Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12

I stopped in at Al’s of Hampden to pick up a bottle of Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12, the final beer in the series. The beer pours a dark brown color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head that leaves specks of lacing behind on the glass. The aroma consists of candisugar, tobacco, chocolate, raisin, fig, cinnamon, allspice, orange, and nutmeg. The taste is rich and fruity with raisin, dates, fig, orange, and rose all up front. The base of the beer is built with chocolate and tobacco flavors, and the finish has a dry and spicy hop flavor to it that brings along some lemon zest and pine. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed this blend of spices and dark fruits, as it was like no other beer I have tried before. It was hoppy yet full of tobacco and chocolate, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the ride.

Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11

I stopped in to Al’s of Hampden to hang out with some friends and I ordered a glass of Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11. The beer pours a dark amber color with a foamy white head. Th aroma consists of spicy pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, and caramel. The taste is smooth with light chocolate flavor on the front end. There is plenty of caramel that takes over the mouth before a good spicy pepper accent that doesn't kill the beer, or the tongue, kicks in to play. A bit of dry cinnamon comes in to play, but never takes a foot hold. The finish has some creaminess to it, and the beer goes down rather smooth. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. This version of the Vertical Epic is one of the better chili pepper infused beers out there, as it wasn’t too spicy to kill the palate, and it wasn’t too faint to ignore. I think Stone did a great job with it.

Stone 10-10-10 Vertical Epic

As soon as it was available, I stopped into Westy's in Camp Hill and picked up a case of Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10. The beer pours a vibrant golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of grapes, sweet Belgian yeast, and a hint of pepper and Belgian spices. The taste is sweet and smooth with a sour grape bite on the side of the mouth with a great Belgian yeast flavor profile. The finish is smooth, with some grassy and earthy hints. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I really enjoyed how this year's Vertical Epic really took on the profile of a sweet white wine while maintaining a solid Belgian beer base. The sweetness wasn't too overpowering, and a slight sourness balanced everything out.

Stone 09-09-09 Vertical Epic

I was very excited to see that McGrath's in Harrisburg brought in a keg of Stone 09-09-09 Vertical Epic. The beer is black with a tan frothy head. It has a slight slight chocolate aroma. The taste is malty and consists of a sweet chocolate with hints of vanilla. The finish is slightly dry with a hop kick on the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.6% ABV. I thought that the 2009 version of the Vertical Epic is very good and I hope that the keg is not kicked by the time I get back to McGrath's, as I definitely want another glass of it.