Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Rated in Jan. 2008. Bomber pour orange – copper with a wisp of a bright white head. Big aroma of Belgian yeast, spice like coriander and other spices I can’t identify along with apple, pear and some lemon. The taste has big fruity flavors with apple, pear and some mild cranberry and kiwi. There’s a bunch of spices too. I think I’m getting coriander, clove, ginger and other tough to pin down spice notes. Yummy now. I can’t wait to try this with more age.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Pours a tawny brown, good lacing and decent head .. . spice, caramel, more light spice?, barrel and snail shell .. . a nice blend, clean finish .. . I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

nice and dry, which ends up being quite the pleasant mouthfeel. sampled 1/09 and it aged quite well...and was exceptional aged in red wine barrels for eight months!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Pours a clear golden orange color with a thick white head. Aroma is strong spices, cloves, ginger, and orange. Very smooth and dry. Flavor is cinnamon, spices, citrus, and gingerbread.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Beer smoke smells like apples. Copper body with mild haze, small off white crown with ok retention. Ok looking beer but nothing special for the style. Apple cinnamon aroma that comes across sweet reminds me of hot apple cider but not really. Flavor seems sharp but watered down, that makes no sense. This has all the elements of a good Belgian, wheat, yeast, spice, citrus, some alcohol but it just doesn’t add up correctly. Didn’t taste bad just maybe a touch mild and no wow factor to it.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

First off, one of my least favourite styles so we will see how this goes.
Poured out a nice thick white head of less than average size, very nice slippery lacing, the beer itself is a hazy orange that is on the darker side. Warm orangy, spicy yeast, weak banana, slightly musty. The taste is musty with lots of yeast that is not over the top in the spice category but still keeps my taste buds awake. A bit weak on the flavour but I like that - this is one of the easiest drinking Belgian Strongs that I've had. Quite fruity with citrus out front, typical musty yeast spice. Medium to medium full bodied. Great carbonation, good after taste of sweet malts, muted spices and some fruit that tilts towards citrus. Nice beer, got one in the cellar for another day.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

I was happy to find this one on a road trip but it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. Pours a clear, bright orange color with a thin white head. Aroma is a bit stingy with oranges, perfume and an assortment of spices. The mouthfeel on this is very tart, tangy and slightly dry. The strongest flavors are oranges and coriander, with lots of spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg), some lemon, and light fragrant hopping thrown in there. Interesting but the flavors just don't work for me. Halfway through the bomber I was sick of it. Not an awful beer but it is the worst Stone product I have had so far. Maybe I should have waited until "sometime after December 12th, 2012."

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I wish I could drink this one again.... I have gotten into beers spiced this way and would love to re-visit it. almost a clear orange color when poured with a nice white head. Carbonation was as bit stingy on the tip of the tounge. Flavor was great... Sweat and spiced..I could pick upon the cardamon

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Not really sure how any of these earlier beers will hold up until 2012, but whoever has the patience to find out will have something to remember for a long time. This beer was good, but nothing great. It poured out a deep orange/gold color, clear with a small head. Tons of spices and fruity esters in this one. Clove really seemed to stand out the most prominent for me, but there were other notes of ginger, nutmeg, corriander and toffee too. Flavors are sharp with spices, there's no denying that. Also picked up some strange vegetable-like flavors (celery?) and peppers, but perhaps they used some fennel seed the making? Interesting combonation of flavors. But as I said, not sure how tasty this will be in another 5 years or so.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

A big let down for me. Poured cloudy with an orangish tint and little head. Taste was confused to me - reminded me of a cross between a pumpkin ale and a wheat beer. No one spice dominated. Didn't "feel" good on my tongue and had little finish. Like a said - quite a let down for 6 bucks, especially from Stone.