic. Warm and sweet.

Taste - Like it smelled, but with a dry finish. You got everything, the sweetness, the spices, and the alcohol. Not overpowered but could of been a BIT more balanced. Tasted great, but in a Belgian dark I think it can be more simple than this, they went for super complexity.

Mouthfeel - Really good, thick, coated your tongue, but as it warmed it got even better.

Overall - I think it's a really good example of the style but they didn't need to go as nuts as they did with the flavoring. Keeping it simple would of been better in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 14:59:55 | More by scottmichaelland

draheim

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into a chalice. Pours a deep chocolate brown w/ a thin mocha head that settles to a thin film.

Aroma is big holiday spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, and orange zest. Smells like gingerbread cookies. Also, dark fruit and molasses.

Taste (naturally) follows nose. Tons of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg; almost tastes like a redhot. Brown sugar, molasses, also just a hint of coffee and bitter chocolate.

Mouthfeel is thick and coating, but not sweet. Finishes semi-dry with a lingering spicy aftertaste.

Overall a spicy, flavorful, big, bold beer that doesn't hold back. Classic Stone, for better or worse.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 04:12:17 | More by draheim

cobra8u

Ohio

4.89/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Its like Great Lakes Xmas Ale on Steroids...Nice lacing...to bad I am drinking this at Memorial Day...oh well. Reminds me of the Xmas season. Definitely has the appearance of a stout although the head is somewhat darker. The head btw hangs in there, I served in a Warsteiner Mug and could not see light through. This Beer definitely stood up to the appearance a beer should have served in that mug.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:09:26 | More by cobra8u

Kuaff

Alaska

4.54/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.

This ale is as dark as a stout. I can see a tiny bit of transparity around the edges of my glass, but it's pretty much opaque black. The head is small (maybe around a half an inch), but it is made of fine (what I like to call "high-quality"), light brown foam.

It smells like the spices which are described on the bottle. I definitely get a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. There is also a bit of dark fruit, molasses, and a gingerbread scent. A wonderful aroma.

The taste is much like the smell, but even more complex to me. The spices and gingerbread character are prominent (I LOVE the spiciness), reminding me of Christmas cookies and dark fruit cake, but there is also a noticeable combination of tartness and bitterness which I'm inclined to attribute to the orange peel this ale was brewed with. The after-taste has the unmistakable roastiness of a stout, and there may also be a little of the breadiness I expcet to find in a Belgian strong dark ale, but it kind of hides underneath all the other flavors. This beer also has that signature Stone-esque bitterness, which counter-balances the sweet Christmas cookie traits. Sublime.

The mouthfeel is thick and substantial, with lively carbonation. This consistency does an excellent job of supporting the myriad flavors and deep dimensions of this beer.

This is an excellent ale, no doubt about it. And so unique as well. It may be categorized on this site as a Belgian strong dark ale, but it's so much more than that... Certainly a must-try-beer if you can find it. Expertly-crafted, distinctive, throughly enjoyable, and unforgetable.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:49:34 | More by Kuaff

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured almost blackish brown hue with tan head that was two finger high, slow dying and left a lace ring. The first aroma I get is one of sweetness, then some yeast and citric orange peel and then a strong malt aroma, mixing some roasted/heavy malts with caramel and/or candi sugar type malts (I did notice faint sniffs of cinnamon, but the label helped me come to that conclusion). Full-bodied, thick and almost sticky, there is a heavy maltiness to this beer that is both sweet from caramel and bitter chocolate to touches of syrupy or molasses and just sugariness (I can't really explain some of the sweet notes that hit) to dry, roasted, even toasted or coffee-esque malts that provide balance. As for fruit flavors I don't get much other orange and citric and maybe some sweet fruit. The malts lead to a dry backbone of taste (ABV is hidden) but this is aided from some very minor clove/peppery spices and a touch of bitter hops. I hate to say this but I find myself agreeing with the label (I hate reading labels before or during writing a review) but this is, in a cliff notes summary one could say, a classic Belgian with a Stone twist. I found it to not necessarily be a Belgian, per se, but a quality beer that hits the sweet notes as well keeps balance so you know you're drinking a beer and not a milkshake or java.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 18:26:23 | More by clayrock81

C20Percent

Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a dark brown, black with a semi-bubbly head of tan foam on top.

S: Spicy. Fall spices. Nutmeg. Pumpkin.

