Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 (bottle)
San Diego, CA
8.9% ABV
Appearance: Black body, very thin brown head that dissipates quickly. Body is completely opaque and allows no light through. Head should be much greater for a Belgian-style ale. 3.5/5
Smell: Rich chocolate backbone, some spices (coriander?) on top. Notes of chocolate-covered cherries, sweet, inviting. Some alcohol astringency. 4.0/5
Taste: Alcohol astringency is very present in the flavor, particularly in the finish. Otherwise strong flavors of chocolate malt, with a nice bitterness and some vanilla-like spicy undertones. Finish is strongly of vanilla. No tartness present at all, which leads me to suspect that an American-style yeast was used. 4.5/5
Mouthfeel: Thick, luxurious. Low carbonation, mild hops. Slightly chewy. 4.0/5
Drinkability: Very nice beer, although perhaps slightly misclassified as a Belgian-style. It'd be interesting to see how it ages (which is, after all, the point). 4.0/5
Overall: 4.1/5
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