I’m not a big fan of delayed gratification. To me, there’s only one thing better than getting something you know you want somewhat right away, and that’s getting something you didn’t even know you wanted.

I was re-thinking that when I spied Stone’s 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale ($5.99) in the beer section at Whole Foods. The story is thus–every year the San Diego, California brewery releases one “larger-than-life, heroic adventure” (according to the label copy, which by the way, is referring to beer here) on 02/02/02, 03/03/03, 04/04/04, etc. up until the year 2012. Each brew different, and each is meant to be aged until 12/12/12, on which date the careful collector is urged to do a “vertical tasting” of every blend in order, resulting in said epic. Presumably sometime before 12/21/12, or Mayan Doomsday, to be on the safe side.

Genius. But I probably couldn’t horde beer for that long. Just standing in the checkout line line at Whole Foods, with the foul, calorie-deprived breath of some waif panting down my nape was enough to convince me to crack this stuff open soon as I got home. This year’s edition draws inspiration from Belgian Saisons and Golden Triples, clocks in at 8.4% alcohol, and packs a flavorful punch of spices–ginger and cardamom, and something like pumpkin. It’s tasty stuff and I only wish I’d know how it will stack up five years’ hence.

A review of Vertical Epic.

Vertical Epic 07.07.07 while supplies last at Whole Foods on Houston St.