Stone Brewing Co. – Vertical Epic 10-10-10 *

 Beer Reviews  1 Response »
Dec 272011
 

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)

6581647287 c3a966001f Stone Brewing Co. Vertical Epic 10 10 10 *

Stone Brewing Co. - Vertical Epic 10-10-10

 Posted by Lucas at 11:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Looking Back – Redhook Tripel

 Looking Back  No Responses »
Oct 062011
 

When coming up with this concept to do some reminiscing over the next few weeks (granted I didn’t think too long on it) I never set out to have a well balanced set of styles but it seems I have done just that.  Today I look back on an example of a style that I don’t have that often and at the time I was even less familiar with it.

I don’t think that this one will even be available again, but if it is I probably should give it another try.  Clicking on the photo will take you to what I thought of it at the time . . .

4159915355 e22a9071c6 Looking Back Redhook Tripel

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , ,

Brouwerij Affligem – Affligem Tripel *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Aug 162011
 

Straight forward and simple was the way to go when listing the brewery for this beer.  Aside from also seeing Brouwerij De Smedt listed in some places online, it also said “Brewed and bottled by N.V. Br. Alken-Maes S.A.” on the bottle.  All I really wanted to do was (somewhat) quickly review this beer and put my feet up while enjoying the rest, so Brouwerij Affligem was the perfect answer.

For what was really a great way to unwind on a Sunday evening . . .

Brewery: Brouwerij Affligem (Belgium)

Name: Affligem Tripel

Style: Belgian Tripel

ABV: 9.00% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (54 degrees +/-) before serving in a stemmed goblet/chalice. Tucked into the fridge for a bit before actually opening just to put slightly more chill on it.

Aroma: A full spiciness to the aroma that is kind of peppery with a fruity character that has a banana quality.  There is also a candy-like sweetness to it and is really nice overall. – 10/12

Appearance: Golden (medium) in color.  A one plus finger frothy white head with good retention and leaving really nice lacing on the glass.  Crystal clear with many rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: The spicy character floats on top of a light malty base.  The fruitiness takes on a faint citrus quality and the underlying sweetness is almost sugary.  A moderate level of bitterness is there (perfect for balance really).  Nicely dry on the finish with some slight lingering bitterness and some sweetness. – 16.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a fairly high level of carbonation that adds a nice crispness.  Good amount of creaminess on the palate with a little warmth coming through as well. – 4.5/5

Overall Impressions: A really nicely balanced beer and certainly not much in the way of warmth for the ABV.  Love drinking this at more of a cellar temperature as the flavors open up really nicely.  The level of spiciness is great in combination with the sweetness with the bitterness quite noticeable and very much needed for the overall balance.  I did not mind at all working my way through a 750ml bottle. – 8.5/10

Overall: A- (42.5/50)

6046680752 73aa38ae95 Brouwerij Affligem Affligem Tripel *

Brouwerij Affligem - Affligem Tripel

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,
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