{"id":1982,"date":"2010-10-25T10:07:48","date_gmt":"2010-10-25T15:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=1982"},"modified":"2021-08-26T11:45:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T16:45:12","slug":"from-the-cellar-stone-vertical-epic-09-09-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/from-the-cellar-stone-vertical-epic-09-09-09\/","title":{"rendered":"From The Cellar: Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n Stone says:<\/p>\n “This is quite a complex and layered beer. Bold and smooth chocolate malt flavors combine with a Belgian yeast lending tropical fruit\/banana flavors and hints of spiciness, all complemented by citrus notes from an addition of tangerine peel. Rich vanilla beans add a nice counter to the chocolate malt – actually enhancing the chocolatiness. The finish is smooth, with additional traces of vanilla and toasted characters from French Oak.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 Sayeth the Guys:<\/em><\/p>\n Karl:<\/strong> We have, from time to time, enjoyed a Stone Vertical Epic here and there. \u00a0You\u2019ll remember we checked out the \u201806<\/a> and the \u201807<\/a> previously. \u00a0Now we\u2019re getting into the \u201809, and shortly, the \u201810. Don\u2019t get your hopes up for more in the near future because Ryan has tossed the rest deep into the cellar, and you won\u2019t see these until the equally Epic six-year vertical more than 2 years from now. \u00a0I know – I\u2019m still trying to cope, myself.<\/p>\n Thankfully, I had the rich velvety blanket of flavor that is the SVE09 to comfort me.<\/p>\n Now, the SVE09 over-promised a little bit on what they had in the bottle, but thankfully the Epic was good enough to be able to overlook that. \u00a0(My further cellar hopes correspond with that, which you\u2019ll see in a second.) \u00a0The overwhelming result from this brew is almost-pure vanilla and chocolate, almost the consistency of chocolate milk. \u00a0It reminded me a considerable amount of the Vanilla BCS we had at Sheffields during the Goose Island event<\/a>, with less of a liquor-induced burn.<\/p>\n I was hoping for more orange and citrus than I actually got, with a light rush of it at the back end after the sweetness of the vanilla and chocolate had melted away. \u00a0It was slightly sticky, almost more like orange soda but very light. \u00a0Other flavors like coriander and citrus dance around on the palate after that sweetness departs as well, noticeable but not overpowering.<\/p>\n Overall, this is a very smooth, yet dry-finishing release, with nothing that assaults the palate but gently teases and coats it. \u00a0Out of the Vertical Epics that we\u2019ve tried, I\u2019m probably the most eager to see what will happen with this one. \u00a0It\u2019s still overwhelmingly vanilla\/chocolate after being laid down for a year; I imagine after a couple more years in the cellar we\u2019ll get a lot more of the orange and citrus to complement the sweet chocolate. \u00a0It could be marvelous. \u00a0As it is now, it\u2019s solid. \u00a0Set this one aside and try to be patient.<\/p>\n Ryan:<\/strong> Patience was tough with this bottle.\u00a0 This beer was fantastic fresh with the pronounced sweetness of the chocolate and vanilla blending well with the splashes of citrus from the tangerine peel. it was tough not to reach for it when dipping in to the cellar for something else.\u00a0 But, I stuck to my guns and let it sit for a year before plucking it out for a tasting.\u00a0 One more bottle remains for the ’06 – ’12 vertical in 2012.<\/p>\n
\nBelgian Strong Dark Ale, 8.6% ABV
\n<\/em><\/p>\n