Here we are at 6/6/06 and if you are reading these then it would seem the apocalypse has not yet arrived and we should be thinking about what 06.06.06 means to a beer drinker.
Why, of course, it’s the day Stone Vertical Epic Ale gets released, just as it did on 5/5/05, 4/4/04/, 3/3/03 and 2/2/02.
From the press release:
Stone Brewing first released the Stone Vertical Epic Ale series on February 2nd, 2002 and has done so consecutively, for five years now, one year, one month, and one day after the last edition. This year’s version happens to come out on June 6th, 2006, next year’s edition will be released July 7th, 2007, followed by August 8th, 2008, all the way to December 12th, 2012.
Stone’s “Epic†saga isn’t even half way over, but is already taking the beer community by storm. A beer that started as an original, quirky concept has morphed into an enigmatic quest for beer enthusiasts everywhere. The early years of the Stone Vertical Epic Ale are actually so revered by beer geeks worldwide that single bottles are commanding prices of $400 or more per bottle, and according to the Wall Street Journal, the Stone 02.02.02 Vertical Epic Ale is one of the rarest craft beers in America.
Should you be tasting it on 06.06.06 or wait until 12.12.12 or even beyond? That’s up to you, but to help Stone has posted early tasting notes.
Based on those we’re waiting . . . at least until this afternoon.