As I made mention of yesterday I really don’t know why I have held onto some of the beer that has accumulated in my office. It is not as if I had a plan going in or that I have been looking for rare beers to keep and age for a while. So over the weekend I grabbed a few from that collection to throw in the fridge and I hope to keep doing the same to make some room other things. Maybe even some new beers.
This was one from that pile . . .
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
Name: Vertical Epic 10-10-10
Style: Specialty Beer (via a Belgian Tripel)
ABV: 9.50% (on bottle)
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge (after hanging out on the floor of my office for many, many months) before being served in a stemmed goblet.
Aroma: A bold floral sweetness that has a wine-like quality to it as well as a bit of an herbal note and a slight sharpness. Not very strong, but quite enjoyable. – 10/12
Appearance: Honey-like golden orange color. Very slight off-white head that dissipates very quickly without leaving a trail on the glass. Clear with a few rising bubbles visible. – 2/3
Flavor: A good sweetness up front with a floral/herbal character then a very enjoyable bitterness from middle to finish. Nicely balanced with a smooth grapey fruit profile throughout. The finish has some dryness with a nicely lingering fruity sweetness. – 16.5/20
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a fairly high level of carbonation. Very smooth on the palate with a lot of sugary sweetness. – 4/5
Overall Impressions: Offhand I cannot compare it to a specific variety of white wine, but it certainly has a white wine-like character. A nicely complex beer and perhaps now even more so than when it was fresh. Maybe I could have held onto it for longer, but I didn’t see any need without having the others along with it. A very nice and enjoyable beer (even if it does not taste very beer like in many ways). – 8/10
Overall: A- (40.5/50)
Stone Brewing Co. - Vertical Epic 10-10-10
Look at the bubbles in that glass!