All through the week I had been thinking about what the choice for a review beer would be for the weekend and would there be time for two reviews or just one. Friday morning was beset with a bout of laziness before work. As time ticked away on the clock, I decided to try the Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10. that I had purchased a few weeks before during a road trip to Binny’s in Plainfield.

I had read a bit about these Vertical Epic beers that Stone has been producing since ’02 and there’s usually quite a stir on the beer forums when they are released. Each Epic is designed and brewed to be stored for two years in the bottle before drinking. But based on the reviews I have read so far, not too many of us wait and decide to drink it immediately after purchase.

When I first bought the two bombers of Epic and chunked down the $16 for two bottles, I thought that I’d be investing in the future two years from now. But, just like my checking account, the best laid plans, etc. On any given Monday, I could go to work with thirty bucks in my jeans and by Thursday, I’m down to four dollars and staring at the gas gauge in my truck. On Friday I decided to go along with the crowd and try the Epic in its fresh state rather than wait the two years and start from scratch with an aged beer taste I had nothing to compare to. At least two years from now I may have some glimmering memory of what this beer tasted like. I placed the bomber pair in the fridge before departing to my place of employment.

Friday night, Fate would wield its rusty sword. A piece of equipment went down at the end of the shift and my partner and I had to stay past quitting time for the repair. Thirty feet up in the boom lift, I waved at all the folks below who were walking to the time clock. Alas. No Friday review for this lazy boy. That put all the more importance on the Saturday review and my own personal enjoyment of the weekend.

Saturday was a sleep-late day but I found enough energy to spend some time soaking and peeling labels off empty beer bottles for use in homebrew bottling. The evening thankfully brought a 6-foot diameter pizza and some grandson time. Thanks to the iPad he was off playing Angry Birds quietly on the couch. It was beer time and I was internally prepared.

I grabbed the first Epic and read the rather verbose label. I was pulled in different directions. Should I have waited? If I waited, I’d have nothing to compare it to. Will I still be able to find two more bombers for storage and future comparison? Will I even remember the first tastes? At least I’d have this brew review to reference in the future. Let us begin. A glass was selected from the cabinet. Rather than going against the grain and choosing a shaker or pint glass, I nabbed one of the New Belgium globe glasses I bought for a song. (They’re still available on Amazon but for a higher price.)

The beer poured with the color of an orange-yellow fruit juice. The foam head came up to about a half-inch and dissipated, I would assume from all the sugars used in the beer. The aroma was that of a fine Belgian ale with that special yeast really shining through.

The first sip was almost sublime. The great Belgian flavor came through right away and the beer had a decent body to it. There was some tartness along the sides and a bit of a snap at the swallow, not so much from hops, but rather from taste, if that makes any sense. The flavor wasn’t very overwhelming but there was a lot of it and it was present in every sip.

I found it difficult to dissect all the tastes that I was experiencing. There was sweet at the front and mostly over all, the distinctive flavor of Belgian yeast was present in every sip and a somewhat sharp swallow due to the ingredients. It had a tropical fruit essence to it, like mango or passion fruit.

At no time was I reminded of the taste of wine, despite the many winey ingredients used in the brewing process. Instead, I was trying to compare this to other Belgian ales that I’ve had; Chimay, Abt 12, Duvel and others. This beer was very similar but quite different. The subtleties of the different taste sensations are what puts this beer in the unique category.

The Belgian aroma greeted the nose at the onset of every sip and nicely dominated the taste experience. It was the other flavors that me pause trying to place different nuances. Maybe some nectarine, a trace of orange, a skosh of cantaloupe perhaps. This beer is nicely done, a symphony of tastes in each sip.

But it was with each sip that the tartness threw me. Not overpowering but seemingly ubiquitous, everywhere at the same. The giddyup slap at the swallow seemed to be this beer’s trademark. The great Belgian flavor, coupled with the mystery fruits, tartness and snap-swallow made for a tastebud workout.

I could imagine handing out a glassful or three at a get-together and having some initial odd comments about the initial tastes of this beer. I also imagine those same people coming back for another glassful or two. The beer is like warts – it grows on you.

The ingredients as mentioned on the bottle label, Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are all mysteries to me. The chamomile I remember from when I was a kid was the sweet, though, odd tasting tea concoction my Mom made for me when I was sick. At least that part of the taste mystery is solved. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to go to the beer store for some Gewurztraminer. It just may be that the Stone folks are trying to blur the lines between beer and wine while throwing in a little Belgian yeast to confuse us all.

This beer is quite the Belgian taste treat with a mystery thrown in. The complexity of tastes make me wonder how much different or better this beer would taste two years from now. Hmm. I’ll have to make another extended beer run for a couple of more bombers of Vertical Epic and throw them in storage. Then try to compare tastes two years apart. As long as lazyboy-ism doesn’t kick in.

You might find a some Vertical Epic 10.10.10 somewhere nearby. If you’re lucky enough, pick up enough for now and enough for two years hence. That would be a taste adventure.

The SixPackTech ratings for Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10 are:

Taste: A- > Colonel Mustard with the pipe in the dining room. Let’s drink.

Smoothness: B+ > A trip to Belgium with a small pebble in your shoe.

Drinkability: A- > Swillable and killable at the same time, together, etc.

Bang for the buck: B > Still cheaper than beer at Soldier Field.

ABV: 9.5%

Wife’s all-encompassing opinion: It’s cloudy. (sip) That’s not too bad. Just a little hint of peach I get. (sip) Yeah. A little bit on the sweet-er side. (sip) I’m not getting bitter… a little dry but not bad. It’s almost a gulping beer. Chug, chug. It’s pretty good actually. (The 9.5% would make for a pleasurable evening, to be sure.)

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Stone Vertical Epic bottling day

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