Stones Epic failure??

I've only had 4, 6, 11 and 12 (thanks to my local beer store popping them open during their release yesterday of 12.12.12!). Of those, only 6 was really really good IMO, 4 was pretty good but I did not like 11 or 12.

 

I mean, I tend to agree that the beers were a bit underwhelming. I got to do the whole Vertical flight on 12/12/12, from 03/03/03 straight to the end. The thing about most of those beers is that they were brewed to be kind of unique and whacky when they were fresh. They had crazy ingredients in them and were bold and original. Age basically muted all of those characteristics and left behind somewhat bland, run of the mill beer. I mean, with the exception of exceptionally big Stouts, Quads, Barleywines, etc., beer just isn't meant to be aged 8 or 9 or 10 years.

That being said, it was a fun experiment. I had a blast trying them all. The event was awesome. At the end of the day, isn't that what beer is all about?

 

I look forward to this thread again in 7 years when 12 lords a leaping comes out.

 

I tried 5-12 with the exception of 8. It sold out too quickly. I really liked the 9. It had a great bourbon-y oak, vanilla, chocolate thing going on. The 12 was just overwhelmingly clove flavored. The 10 was supposed to be highly hopped but I found it a bit floral with honeysuckle undertones. None of my beers were funked or failed IMHO but the 12 was just not good.

 

It sounds like the unpleasantness may have been user error? If your bottles weren't stored correctly, you can't expect them to taste good.

 

I got no detectable. They were actually really good. The 4 of us. Me, StarRaptor, CallmeCoon and Smarcoly did them.

I can only speak for myself.

Cheers!

 

Just had the 03 on tap last Friday, it was pretty damn good, would like I see a comparison to bottle age vs. keg. Also ha the 09 that night as well, delicious! My two cents

 

I mean, who would think a 10 year old witbier would be outstanding? I would go into that beer knowing that it was going to be a bit odd. These bottles aren't expensive, and the recipes are out there, so I see it as just a fun collection that spanned 10 years. Everyone doing the vertical knows what they are in for, for the most part.

True. I guess I see it as more of an experimental type thing. Stone was a much smaller company when they started this series.

 

I had 11-11-11 and 12-12-12 on December 12th and 11 held up very well. I never have had any of the series from a bottle so maybe theres a difference.

 

I have had about half of them (04, 08, 09, 10, 11 & 12) and was not blown away with any of them but they were all interesting in there own way. At the time I did not think any of them were up my alley enough to warrant stocking up and taking up the fridge space but I was glad I got to try them. Overall I think the series was a great success from Stone. It generated a ton of hype, sold a lot of beers and with its pretty wide distribution I am sure it got a lot of people to try a new and different beer.
Cheers to Stone!

 

I've had 4 drainpours in my life. 3 were for infected Peruvian Morning, Northwind, and Blue Lady. the 4th was 11-11-11. And I don't mind spicy beers, I just... couldn't... do it. 12 was pretty good that I had last week. Had 10 and 9 before that and enjoyed them.

 

Trolling is when you intentionally post things to get people riled up and pissed off. I just responded to what you said:

"God only knows what my bottles have been through, through out the years."

It's not Stone's fault if these bottle's weren't stored properly. Maybe you and the people you got them from did store them properly. I'm just saying, from what you've said, that can't be established, so maybe the bad experience wasn't about the quality of the beer itself. It's like writing a review of a beer that you know to be infected, and doesn't taste like it normally would. Anyway, for the most part, I've read that people liked most of the VE's, with just a couple exceptions.

I'm not saying they're not underwhelming, just that the beers tried may not have been the best examples.

 

OP... do you smoke cigarettes?

 

I'm freakin' out here, reading all of this about 11.11.11 holding up well and the chiles coming through strong. Mine was oxidized and almost undrinkable. Actually, it was undrinkable, as neither my girlfriend nor I finished our respective glasses. Did anyone else experience an overclouded, murky, oxidized, muddled mess in 11.11.11?