§ucaba (Abacus) - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
100
world-class
-
1,867 Ratings

rAvg: 4.54
pDev: 8.37%
Reviews: 621
Hads: 1246

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Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
English Barleywine | 12.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (498), on-tap (114), 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 (48) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by zhanson88:

zhanson88

Montana

4.58/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, very dark plum color. If it weren't for the clarity, there would be slim chance of seeing through it. About 1/3" of khaki colored head forms, which has reasonable retention considering the ABV. Lacing is nonexistent, but the legs are pretty good.

Smell: Very nice smell. Initially what hits me is a ton of candied sugar, along with vanilla. Very sweet caramel malt and toffee. The barrel aging certainly shines through; I get some bourbon, but I can tell this beer was partially wine barrel aged. I get some dark fruit character (fig, a bit of raisin) that I believe is enhanced by the wine barrel aging. Very complex, and about as good as it gets to my nose.

Taste: Sweet toffee and caramel malts show first, as well as vanilla and brown sugar. Very sweet malt base, but very pleasant as well. On the back end, the barrels kick in. Some bourbon is present, but also fig and a bit of raisin. A touch of port character, even.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Body is between medium and full, and gets exponentially smoother as the beer warms towards room temperature. I have heard several people mention that there is a lot of variation in Abacus bottles; I will agree with this. I have had one other bottle before this and was not nearly as impressed. Interested to see how the others I have turn out. Overall though, this is an exemplary barrel aged barleywine. Very complex and well integrated flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 03:46:29 | More by zhanson88

More User Reviews:

ajzy

Wisconsin

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-25-2013 17:06:29 | More by ajzy

SDStoneEnthusiast

California

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

05-25-2013 05:54:20 | More by SDStoneEnthusiast

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.74/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2011 vintage opened on 5/24/13.

A-Pours a lovely ruby brown, low to moderate carbonation leaves a thin tan ring and a small pool of tan head in the middle of the glass.

S-Some nice boozy head overwhelms the nose with some dark figgy fruit underneath. A hint of marshmallow.

T-A perfect barleywine. Sweet and rich, moderate booziness and a nice hop underbite. Sweet raisins, marshmallow, alcohol. Terrific.

M-Medium bodied, rich but not wearying on the palate. Right on.

O-Outstanding, even better with a bit of age.

HV

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:02:15 | More by sholland119

Joenajera

California

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-24-2013 18:16:36 | More by Joenajera

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.7/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage poured into my Sierra Nevada tulip. Toasting the graduates of 2013 with this one.

A: Pours a deep ruby red with a finger's worth of cream colored head that fades to a nice halo along the edges of the glass. Nothing groundbreaking, but a good start.

S: A lot going on with the nose. The barrel makes its presence known for sure with big hints (oxymoron?) of vanilla, toasted coconut, and caramel. A lot of sweetness, which makes sense given the style of the brew and the daunting ABV.

T: Wow. This is an amazing, and a big, beer. The bourbon that I picked up is a bit more subdued on the palate, but is still definitely there. Much of the same sweetness with a lot of vanilla and some more raisin coming through. I'm excited to see how this develops as it warms up.

M: There's no way this is 12.5%! Incredibly smooth and velvety on the tongue, the flavors last incredibly long and make me yearn for another sip. I think I'll have to indulge...

O: There's a reason this has such a strong reputation. It has the impressive ability to meld together a smooth drinkability with an amazingly complex taste, and is truly a unique drinking experience. I have a 2011 bottle sitting around too...I'll have to see how that's drinking soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 03:17:02 | More by Andrew61923

IHyphySF

California

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-24-2013 00:32:27 | More by IHyphySF

Michael_20P

California

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-23-2013 23:07:16 | More by Michael_20P

zoober911

New York

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

05-23-2013 03:05:47 | More by zoober911

Abrengle

Washington

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-23-2013 01:29:04 | More by Abrengle

firecrack0r

California

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

05-22-2013 23:05:06 | More by firecrack0r

ThirdEyePA

Texas

4/5 rDev -11.9%

05-22-2013 20:00:19 | More by ThirdEyePA

grover37

District of Columbia

4.5/5 rDev -0.9%

05-22-2013 04:20:48 | More by grover37

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-22-2013 01:10:59 | More by mikeincharleston

PalatePilot

Colorado

4.75/5 rDev +4.6%

05-21-2013 22:44:58 | More by PalatePilot

Justinsosmart

California

4.68/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap as part of a Firestone tap takeover. Pour is a dark chestnut brown. Very barrel-forward in the nose and in the beginning. Lots of vanilla is present. Mouthfeel is amazing, i can drink this all day. Warming towards the end, I would love to see this after a year.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2013 22:03:37 | More by Justinsosmart