21st Amendment / Firestone Walker / Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

flagmantho

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: two fingers of thick dark-tan head emerged slowly from this viscous, entirely black liquid. Superb.

Smell: nice aroma of a barleywine with some added chocolate malt. Hops are earthy and bitter; strongly present but not overly aggressive. A nice balance.

Taste: strong malt flavor with a little chocolate roastiness. There's a lot of alcohol fruitiness here, which is unsurprising at 9.5%. Hops are floral and pungent at the beginning, but build to a very strong vegetable bitterness at the end. This reminds me of a hoppy Baltic porter. Nice.

Mouthfeel: medium-thick somewhat syrupy body with relatively low carbonation. Not creamy, but super silky smooth as it goes down. Quite nice.

Drinkability: quite drinkable for almost 10% ABV. I wouldn't have a session of these, but this one is quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 05:37:59 | More by flagmantho

beagle75

Iowa

3.74/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Opaque, dark brown color showing scant ruby-tinted light transmission at the edges; with over two fingers of beige foam head that takes its time to collapse down. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Strong wild yeast character, more band-aid than goat pasture. Dried, concentrated chile fruit is also detected, lending some minor dark qualities. Raw and rustic bitter chocolate is just barely evident. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with dark syrupy fruit that appears as a mix of cherry/currant and New Mexico chiles (without the heat). This is also where the yeast-funk seems to be most noticeable--but never off-putting. The transition from fruit and overt yeast to mild refined roast is gradual during the middle. It is about mid-profile, only after the roasted malt has emerged, that a pruney-Dr. Pepper vibe also is hinted at. The finish is relatively sparse and dry, herbaceous and bitter, with just a huff of the characterful yeast. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium to thick viscosity, smooth and slightly warming on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: Strong, dark, and experimental, this collaboration beer is unexpectedly loaded with yeast phenolics. Audacious fermentation metabolites, whether authentic or imagined due to the unconventional combination of ingredients, is not unwelcome in the fairly crowded profile of sensory qualities. Chile qualities abound, despite it's never having glimpsed a chile during fermentation. In the final tally it may not be a world-beating ale, but its illusory tricks prove titillating.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 02:21:02 | More by beagle75

Zbeetleman

California

2.75/5  rDev -30%

05-15-2013 02:38:41 | More by Zbeetleman

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-07-2013 23:00:56 | More by cadaugherty

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-02-2013 04:55:35 | More by spycow

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

04-27-2013 09:27:46 | More by Kelp

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

04-21-2013 14:06:08 | More by drgonzo2k2

iparaez

California

3/5  rDev -23.7%

04-01-2013 06:54:39 | More by iparaez

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -23.7%

03-12-2013 13:16:21 | More by jenray

acurtis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%

03-10-2013 23:02:53 | More by acurtis

InfernoBoss

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%

03-03-2013 08:03:51 | More by InfernoBoss

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

02-25-2013 01:18:25 | More by t0rin0

jvillefan

California

4.68/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Got a 12 oz bottle from Toronado in San Diego.

A: Jet black with a thin lace mocca brown head.

S: Peppercorn, Belgian yeast, and Licorice aroma in the beginning. Roasty and chocolatly malts bring up the rear.

T: Heavy with chocolate, toffee, spices (specifically Thyme-like, peppercorn, and a little chai). There is a slight Belgian character in there as well.

M: Perfect, it is heavy and viscous with subtle but perfect amount of carbonation.

O: Well done Stone, Firestone Walker, and 21st Ammendment. I am sad it took me so long to try them gem of a beer. Get if you can find it because the beer is very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:46:18 | More by jvillefan

arash1000

California

2.75/5  rDev -30%

01-02-2013 20:41:41 | More by arash1000

JALIEN

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-25-2012 23:42:51 | More by JALIEN

elkinbrown

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

11-18-2012 00:08:13 | More by elkinbrown

robmoak

Mississippi

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-18-2012 00:07:01 | More by robmoak

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-17-2012 02:43:20 | More by MarkyMOD

socon67

New York

3.18/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - Dark brown pour. Cola color foam rises hig and settles quickly. Moderate lacing.

S - Smells of raisins, molasses, and peppery spice. There is some residual hoppy smell but it is fleeting.

T - Tastes like a hodge-podge of flavors. Some sweetness of dried fruit that has some bready notes; like a fig newton. Has some spicy notes of freshly ground pepper. Finish is mildly bitter. But it really comes off very odd.

M - I don't think the balance on this is right, or at least I didn't like it. Had a slight aftertaste.

O - Was disappointed in this as I like all 3 of the breweries involved. Well, it isn't the first collaboration to miss the mark.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:46:37 | More by socon67

ThePaleRider

California

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Close to black and no light is making it through the glass. Small tan head that leaves plenty of lacing.

S - Charred wood, toasted grans, BBQ smoke, and a little booze.

T - Dark grains and pumpernickel. Lots of cocoa and wood flavors. Very smokey on the back of the tongue, but not as much booze as I was expecting.

M - Full bodied with no carbonation present.

O - Excellent barrel aged beer. Especially for the crowd that likes the smokey ones.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 19:18:21 | More by ThePaleRider

flayedandskinned

California

5/5  rDev +27.2%

09-30-2012 22:41:39 | More by flayedandskinned

claspada

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very dark brown color with ruby highlights and a massive tannish head that displays great persistence and leaves some solid lacing.

Aromas begin with piney, resiny hops with emerging licorice bitter dark maltiness. As it warms you get a little dark fruitness and spicy peppercorns.

The tastes begin dark, roasty and rustic, with tangy molasses and figs being joined by the licorice at mid-palate As it warms the piney hops and the peppercorns begin to asste themselves.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; a bit tingly

Overall, when it comes to beers with dark malt bills and citrusy, dank hops; it is just an odd combo that doesn't work for me. While it may work for some the bitter and spiciness is less than drinkable for my palate; the flavors just don't mesh in an approachable manner.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 16:09:03 | More by claspada

Texasfan549

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

09-19-2012 14:29:22 | More by Texasfan549

BeerHunter76

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.8%

09-19-2012 01:04:16 | More by BeerHunter76

kjkinsey

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.8%

09-18-2012 00:05:14 | More by kjkinsey