T: Cloves! Fall spices. Nice -- unique -- sipping brew. Pretty good.

M: Velvety. Body a little thin. Smooth.

O: Better than Vertical Epic 11.11.11. Dark and Spicy -- good winter brew. Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:49:37 | More by C20Percent

snaotheus

Washington

2.7/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

22oz bottle poured into a large mug

Pours black with a smallish fine head. Can't see much carbonation, but that might be the opacity. Honestly, looks more like a stout than a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Smell is overpoweringly black licorice. Extremely sweet. That is all I can smell. And it's not my favorite smell.

Taste is more black licorice with some additional medicine flavor. Still very sweet. Alcohol is noticeable. It reminds me (for some reason) of jaegermeister. This is clearly not my deal.

Mouthfeel is a strange combination of sticky and dry. Overall...the black licorice character (as I perceive it) is a no go. It's not quite so bad that I'm willing to drainpour the whole thing, but I'm not sure I'll make it through the whole thing, either.

If you like black licorice, you should try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:09:02 | More by snaotheus

scottfrie

California

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle into snifter.

A: Pours near black with two fingers of dense light brown head that slowly faded into a melted ice cream film. A ton of stringy lace was left down the glass.
S: Nutmeg, orange zest, allspice, cinnamon, apple juice, clove, brown sugar.
T: Follows the nose with the addition of wood, caramel, black pepper, and chocolate. Tons of spice, solid hop bitterness in finish. Leafy with rose hip and a hint of tobacco. Fruity, spicy apple cider aftertaste. Clove and nutmeg standout. Complex and it all works.
M: Thick body, soft fluffy carbonation, airy, full mouthfeel.
O: Very interesting brew. Can easily pick out all the ingredients and they work together.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:55:13 | More by scottfrie

arfenhouse

California

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Black with light brown head. Decent retention and some lacing.

S: Mainly getting clove and sweet caramel malt. Allspice and unidentified herbal smell. Barnyard. Interesting.

T: Reminds me of clove cigarettes (djarum or gudang). Some coffee, sweet malt, and clove upfront. A bit of raisin and prune. Some pepper. Cinnamon on the aftertaste. Interesting but can taste a bit weird sometimes.

M:Medium-full bodied with low carbonation. Wet.

O: Interesting beer, I was expecting worse.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 08:27:55 | More by arfenhouse

Auraan

Arizona

4.09/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured a deep brown or black with a half-finger tan head. Looks quite stunning. Scent dominated by nutmeg with hints of allspice, cloves and cinnamon. I like those scents a lot so it worked for me. Flavor begins with a hit of sweet malt, sustains this throughout the sip and picks up flavors of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and a bit of allspice and orange peel. The finish is smokey, with a roast, almost smoked malt flavor that carries into the aftertaste. Unique, but I think it may be too bold. Mouthfeel is heavy bodied, with fairly high carbonation. It's a big, flavorful beer, with a lot going on, but it may be too much. I am not sure how to approach this beer. Also, despite being said to be Belgian Strong Dark in style, it drinks a lot like a cross between that and a heavily spiced stout. It's an interesting beer for sure, and I do think I'll get another bottle to age and see how it goes, but I'm just not sure what to make of it as it is right now.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 06:54:14 | More by Auraan

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown to black in color. Poured with a thick beige foam that reduced to a thick cap that left random sticky lacings on the glass. A variety of aromas: dark chocolate, dark fruit, orange zest, dark malt, and spice. On the heavier side of medium bodied with slightly delayed, dense, rich carbonation. Clove, cinnamon, and pepper flavors are dominant throughout. Dark chocolate and dark fruit flavors beneath. A subtle hop bite near the end as this finishes with a spicy aftertaste. The spice flavors are a bit overwhelming. Would be interesting to see if the flavor balance improves over time.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 20:56:52 | More by IronLover

metter98

New York

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high tan head that has very good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of spices are present in the nose - allspice and nutmeg seem to stand out in particular.
T: Like the smell, the taste is quite spicy but there is more complexity as hints of cinnamon and clove are also noticeable. Among the spices, nutmeg stands out in particular.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The spices lend some dryness.
O: This beer is very enjoyable and has an interesting mix of spices, but not of the peppery variety. It is a nice beer for Christmas. It is very drinkable because the spices are well balanced and no traces of alcohol are perceptible.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:01:49 | More by metter98

