Stone 20th Anniversary Encore Series: 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale
In 2008, Stone Brewmasters Steve Wagner and Mitch Steele traveled to Belgium, where they enjoyed a number of hop-forward Belgian tripels, pale ales and IPAs—beers that had taken a cue from the U.S. craft brewing movement and inspired us in return. It’s a big reason 2008’s summer season came to be known at Stone as our “Summer of the Triple.” Upon their return, they crafted Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale, the seventh beer in the 11-beer Stone Vertical Epic Ale series. Packed with floral, spicy essence from Belgian yeast plus plenty of hoppy New World character, it’s our West Coast take on hop-driven Belgian beers.
3.7
971 reviews
Escondido, United States
Community reviews
Bottle from Systembolaget. Light spicy smell, herbal and nutty (almonds). Similar taste, abit boozy. Felt belgian, like a tripel.
Bottled 8.27.15. Dry, boozy Californicated Belgian. Big, floral, yeasty nose, dripping with perfume and grass and a mild herbal hoppiness. Pours like a dream, beautiful gold giving up a massive white head and rings and rings of lace. Tastes moderately dry, wheat and meadow mixing with bread and sunshine, fresh and easygoing, light despite the hefty ABV. Refuses to grow cloy, instead getting a boost from the boisterous carbonation and some generous hops on the back end. Sugars start to show as it warms, adding a pleasant apple-peach undertone, but the booze-tinged finish and dry, doughy fade offer balance. I remember hating this beer back in ’08. No problems now. I’ve matured!
bomber with bottled on date of late 2015. as I poured it I said WOW as I noticed it smelled like weed. A closer sniff is weed/skunk with honey or some sort of funny sounding berry. Saison funk with citrus hops. I would have liked a fresher version, but I do not own a time machine. Definite Belgian yeast. Grassy oily finish.
Bottle; pours hazy gold with a white head; aroma of vanilla, yeast, dark fruits, caramel, and hints of spice; taste is light sweet with caramel, fruits, vanilla, and yeast; finish is dry with some spice hints and a hint of alcohol warming
"Bottled on 09//02/15" imprinted on 22floz bottle purchased roughly nine months ago (paid ~$8 for a single bottle, St. Louis MO area). Consumed 01.13.2017 from a tulip glass. It is golden in color with minimal yeast in suspension, topped with a one-finger head.
A strong Americanized Belgian pale ale with an earthy-citrus aroma. It is hoppy when compared to traditional versions of the style. So I imbibe it looking for general qualities associated with the style in a broad sense. In short tastes like liquid sourdough with an astringent finish to match. Solid.
Glad to have the chance to try this. As usual, there is a significant hop presence with a distinct Belgian yeasty flavor. Some grainy notes and citrus. Nice color and feel.
Bottled 08/26/15, Orange leicht trüb, wenig Schaum, hopfig würzig in der Nase, erstaunlich leicht im antrunk, würzig hefig bitter im Abgang
Orange gold and cloudy. Very spicy yeast smell. Medium bodied, bready yeast flavour, a bit of spice. Tastes better warm to temper the alcohol bite, overall it’s a nice beer with some rough edges.
Pours a dull golden yellow with no head and minimal lacing. Mild hop flower and bitter aromas. Has a spiced medium body. With flavors of flowers
Vom Fass in Berlin. Dunkel gelb s Bier. Weisser Schaum. Hopfiger Tripel Duft. In der Base sehr belgisch. Antrunk Banane. Dann Hopfen. Alkohol schön eingebunden. Süsslich rund.
Bottle from Systembolaget, sweden.
Short and white head. Clear golden color. Mild flower hop aroma with some pears and light belgian aroma. Spicy and light bodied. Distinct bitterness for an belgian beer.
From a 650ml bottle on 30/10/2016 (shared with Butz). Pours a slightly cloud golden with a small head. Featrures a light, very pleasant aroma featuring Belgian yeast and fruit. In the mouth its sweet, fruit and hoppy - a lovely mix of Belgian ale and IPA. Features oodles of sweet fruit, balanced by a good dash of hops, with some herbal and spicy elements to it. Very pleasant indeed. These guys are consistently excellent.
