Stone 06.06.06 Vertical Epic Ale

Although I was laughing my ass off at all the doom-and-gloom "news" stories of the imbending "06-06-06" date (never mind the fact that the modern day calendar uses the Gregorian calendar, and the world used the Julian calendar back when Jesus was supposedly walking around -- a difference of 10 days. So would that have made the *real* "End Of The World" occur on 05-27-06? ;^) I guess not, since I'm still here!)..., my mind instead was on this year's Vertical Epic Ale from Stone. Surely an avant-garde, on-the-bleeding-edge brewery like Stone would let loose with some a beer that could coincide with the so-called satanic day, yes? My guess would have been something along the lines of a Duvel-inspired beer -- very golden, very hot, very dry, and very nice.

Instead, they went an alternate route, by bringing back a variant of the VE03.03.03 -- a great move IMO, since I was (and remain) a big fan of that particular beer.

But I think this beer stands on it's own, too. Seems a bit dryer than what I remember the VE03 coming across as. In other words, while the VE03 is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, I tend to think of this version to more along the lines of a Belgian-style Dubbel. Splitting hairs, style-wise? Perhaps. I'm no style nazi, but this does remind me of several well-made Dubbels, to include Duinen Dubbel and Saint Bernardus Prior 8. A touch sweeter in the middle, dryer in the finish, with nice warming notes all-around.

If I have but one complaint about this one, it's only that it seems a bit young and "unfinished". Perhaps this is a tactic by Stone to help ensure that this beer makes it to the 12.12.12 Tasting Party (i.e. the 11-year culmination of the Vertical Epic series). And in that, I'm not disappointed with. But I do think that having the beer kick ass *now* vice *later* would have a been a nice thing, indeed.

But either way, this beer is pretty damn tasty now, and should kick ass with a few years under it's belt. Buy some now, try some some now, and stash the rest for a few year's worth of quiet time. :)

Music: Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast" (`natch!)
//TB