§ucaba (Abacus) - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
100
world-class
-
1,983 Ratings

rAvg: 4.54
pDev: 8.15%
Reviews: 631
Hads: 1352

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Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
English Barleywine | 12.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (506), on-tap (116), growler (9).

Notes:
2011 Reserve Series Bottle Notes:
O.G. 27 Plato
F.G. 4.7 Plato
I.B.U. 42 units
Yeast: British Ale (House)
Cases: 1500 produced
Color: 36SRM (Dark Ruby)

View: Beers (50) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by morningthief:

morningthief

Massachusetts

4.48/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into an oversized wine glass. Special thanks to a non-BA friend for the hookup!

Color is dark ruby as described, with little semblance of any head and no lacing. Little darker than I'd prefer from a barleywine, but still very rich in color.

Smell from the bottle is all bourbon and oak, with some cookie thrown in for good measure. In the glass the heat and bourbon are more prevalent, but there is lots more going on here. With time, more maple and cookie flavors develop, with vanilla being the dominant characteristic. Smells amazing with each sip.

The flavor that follows is intense caramel malt, with plenty of toffee, oak, maple, and vanilla to back it up. Some fruitiness is present in the finish that counteracts the heat quite nicely. Hop flavor is non-existent but some faint bitterness is present. Nice balance, amazing flavor. With warmth, the vanilla comes out in full force. I'm typically no fan of vanilla flavor in beer, but it's well balanced, and presented here as more of a vanilla one would experience in a red wine. Masterfully done and always welcome.

Overall, this is a beer that every craft beer fan should try if given the opportunity. Firestone Walker really sets the bar with their barrel fermenting/aging profile, and they are certainly masters of their craft.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:18:52 | More by morningthief

More User Reviews:

GreesyFizeek

New York

4.25/5 rDev -6.4%

06-19-2013 21:25:17 | More by GreesyFizeek

t_carterb

Georgia

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-19-2013 15:46:53 | More by t_carterb

StlHopHead77

Illinois

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

06-19-2013 14:32:48 | More by StlHopHead77

cofeeguru

Minnesota

5/5 rDev +10.1%

06-19-2013 02:20:25 | More by cofeeguru

earljones199

New Hampshire

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-18-2013 15:02:28 | More by earljones199

Jpirkle2715

California

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-18-2013 01:52:44 | More by Jpirkle2715

JamesGWittel

New Jersey

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-18-2013 00:26:07 | More by JamesGWittel

acurtis

New Jersey

4/5 rDev -11.9%

06-17-2013 22:51:23 | More by acurtis

bonbini26

New Jersey

4.25/5 rDev -6.4%

06-17-2013 10:54:49 | More by bonbini26

bird22

California

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

06-16-2013 19:49:19 | More by bird22

blmar311

Connecticut

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 16:52:25 | More by blmar311

vande

Illinois

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

06-16-2013 14:35:20 | More by vande

errantnight

California

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 07:14:52 | More by errantnight

douginromeo

Michigan

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

06-16-2013 02:22:14 | More by douginromeo

12packpoet

Arizona

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

06-16-2013 01:29:33 | More by 12packpoet

anson42

California

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 01:17:47 | More by anson42

huddyball

New Hampshire

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 00:22:15 | More by huddyball

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.91/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2013 vintage. Had the pleasure of drinking a couple of 2011's and a couple of 2013's prior to this. Enough to know it's one of the most sublime beers to pass my lips.
Appearance: quite dark, hazy bronze. Some deep ruby highlights. Impressive head on the pour that mostly subsides. A thick swath of big bubbles lingers around the ring.
Smell: that's the stuff. First sniff is simply...amazing, damn fine nose. after pondering...Vanilla, oak, bourbon, caramel, even a touch of fruitiness.
Taste: technically I guess you can't do better than a 5, but the taste is even better than the nose, by a nose.
Overall: just an outstanding, fine work of art. Thank you FW.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 21:38:18 | More by cindyjeffsmith