The inspiration for this year’s edition comes from a trip to Belgium taken by Stone Brewmaster Steve Wagner and Head Brewer Mitch Steele in early 2008. There they discovered a special edition of a renowned Belgian golden triple that had been extra hopped up with American hops. Back in Escondido, we opened the bottle and found that it was good. Very good, in fact. Being the hop lovers that we are, we found the whole experience deliciously inspiring. Our Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale is a variation on this theme. We proudly present you with this very dry pale golden beer which sports a thick, creamy white foam, is spicy, estery and fruity (from the yeast), and possesses a crisp bitterness-oh yes, and is very, very generously hopped. It’s fair to say that this is a beer that was inspired by a Belgian beer that was in turn inspired by the well-hopped West Coast style beers-which are, of course, the very kind of brews that we are famous for! Interesting how the world turns sometimes. And delicious too. ABV: 8.5% IBUs: 65