Stone 03.03.03 Vertical Epic Ale (Enjoyed on 12.12.12)

From Stone – With Vertical Epic 03/03/03, we used some pretty interesting ingredients…coriander (a “Belgian-style” beer favorite!), alligator pepper (wow, bite into these little gems and you get a bigtime spicy rush of flavor), and a bit of both unmalted wheat and dark roasted wheat. And a blend of Belgian yeast and American ale yeast. And a nice selection of high alpha hops (a decidedly non-Belgian style twist). All told it makes for a dubble-ish taken-to-San-Diego-pushed-to-the-edge-and-slapped-around-a-bit beer. So, treat it gently. It’s been abused enough already. Store it upright, cool and in the dark. It would enjoy a nice long rest. It will have plenty of patience.

Stone Brewing Co. – Stone 03.03.03 Vertical Epic Ale – On tap at Stone 12.12.12 The Final Chapter – 9% abv.

Appearance:  Pours like iced tea brown with a tight white ring.

Aroma: Red apple, pear, banana bread.

Taste:  Toasty malt, clove/spice, pear. Finishes with long toast.

Mouthfeel:  Medium bodied, high carbonation.

Overall: Very interesting, yet kind of simple. After reading my notes on this beer from 2010, it’s like a completely different beer?