Stone X Anniversary Ale - Fading

I had one of my Stone X Anniversary Ales the other night. This was one hell of a beer when it was released in September 2006. It was heavy on the hops and high on the alcohol - a slow sipping wonder. Almost a year and a half later, it has lost some edge. The strong hop presence has faded making the alcohol more pronounced. This ephemeral ale, which has reached legendary status on BeerAdvocate, was a marvel of flavor that needed to be drunk young.