My NOT so Epic Afternoon With Stone.

Stone Brewing Company

Vertical Epic Ale - 9.4% ABV

Stone Brewing Company has been releasing a Vertical Epic Ale since 02/02/02 and you guessed it, I got the 11/11/11.

I am usually not a HUGE fan of Stone Brewing Company because they tend to be Arrogant Bastards and use way too much hops.  I have sampled a few of the Bastard Releases and what a Bastard it was to my taste buds. Gab and I also tried two of Stone's Collaboration Releases, and if I remember correctly, I thought the Cherry Chocolate Stout was ok but the Japanese Green Tea IPA was a hot mess! 

Now, back to the present and the Vertical Epic Ale 11/11/11.  The label says the series are bottle-conditioned ales that are specifically designed to be aged until sometime after December 12th, 2012!  Even though some people say I am a beer hoarder (Gab & Ryan) I am quite sure I can not hold onto a beer that long.

Once poured in a glass the dark amber colored beer produced a nice frothy head.  The aroma was a bit strange to me.  I was expecting to smell more spices but was not hit with much of anything.  The label mentioned cinnamon with chilies so I was anxious to give it a try.  I should have waited.  UGH!!!  It was NOT what I thought it was going to taste like at all!!!  I was expecting some drinkablity and some heat from the chili.  Hell no!  I got bitch slapped by a freaking pepper!  Seriously, it was like taking a shot of beer while gnawing on a pepper!  If I wanted to eat right and sit with a veggie tray I would of gone to Whole Foods not Canals!!!  I wanted beer! A good beer damn it!

After I dumped out the bottled veggie tray I ran to the beer fridge, where I so called hoard my beer, and saw yet another Stone bottle mocking me!  This one was a different Gargoyle smirking above the label.  It was the Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout. 

Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

ABV - 10.5%

I did not waste much time pouring this in a glass in hopes of saving my taste buds from it's unfortunate peril.  The color was just beautiful.  A dark, dark, dark mahogany and the caramel head was inviting.  The aroma was that of licorice, chocolate, and coffee. All scents that are very much my cup of beer.  The first sip was a shock of coffee, like a typical stout, and once that dissipated a faint licorice flavor comes forward.  The two ingredients totally complimented each other.  At the very end of the complex journey of flavors a vanilla undertone sneaks in on your palate.  Now that my Bastard is a freaking beer!  No veggies here!!!!

So, my afternoon was not a complete Epic Fail.

Cheers!

~K~

Winter Wünder fail...

So it is Thursday and I (Kath) soooo should be cleaning or doing something productive but I ended up sitting here wanted to shed a little more light on who "we" are...well what we are about. Are ya picking up what I am laying down? If not, get to stepping!

First I so would like to tell ya a little about our banner. Cool huh? Yes we tried all those beers. And yes we did in one day. Oh and yes it was a good time!! Shazaam! I wish I could say we liked all the beers, but the one I will tell you about was terrible! Yeah, I said it - terrible. Ya ready to find out which one?

Winter Wünder by Philadelphia Brewing Co. From the label:

Winter Wünder is the perfect wassailing ale, brewed with a goodly amount of traditional holiday fare - plums, dates, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and a sprinkle of ginger all combine to lift your spirits and warm your demeanour... Winter Wünder is best enjoyed with the warmth of a good tavern, in the clutch of good friends new or old. Winter doesn't seem so long after all.

Sounds interesting right? NO WAY!!!! Notice I highlighted CLOVE. That is all we tasted. I was looking for a nice Winter Warmer and all I got a was a Winter Bummer! It is no WÜNDER they had a ton on the shelf too! I can not even give it a KBF! I did not finish the few onces I poured for myself. It was a sad day for me.

Gab: This was not one of my faves, either. Not even close! It would be the longest winter of my life if I was stuck with this chick! The label is deceiving, first of all. Everyone loves redheads, and this woman is lovely and beguiling. We popped the cap off of this sucker, took a sip, and immediately felt betrayed. This was a taste-and-tosser for me! In my opinion, spiciness should not overwhelm a beer. Back to the drawing board, Red!

Philadelphia Brewing Co. does have many fine beers that we will be reviewing in the weeks to come. Winter Wünder was unfortunately the first that we have sampled. We are also looking forward to meeting them and sampling their brews at Springfest 2011!