Strong aroma of vanilla, coriander, bread, yeast, spice.
Pours a clear golden color with big foamy white head.
Strong yeasty flavors. Bubblegum, vanilla, spice, with corriander and light caramel breadiness from malt.
Medium bodied with medium low co2, lingering yeasty spiciness.
Enjoyable Belgian style triple. Interesting and complex flavor.
Tasting @ fillepolo 20161007. Bottle (650 ml) from Systembolaget. Fruity, yeasty and spicy, medium body with an oily texture. The finish is dry, fruity and yeasty.
Beer tasting @ fillepolo 7/10-16. Bottle from Systembolaget. Fruity, yeasty and spicy. Body is medium, the finish is dry and spicy.
Tasting @ fillepolo 20161007. Bottle (650 ml) from Systembolaget. Yeasty and spicy
Bottle from systembolaget. Beer tasting @ fillepolo. Pours a golden colour beer with a medium head. Fruity and hoppy with herbs and spices. Dry finish
Bottle - good size foamy head, light copper color, pretty balanced aroma and flavor - some earthy/citrusy hops, crackery malts, and mild yeasty spice, very good overall
The take of a classical Belgian ale results in a beer which has too much alcohol packed into it. The basic brew contains banana, coriander and chewing gum flavour. I don’t really like the brew
From tap at Taphouse. Clear golden colour with a white head. Aroma and flavour of malt, hops, yeats, spice, fruit, smoke, alcohol and bitterness.
On draught. Clear golden-copper with ringing white head. Spicy eaters and slight floral aroma. A spike of bitterness halfway through flavor is distracting. Caramel present. High alcohol warming.
Giant brown American bottle. Little transparent. Accidentally aged. Pours weizen amber and opaque with a thin foam subsiding average. Scent is Bologna cold cuts? Taste is exceedingly mild with weizen or saison yeasts, garlic?, Pepper. Probably has gone off but very good anyway.
Bottle from Wegmans - pours orange with a white head. Has a nice pineness balanced with some nice sweetness. Very nice!
Bottle from Wegman's Fairfax. Pours golden with a thin white head. Biscuity on the nose. Lots of hop notes on the tongue combine nicely with the Belgian yeast notes. Finished clean. Hides it's booze well. Solid.
clear golden... nice ribbons of lace. The aroma has a really fruity quality along with some pine...amarillos?? Flavor is bananas and pink bubblegum.. very fruity.. not as much pine and citrus as expected... actually fairly balanced IMHO. Dry finish.. tropical fruit as it warms.
Keg at The Hay Merchant. It pours clear rich amber - brown with a thick white head. The aroma is rich, sweet, toffee, brown bread, candied fruits, orange peel, pine, resin and varnish. The taste is smooth, bitter, piney, resin, leather, peppery spice, toffee, dried fruits and juniper with a dry finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty tasty stuff.
Keg at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Berlin, today. The first time I had a Stone Anniversary beer was in Downtown Johnny Brown’s in San Diego in 2008. Sadly, I don’t have my book on me, so I can’t confirm that it was this beer, as it could have been 2007’s. Either way this is a glorious example of American IPA meeting Belgian yeast. Harmony.
Bomber aged a year. Pour is clear orange, medium white head, moderate lacing. Nose is intriguing: sweet peach, pine, Belgian yeastiness, banana, light booze. Taste is full bodied and complex to the point of confusion: vanilla, pine, apricot, biscuit, grapefruit, yum. A bastradized style but success as interesting and compulsively drinkable.
Draught. Belgian fruitiness, floral and sweet malty notes. In taste medium sweet, fruity with spicy finish. Medium body, moderate to high carbonation, finish is bitter. Great Belgian strong.
Flaska från SB. Smak och doft av humle, malt, karamell, belgisk jäst, tropisk frukt med toner av ljus torkad frukt. Fin maltsötma, lätt kropp, något kryddig, fruktig, välbalanserad men något anonym.