Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10

If you've been reading for a while, you're probably familiar with the Stone Vertical Epic series. If not, the gist of it is that they come out with a new beer every year from 2003 until 2012 on the date where the year, month, and day are all the same number. These beers are designed to be aged until 12.12.12, where they can all be tasted in a "vertical" session going from year to year. This year's installment was released on 10.10.10. Well, sort of. Due to some issues either with the brewery or the distributor, it took weeks for it to make its way out to the east coast, meaning we didn't get our hands on a bottle until around the 24th, a full 2 weeks late.

This year's installment is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, with triticale, chamomile, and a blend of Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. What this should translate to is a beer with some white wine qualities. Initially the nose displays similar qualities to Duvel, with a touch of grape and a surprisingly wild Brett-like character. Since I don't believe the yeast strain actually contains any Brett, this does seem a little odd, but certainly not unpleasant.

In the mouth the beer again shares qualities with Duvel, but does diverge enough to be distinguishable. For instance, I detected a bit of tartness evoking memories of past adventures in white wine drinking. Given my current proclivity towards beer, this wouldn't necessarily be a pleasant thing, but in this case it was not entirely unwelcome or unexpected. A blunt bitterness sat on the back of the tongue, quickly giving way to a sour aftertaste. Combined with the relative lightness in the mouth and high carbonation, it has a rather effervescent nature.

However, there is a distinctly derivative nature to this beer as well. While Duvel is generally considered the primary example of the Belgian Strong Pale, I felt that if the grape and chamomile characteristics of this beer were removed, it would be an exact duplicate. Fortunately this is not the end of the story for this beer, and hopefully in the years to come the flavors will meld, and the harshness that it currently displays will subside. It isn't the standout beer that I though the 09.09.09 was. Perhaps by 12.12.12 it will be.

- Adam

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