Vertical Epic 08.08.08 (bottle) - 4.5

Vertical Epic 08.08.08
Belgian Strong Ale
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA
Alcohol Content: 4.5%

Jon:
Amazingly fragrant--citrus, berries, yeast, spice, something almost floral. Golden pale, fizzy, and a bit cloudy. It tastes much as it smells with a big alcohol warmth, and leaves the tongue a tad dry and tingly. A hint of sourness and honey really brings out the complexity. Perfect hops. Impressive beer.

4.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 10/10 4/5 10/10 4/5 5/5 10/10

Mark:
So I read the bottle (lots of print) and it says you're supposed to age this stuff, but I don't know if I could stand it for very long. Very crisp, dry light honey-colored ale. It's got some great hops and really interesting aftertaste. I think sour and honey describes it well.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 9/10 4/5 5/5 9/10

Jere:
Quite the aftertaste, which (for a change) I like. Not exactly the cheapest bomber on the shelf, but it'll do. I like the name, too!

4.3	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 5/5 8/10 4/5 5/5 8/10

Blog-iversary

One year ago today, we set out on a mission to drink good beer and write about it. While we haven't always had the time or sober cognizance for the writing part, we did drink a lot of damn good beer. We'll be celebrating our blog-iversary this Saturday evening at the St. Julien Hotel by, um... playing music and drinking beer. May the beer and tunes keep flowing for many years to come!
Mestizo's Good Times Blog, Year One - The Rundown:

• Posts: 43
• Beers reviewed: 25
• Best beer: Mojo IPA (4.8)
• Worst beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon (1.7)
• Favorite brewery: Stone Brewing Company
• Favorite style: India Pale Ale
• Mestizo gigs: 35
• Bootleg tracks posted: 5
• Albums recorded: 1
• Most important lesson learned: If you must drink PBR, don't pour it in a glass.

Jon's new super-cool beer timeline:

Guinness Draught (can) - 4.1

Guinness Draught
Dry Stout
St. James's Gate Brewery
Dublin, Ireland
ABV: 4.1%

Jon:
Classic and distinctive, doesn't get better than this. This beer pretty much defines it's own category (at least in the ol' US of A), and is marketed as heavily as Nike. You know it's good. Give in to the pressure.

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Mark:
Cool bubbles and a pretty head, but it's too sweet for me. Also, I "accidentally" got really loaded in an Irish pub a couple of days after my daughter was born. Oops--Guinness has never been quite the same. I still like Irish whiskey though...

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Jere:
I miss the Baileys, or the Bass/Harp/<insert additive here>, but by itself, 'tis a fine, fine beer. Sweet as a <insert sweet thing here>.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 9/10 2/5 4/5 9/10