An Exciting Epic: Stone Vertical Epic 6.6.6

It's bound to happen sooner or later...I've hit a slump the past month or two. Right now I have tasting notes on about 400 beers (trust me-- drops in a bucket) Its been a bit since I've had a beer that's really shooken me up and excited me. Leave it to Stone Brewing. For the uninitiated, Stone's beers are best described by the title of their flagship beer: Arrogant Bastard. Their wittingly bold beers are perfectly balanced, wonderfully brewed, and easily justify Stone's egotism. Stone IPA has a special place in my heart, because I consider it the first beer I've ever had. The first beer to violently grab my attention and shake me up. The Stone Vertical Epic series was first released on 02/02/02, then next year on 03/03/03, and so on and so on.

This week I've gotten to try the 06 release twice, and each one under their own unique conditions. The first was refrigerated for a year and than aged for a year in my beer cellar (sure others might call it my hallway closet...but what do they know) and the second had been refrigerated for its entire life. Aging beer is tricky and one would not want to drink a five year old beer to have it taste like--well...five year old beer. Ideally aged beers should be stored in a cool dark spot around refrigerator (a little too cold) to cellar temperature (about 55 oF) Colder temperatures slow down the yeast, so they can eat their food slower and enjoy life a little longer. If the yeast do drink themselves to death, their bodies begin to decompose and the compound released from their bodies begin to cause new reactions altering mouthfeel and taste characteristics. This process is called autolysis-- and mastering its effects are crucial for Champagne's quality and aging--that's Champagne...this is beer. Autolysis in beer will quickly mutate it into this repulsive pint-- tasting of wet cardboad and pungent, stale bread. Enough said.

Fortunately...both these bottles were good. The first one poured a cola color with a medium-sized, light brown mousse (tasting term for a head made of small, densely-packed bubbles). That is fairly clear, if you ignore the few floaties in the glass. It's aromas bursting forth even as I pour the beer. Mexican cocoa, anise (black licorice), and cloves. They all hit my nose at once and their potency reveals the beer's strength. The mouthfeel was what really grabbed my attention. The beer was thin, but somehow still viscous, and seemed to gradually lull and roll downward as a single droplet. The Epic '06 is fermented with WLP 500, the yeast often associated (not officially) with Chimay brewery. And it certainly does have a spiciness similar to Chimay Bleue (cloves, anise, cinnamon) and hints of the pit-fruit flavors (apricot, cherries) of Chimay Rouge. The Epic '06 roasted quality is what distinguishes it from Chimay, and gives the beer a light mocha flavor. The combination of flavors remind me of...black forest cake and coffee. The second beer was less developed as the first. The yeast had barely touched their food-- leaving the beer to consist largely of sweet malt and immature yeast flavors. Lesson learned. If I'm going to drink a beer under three years old, I'm going to keep it out of the refrigerator for a while (atleast a month or two), and make sure the yeasts have been awake long enough for them to get their fill of food. These bottles fetch about thirty bucks (I did NOT pay that much) a piece on Ebay, and the sellers are always proclaiming that the vaue is in the "collectable container, not the contents" You know what...bullshit. That beer is worth evey penny of whatever you paid. That collectable container...well if its worth so much, than someone can go collect it out of my trash container.