MisSigsFan

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated 11/29/12. Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Pours a thick black oil with a 2 finger brown head that leaves a ton of lacing all around the glass. Smell is mostly sweet with a lot of banana and Belgian yeast. Some spices in there too. My smell might be slightly off from having a bit of a cold. Taste is mostly of those spices. A lot of cinnamon and allspice with some banana. Some other dark fruits as well. A lot of banana in the aftertaste actually. The alcohol is very well hidden. The only way of telling is from the warming sensation I get from drinking it. Has a very dry malt finish. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth. Below average carbonation, which I think is just right for an ale like this. Very dry finish and not overly full. Overall, this was a great way to end the Vertical Epic series. It's immensely flavorful and bold, yet incredibly classy and not overdone with sweetness. Stone does it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 04:06:19 | More by MisSigsFan

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle: Poured a deep black color ale with a large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of cinnamon and cloves are quite strong with some light roasted malt notes and some light residuals sugar notes. Taste is also a good mix of roasted malt with some cinnamon and cloves and some residual sugar. Light spicy ginger notes are also distinguishable. Body is full with light creamy texture and good carbonation. Interesting mix of spices with solid malt backbone. I would have liked this better with some toned down roasted malt.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:51:49 | More by Phyl21ca

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.09/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Pours a nice light brown head and the beer itself is an opaque black. The lacing is nice and what you would expect from a Belgian dark.

Smell:
The smell has a strong gingerbread presence with a hint of cinnamon that is underscored by a light orange smell. I can smell a little bit of clove but the gingerbread dominates most of the smell.

Taste:
Similar to how the beer smells. The gingerbread seems to be dominant but there are also hints of orange peel and possibly some other spices.

Mouthfeel:
Fairly thick and heavy bodied. The texture almost feels as if I'm drinking a moist gingerbread cookie.

Overall:
A decent Belgian dark but a little heavy on the gingerbread for any time that is not Christmas.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:22:32 | More by HattedClassic

ChugMan

Washington

4.36/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Opaque, becoming deep dark red/brown at its thinnest. Light foamy head was abundant, settled, and left more of a wall of foam than lacing, per se. Pretty neat!
S - Beautiful. If this was placed before my nose while I was blindfolded, I'd swear it was my mom's walnut banana bread. Ripe banana with that slightly sharp nutty bready butteryness.
T - As is remarkably standard for this brewer: this beer is complex. Immediate taste of clove, reminding me of the Fall season and pumpkin beer- but none of those can compare to this. There are spices here that I'm not able to identify, suffice to say it's like a mouthful of exotic, cloying, nearly perfumy spice. The flavors boomerang around your mouth, changing with each pass. Fun, interesting, very satisfying.
M - Drinkable for such a dark and bold beer, but there's definitely some thickness here. Hops make themselves well known on the back of the tongue and are a nice counterpoint to the beer's otherwise sweet spicyness, a bit overstated for me but otherwise it's fine. Leaves a tingling sensation on the tongue and roof of the mouth.
O - Stone doesn't mess around. Clearly the work of many-a sure hand, this beer exemplifies their mastery of the craft. And while it may not be suitable for any occasion, it's a must-try for any beer fan, and surely a fitting end to what must have been a truly epic series.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 05:19:43 | More by ChugMan

1Nrwyscotch

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a pint glass

A. extremely dark it looks almost black with a medium brown colored head

S. It smells very belgian with some sweet yeast and some spice, nutmeg coriander.

T. The taste is consistant with the smell, its somewhat sweet spicy and delicious. A little warming but the alcohol is well hidden and it is very balanced.

M. It has a medium body with a little carbonation.

O. It is a very tasty Belgianish beer with some good balance between the sweetness and spice.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 02:04:17 | More by 1Nrwyscotch

Pencible

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a nearly opaque black ruby with moderate thick tan head.
S: It smelled like strong ginger and cinnamon and other spices, with some herbal hops and wild Belgian yeast.
T: It tasted like cinnamon and clove, with waxy and herbal hops and wild Belgian yeast. It had a spicy and waxy aftertaste.
M: It was thick with smooth natural carbonation. Nice slick body.
D: This was an interesting brew with a fairly complex scent and taste. Not delicious, but not bad. The body was great, but the finish was a bit harsh, so it must be sipped. Age would probably help. Fitting ending to this series.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:15:20 | More by Pencible