Stone Vertical Epic 08.08.08

The vertical epic series is a very cool idea the guys over at Stone Brewery had. The concept is that a new beer comes out every year, the first one was released on 1/1/01, and each subsequent beer was released exactly one day, one month, and one year later. Each beer is designed to be aged until some time after 12/12/12, when they can then be consumed in sequence. Each beer is supposed to be a different part of the epic story, with it's own twists and turns. Unfortunately since I haven't been drinking beer nearly that long (I was graduating high school in 2001), the chances of me getting a complete set of the beers are effectively zero. I also made the mistake of not waiting to open it, as I figured I could pick up another bottle to age, but State Line sold out before I could grab it. If I ever see it at another store I'll be sure to pick it up.

The 08.08.08 is in the Belgian Strong Pale Ale style, one of my favorites. This is the same style as Duvel, and the Brooklyn Local 1 (which we tried in the same night).

The beer poured a slightly hazy golden yellow. There was only a minimal off-white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing at all.

The aroma was similar to Duvel, with a somewhat spicy smell laced with banana. I also noticed a bit of a hay smell, or horse blanket, that I first encountered with Ommegang's Ommegeddon. There was a sweet, malty quality to the smell as well, and a trace of alcohol was present underneath.

The taste was overal sweet, especially at first, but there was a mild hop bitterness as well. It wasn't an in-your-face kind of bitterness, but stood out in a negative way. In addition there was a medicinal quality to the taste. The bulk of the flavor though consisted of grass and barley, giving the beer a strong bready feel. Overall, it just seemed like the flavors were harsh. Of course, this is expected with a beer designed to be aged. I had a feeling that it would be a lot better after a few years.

In the mouth, the beer was very highly carbonated, almost overwhelmingly so. It felt light in body, and thin overall. It also was dry, the kind of beer that makes you thirsty after finishing it. I think the mouthfeel was the weakest area for this beer, and I wonder if that's something that's likely to change over time.

Well, I felt as it was, that the beer was ok but not great. Especially when compared directly to the Brooklyn Local 1, this beer was a little hard to get through. The flavors in the Brooklyn were just much smoother and balanced nicely. This is hardly surprising as the beer was designed to be aged, not consumed immediately. I think this beer was an important step for me though, knowing that a little patience sometimes makes all the difference, and the fact that I may not be able to get another bottle to try it when it was meant to be tried adds a little extra to the lesson.

-Adam

Sierra Nevada 12th Release Wet Hop Ale

I almost didn't pick up this beer because typically I had associated hops with bitterness, and I tend not to like things that are strongly bitter. However, I had just been reading about wet hopping process that day, and seeing this bottle just felt like fate. Wet hopping is the process by which fresh, rather than dried hops, are added to the beer during the brewing process. Because the hops are perishable, they are generally picked directly off the vine during the harvest season in September, then shipped immediately to the brewery to go into the beer. A much higher weight of hops than usual are added, as the hops contain mostly water, so they are not as concentrated as dry hops. Sierra Nevada claims that this was the first US beer to be brewed with 100% fresh wet hops.

The beer poured a dark tan/red color with a 3 finger light tan head. It had good retention, and nice lacing as the glass progressed.

The aroma was mostly hoppy, with grassy overtones. There was a sweetness to the smell, a little bit of a floral scent, and some fruit. The label said it should have an aroma of pine and citrus, and although I could see the pine, I really didn't detect the citrus.

The taste was sweet just on the tip of the tongue at first, and then gave way to a strong hop bitterness. There were burnt and roasted malt flavors as well. I didn't note much alcohol, except a little in the aftertaste. I did notice that the beer got less bitter as I continued with it, either because I was getting used to it or for some other reason.

The beer had a medium-heavy body with just a light tingle from the carbonation. Overall it was on the thick side. It was a little dry as well, but definitely not too much. Not quite refreshing, but not something that would make you thirsty either.

I'm really still not sure how drinkable I considered the beer. I did enjoy it, and thought that it was good, but I don't think I would like to have more than one. It was a little bit strong, weighing in at 6.7% ABV, although certainly not too much. I can't see myself going back for another any time soon, but maybe when next year's batch rolls around I'll be in the mood for it again.

- Adam