UPDATE: Stone will be releasing 3 liter bottles this year as well.

(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. received label approval last week for Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale.

This will be the last beer in the series of annual releases that change each year. The first edition was released way back in 2002 on February 2nd (02.02.02). Prior to the demise of beer sales on eBay, older bottles in the set would routinely sell for hundreds of dollars.

Here is what the back label says…

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As with any good epic, herein lies the promise of larger-than-life experiences, heroics, and twists and turns as the adventure unfolds. This bottle-conditioned ale is chapter eleven. Now is the time to enjoy it in a “vertical” tasting side by side with its ten Stone Vertival Epic Ale brethren! Each one unique to its year of release. Each with its own “twist & turn” in the plot line. Each one released one year, one month and one day from the previous year’s edition.

This year’s Stone Vertical Epic Ale is the very last one. Yep, this is it. The final chapter. Or as they say on the last slide in some old films: “Fin.” No worries though: this edition is particularly well-suited for prolonging the experience, as it’s as cellarable as any in the series, or more. In this, the final edition, you can expect a perfectly balance *womp* of spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, sweet orange peel, clove (only a little!) and rosehips, all in the context of a dark Belgian style abbey-ish beer…but not as sweet. Dry even. Stone style. Thanks for coming on this Epic Stone-style journey with us! You can rest assured there will be new adventures to come…

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The release date currently listed on the website is 12.10.12, which is a Monday. It will be available in both 22 oz. bottles and on draft.

For more info on all the beers in the series, head over to the dedicated page on Stone’s website.