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| This one goes to 11 |
You may have noticed, dear reader, that the pictures from my
previous two posts included a beer with a background of a vinyl record album. I
collect records like Florida collects old people, and I’m going to see how long
I can continue to pair the beverages I consume with something from my
collection. Today’s entry may just look like I sat a beer in front of a black
background, but keen eyes will be able to decipher the shade of black made
famous by Britain’s loudest band. I thought the soundtrack to “This is Spinal
Tap” would capture perfectly any beer that contained the words “epic” and “11”
in its moniker.
As for the beer, I have to say I was not terribly excited to
open this guy. I have expressed my harsh opinions about Stone before, and
usually when you seen the word “wine” associated with a beer, that means you
are about to pucker up and hop aboard the sour choo-choo. 500ml of sour is not
how I like to spend my rainy California nights, but it’s for love of the game
that I soldier on. What I am interested in is the fact that this is a Belgian
Strong Ale brewed with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon. Add on the barrel aging
and this is going to be an interesting ride…
| I hope I don't consume a beer that I think should be paired with this |
The beer’s color seems to fade from bottom to top. At the
bottom it looks like slightly watered down airplane coffee, with the top
exhibiting a more pleasant light toffee color. There are some soapy residues
that attempt to form a head, but they flee the scene rather quickly. The nose
is about what I expected: hints of the cinnamon and chilies, and then the smell
of a wine weekend in Temecula. It is interestingly pleasant. After meeting
expectations so far, this beer smashes them on the tongue. This Vertical Epic is easily
one of the most layered and complex tasting beers I’ve ever had. The barrel
aging is a major contributor to this, adding cherries, grapes, oak and a
lingering vanilla. The chilies are there on the back end, adding an interesting
finish to the standard Belgian Strong characteristics that make up the
backbone. Since it’s Stone, I expected hops to be somewhere, but like many a
Spinal Tap drummer, they are no longer with us. It is more carbonated that I
was expecting, and not nearly as sour as I was dreading. The finish is dry and
slightly tart, with the chilies and vanilla acting like Tap’s signature
two-note ending. There is no trace of alcohol, despite this guy being over 10%
ABV. Honestly it was very difficult for me to grade this beer; it is a really
fascinating beverage, and I would love to try the white wine-aged version. It
was a little difficult to finish all 500ml myself, and I don’t think it’s
something I want to have on a regular basis, but it would be fun to drink and
discuss with people knowledgeable and appreciative of beer. Easily my favorite
beer I’ve had from Stone.
Rating: B+
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