I’ve just recently found a new shop real close to home that stocks a small, but varied assortment of craft beers. The prices are relatively low considering other smaller shops in the area that carry specialty beers are usually on the expensive side. So we’ll be trying out this place for a while to see if their stock holds up and how often they rotate out brews.
At any rate, the one time that I’ve been, one of the employees was stocking a shelf with Stone’s 07.07.07 Vertical Epic. After setting a few aside for himself, he turned to me with a big grin, explained that this one would go fast and then headed off to help another shopper. I’d never had any of the Epic series, but being a fan of Stone, I picked one up.
Appearance
This is one of the prettiest beers I think I’ve ever seen. It pours a slightly hazy golden, amber that just looks crisp and bright. The head was thick and fluffy.
Aroma
Whoa. This thing smells delicious. There’s lots of spice in the nose as well as a ton of fruit characteristics. Considering that it’s a blend of Belgian styles it doesn’t have an overly sweet smell to it. I also get a small bit of banana and bubblegum in there as well.
Taste
I served the beer at slightly cooler than basement temperature — it was in the fridge for maybe 20 minutes or so. Everything in the aroma came out in the taste wonderfully. There’s a nice spice characteristic that complements the sweet, citrus fruits really well. The finish left a hint of Belgian candy/bubblegum that lasted a good while and kept making me pick up the bottle and repeatedly say, “Damn, that’s good.” I’m pretty sure the wife got tired of that over and over, but it really is a great beer.
Overall
I think, if the shop has any left, that I’ll be buying the remainder of the stock. I will definitely be storing one long term — although, I’m not sure I’d be able to wait till 2012 for it.
Rating: 4.5/5
July 22nd, 2007
» Belgian Epic at Snackish - Looking for munchies in NYC said:
[...] A review of Vertical Epic. [...]