Anyone not excited to complete their Vertical Epic?

I can't say I dread it, but I'm not exactly excited about it anymore. I bought my first bottle in 06 and have kept buying them each year anyway, I drink 1 fresh and keep an extra one.

 

Think of it this way - when you complete your set, you don't need to buy any more!

 

I don't dread it, but I came across 03 and 07 a couple weeks ago at a bottle shop and passed them up, even though I have 8-11. Just doesn't seem worth it anymore. Stone stopped blogging about the series and stopped posting the tasting notes and everyone seems to think the first half (at least) are over the hill.

Even 11, which I loved when it first came out, was a huge disappointment when I opened it in July. I look forward to cracking open 8-12 so I can make room for a few more things in my cellar.

 

I haven't had all of them, but the ones I have had, I have thought they were pretty solid. I'm looking forward to get 12.12.12

 

I don't think Stone planned their Epic very well. A lot of the beers they made haven't really aged that well. Unless refrigerated, I don't think the 02/02/02 will be much better than it was 10 years ago. I had a 2005 and 2004 recently and they were actually pretty bleh (cellared appropriately.)

My favorite is 09/09/09, but even that doesn't taste as good now as it did a couple years ago.

 

i've greatly enjoyed all the VEs (haven't had a couple of the earlier ones), but out of 07 thru 11 i think only 09 is worthy of being brewed again. 06 and below, when i've had them it was samples at events a few years on, so hard to gauge.

i'm looking forward to 12. also, would love it if they rebrewed 09.09.09, think it fills a hole in the market (that allagash black almost fills but doesn't quite... speaking of belgian porter-like beers, weyerbacher tiny is really phenomenal, easy beer to overlook).

 

Opened an 09.09.09 last week and was really happy with how it is holding up. Without a doubt my favorite. Was really let down by 10.10.10 and 11.11.11, but still have high hopes for 12.12.12 based on what I've heard so far.

 

first world problems

 

I have every release except the 02.02.02 and so it won't be complete. Been looking for an 02 for ever. I'm looking forward to the series coming to an end because it will be time to rock the series and see how goes it.

 

Yes I am glad the line is coming to an end because I am looking forward to sitting down and doing a vertical sampling and then moving on to another. Yes I do believe that Stone did not really plan this out with some of the later recipes but oh well. It has been fun for a cellar junky like myself and I look forward to my next beer fetish to cellar.

I did just read the blog about the 12.12.12 release party. I was going to look into how to afford the trip but then I saw the price of the tickets. $150 a piece?!?! Nevermind.

 

09.09.09 was and still is delicious. Not to impressed with those after, never got a chance to try the earlier ones. But since I rarely share my beers, I'm good with just a four year vertical. I'd be dead drunk if I had them all.

 

Stone had a great idea but they didn't nurture it in my opinion. Why not brew barley wines in the early years, something like the JW Lees series of Harvest Ales so they would be ageable. 03.03.03 is a BSDA but drinks like a Belgian Barleywine now. I can't imagine how that imperial wit is. I also think it was odd and perhaps irresponsible that they started introducing grapes into the series in the past four or five years.

If you ask me, a vertical of Old Guardian or IRS is far more impressive then a full Vertical Epic lineup. '03 IRS is incredible these days.

 

Those are the years I have, too (09-11), and I'll be getting the 12-12-12. I'm okay with it and am looking forward to trying all of them vertically. But I will agree that I'm looking forward to opening up some space in the cellar.

 

I thought they were all pretty decent, but nothing that knocks my socks off. I didn't really see any of them worth holding on to though. They're all different styles, so there's no point in really doing a vertical with them aside from the novelty of it.

 

I'm looking forward to my tasting (07-12), but I have a feeling my 07-09 are gonna suck ass. I didn't know about keeping it out of the light and in a cool place because I didn't know shit about cellaring. I just kept it because the bottle said to lol. I had a bottle of 10 recently that was awesome (and I hated 10 originally). Even if they aren't all great, I'm excited. We will probably crack a Black Tuesday and have a little sip of Utopias that night too so, it won't be all bad. I'm getting more excited because I finally got some glasses too. There'll be 3 of us at my tasting (I don't know many BA types here in Tucson).


07-11, with glasses. Just need to fill that gap with a 12. (I have one more of each [and 2 '10's] as well)

 

I love Stone... but this vertical is complete BS. How any brewer can really say a beer that is a one off witte beer would last 12 years is beyond me. Most of the aniversary series stuff has been mediocere at best. Same with the Bruery beers of Christmas series. At least the Partridge is a Quad (not a good one though). I do have the full Bruery set (so far) in my cellar. I am not planning on drinking it but rather using at as trade bait. I would trade my Partidge right now for the right offer.

 

06-11 is still on shelves around here. Haven't tried any of them. Not excited.

 

I would've loved to see stone cancel the last release saying sorry we fucked up with this one, just to see the beer geek pandemonium.