Review 178
9/18/13
Stone
Vertical Epic Series 12 Ale: 9% abv
Background: The
final chapter! There won’t be a sequel? Or will this be like Star War and start
all over again? Well, without ruining the surprise, I sure as Hell hope so.
This is a series of experimental beers produced by our bitter friends, Stone. The
project started in 2002, when the first beer was brewed. The idea was to make
aging-friendly beers that could be compared year after year. So every year, a
new beer has been produced. This one, produced on 12/12/12 was the last batch
to be made in the Vertical Epic series. The bottle impressively states that the
beer is an “Ale brewed with spices”. Sounds very simple, if you ask me. Well it
isn’t. The spices in this beer are incredible, and before this beer disappears,
you should try it.
Nose: The
nose is immediately greeting you with spiced notes of allspice, nutmeg, pumpkin
spice, and gingerbread. There are some molasses and apple flavors that come out
early on, with a small hint of fresh mint. There is vanilla and caramel present
in the nose, with some cocoa as well. As the beer opens up, there are more
dynamic notes of caramel apple and spices. There is an old oaky flavor that
becomes prevalent the more you dig into the nose. There is some orange and a
little bit of wood lacquer that shows up in the smell. This is absolutely a
master class on what balance should be. We are really going crazy for this
nose. Let’s hope the rest of the beer doesn’t disappoint.
Arrival: The
arrival is favorably spicy, with features of apple, vanilla and allspice being
major components. There is also some clove and nutmeg that comes through. The
clove becomes more present in the body, but starts making its feature here. There
is a slight instance of pear present, with fruitiness present. There is also a
good pumpkin and pumpkin spice note blending into the body.
Body: The
body is dominant in cloves, with dry pepper bitterness and some hoppiness. The
apple and pear are still present, with wood and vanilla taking the center stage
not shortly after. The cadence is great in the body, and builds from the
arrival with not too much effort. The pumpkin spice comes through strong here,
and lasts through the finish. The body has a great medium mouth-feel.
Finish: In the
finish, there are dark chocolate notes, spicy notes of allspice and clove, and
vanilla present right. Pumpkin, apple, pear and other brilliant notes are still
apparent in this rarely epic finish, and it isn’t failing to entertain us more
and more. The spiciness, with some subtle bitterness comes through on the
finish and tapers off at the right pace, without losing balance at any point.
Final Comments: Well I hope I didn’t give away too much in
the background section (I’m usually better about that then I was today). This
beer is incredible. It isn’t an easy task to throw a bunch of spices into a
brew and expect something good to come out of it. The spices can either
over-dominate the beer or underwhelm your expectations. This one didn’t do
either of those. The balance of spice complexity and character with different
sweetness and earthy tones really contributed to a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. I don’t normally swoon over a beer, but I just have never tasted
anything like this to date. I don’t think this is a Friday-night at college
kind of beer, mind you, but for an experience, it is almost unsurpassable at a
reasonable price.
Why you’d buy it: Because
you read my review.
Why you wouldn’t: You
hate things that taste good.
Score: 9.75/10
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