Stone Vertical Epic 2007

The idea behind the Stone Vertical Epic series is totally ridiculous. The challenge is to save one VE each of the first twelve years of the new millennium, then have a vertical tasting sometime after December 12, 2012. The 2007 is number five in the series. Stone must have either been fearful of a millennium disaster or cooked this idea up after January 1, 2001 because there wasn't a VE release in 2001. There will be eleven total VEs. I don't think there are a lot of beer drinkers out there with the patience to sit on a beer for eleven years. That's an absurdly long time. Even if you have the patience to wait that long, a tasting of eleven beers is too many beers for one tasting unless you invite 30 friends and everyone gets less than a sip. With fewer people, your pallet would get dulled and drunken halfway through the tasting, thus all the patient waiting would be for naught. Eleven high alcohol beers is too much for one tasting, and it's even a waste considering several will be aged over five years. An eleven year-old brew should warrant more respect from the drinkers. However, I wouldn't turn down an invitation to a Vertical Epic tasting. It would be a lot of fun in a decadent, wasteful way. 

I couldn't wait that long to try mine, and it drank just fine. Stone's Vertical Epic 2007 is a Belgium style ale inspired by Saisons and Golden Triples. It's brewed with four malts, two hop varieties, and spices (ginger, cardamon, plus grapefruit, lemon and orange peels). I didn't pick any of those spices out of the aroma or flavor, but there is a mild citrus undertone to the flavor. The aroma was mellow and smelled like a Triple should, though it was not as sweet most Triples. The 2007 Vertical Epic is a unique beer with several characteristics more common in wine than beer. Tiny, champagne-like bubbles continuously floated up from the bottom of the glass. It was acidic, and finished very dry. After the dry finish a late, mellow tart kicked in, making my salivary glands fire off. I had never experienced that in a beer - once I thought the flavor was complete, the tart surprised me out of nowhere.  

Houblon Chouffee Vs. Urthel Hop-it

Here we have a battle royal showdown between two Belgium ales inspired by American IPAs. Houblon Chouffe bills itself as a Double IPA Triple, while Hop-it calls itself a "superior hoppy blond ale." Both ales are well hopped Belgium style beers, and each has it's own interesting qualities. Hybrid beers such as these are always worth a try if only to sample their uniqueness.



The Houblon Chouffe begins with a well retained, craggy mountain of a head. There is a flowery, zesty hop aroma followed by soft, fruity flavors. The Houblon's malt flavors are much closer to a Triple than an IPA. The body is light, and fluffy. Basically, the Houblon Chouffe has the aroma of an IPA, coupled with the more traditional flavor and body of a Triple.



Urthel's Hop-it did not pour with a massive head. The carbonation and head were more reminiscent of an IPA. The aroma was not overwhelmingly hoppy like the Chouffe. It smelled of toasty champagne yeast with a lemon hop accent. Hop-it's flavor features an IPA malt flavor of raw cookie dough. The lemon hop flavor carries into the flavor lending an acidic aspect. The Hop-it tastes like an IPA but retains a Belgium ale's body and mouth feel.


Head-to-head, there's no clear winner in this showdown. They are similarly billed hybrid ales inspired by the American IPA and maintain a Belgium ale's mouth feel. Both beers also have crazy cats on their labels. The similarities end there. Hop-it's flavor profile sticks to the classic American IPA model, while the Houblon Chouffe stays truer to a Triples flavoring. However, both beers are creatively inspired and worth a try.