Vertical Epic Ale 09.09.09

Review Date 5/30/2025  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Belgian Strong   Brewery: Stone   Country: USA   State: California   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 8.9%

Oh! Oh! Something old, something new! That’s what’s going on in my world today. As I took my tasting notes, I was also in the process of setting up a new desktop computer (something new!). My old one was starting to give me problems, and for some reason Microsoft did not like the processor and would not let me upgrade it to Windows 11. As Windows 10 goes end of support this year, I figured it was time for a new one.

While I was doing this, I was relaxing (as much as one can while fighting with Windows) with a few beers, and one of them was…something old! A bomber bottle (remember those?) of Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09, a beer from, you guessed it, 2009. So, almost 16 years old when I popped it.

I will say that Stone intended for these beers to be aged, but I am pretty sure they did not mean this long. This was the only beer, in fact, from the series of ten beers starting with 02.02.02 and ending with 12.12.12 I was able to acquire.

Stone says about the lineup:

As with any good epic, herein lies the promise of larger-than-life experiences, heroics and twists & turns as the adventure unfolds. These bottle-conditioned ales were specifically designed to be aged until sometime after December 12, 2012. Provided anyone was able to keep their hands off of them, this lineup was intended to be enjoyed in a "vertical" tasting—starting with 02.02.02 and ending with 12.12.12. Within it you’d find each one unique to its year of release. Each providing its own "twist & turn" in the plotline. Each one released one year, one month and one day from the previous year's edition.

Well, I can say this, I was able to keep my hand off of mine for quite a while. And hey, it is sometime after December 12, 2012 after all. Had I all 10 releases, I would definitely need some friends to help me drink them if I was going to do that vertical.

Of the one I do have, Stone says:

This is quite a complex and layered beer. Bold and smooth chocolate malt flavors combine with a Belgian yeast lending tropical fruit and banana flavors and hints of spiciness, all complemented by citrus notes from an addition of tangerine peel. Rich vanilla beans add a nice counter to the chocolate malt, actually enhancing the chocolatiness. The finish is smooth, with additional traces of vanilla and toasted characters from French oak. The goal for this edition of the Stone Vertical Epic Ale series is to be reminiscent of artisanal chocolates accentuated with orange.

Stone calls their Vertical Epic 09.09.09 a Belgian Strong Ale with alcohol content 8.6% by volume (my bottle says 8.9%) and 0 IBUs. That’s right. 0. That’s what their website says. I have no idea where I bought this, or what I paid for it. The bottle label says this is an Ale Brewed with Spices.

Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 pours to a dark brownish black color with a very thick and creamy tan head and a nose of must and chocolate chip cookies. Taking a sip, the beer is rich and full in mouthfeel. It’s chocolatey and nutty and a tad funky yeasty. There is a very subtle off flavor from oxidation I think, but only a faint one. It’s balanced by a gentle hop bitterness and spicy pop in the finish, There is citrusy tangerine, the vanilla is gone, and black pepper and woody oak in the warming finish.

I got something new in every sip here. My bottle paired well with spinach and artichoke dip and tortilla chips. A once in a lifetime experience, and a beer that held up remarkably well over the years.