§ucaba (Abacus) - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bomber, 2013 bottling. Split into tulips with my brother -

A: Chill-hazed body clears as it warms, leaving behind a clear amber, with a light tan head and good lace.

S: Big notes of malt, sweetness, and barrels all collide - initially pretty subdued, but unfolding as it warms with notes of vanilla, toasted almond, faint toasted coconut, darker fruits, raisins, oak, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and figs. Hops are pretty buried.

T: Follows the nose, supremely drinkable too this fresh. Caramel and toffee sweet malt characters bordering on decadent...faint oaky vanilla blended with toasted coconut and almond. Figs, raisins make up the dark fruit component. Again, hops are pretty minimal, as is the heat, which is surprising me for this vintage.

MF: Creamy medium-to-full body, lighter carbonation, good viscosity for 12.5% beer. Minimal alcohol booziness.

O: Doesn't quite live up to the hype for me, but still one of the best barleywines I've ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 14:11:31 | More by Scotchboy

BucannonXC5

California

4.63/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Type: Draft
Glass: 0.25L tulip
From: Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights (San Diego, Calif.)
Price: $6.50
Purchased: March 31, 2013
Consumed: March 31, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured a black amber color with three fingers of khaki cream head. Nice amount of thick, sporadic, foamy lacing on the sides. Good retention all the way down.

Smelled sweet, red wine, bourbon, sour cherries, caramel, light vanilla and light smoky tobacco.

Tasted so smooth out of the gate as the alcohol is well hidden. Got sour cherries, vanilla and not as much bourbon as the nose. Some oak and toffee. Tasted a bit like warm Cherry Coke. Light smokiness.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Soft (below average) carbonation. Warming, smooth finish.

Wow! I finally got to try this and it didn’t disappoint. Smooth and flavorful all the way down. Would love to get my hands on this again. Wanted to go a 4.75 for the overall but couldn't quite pull the trigger.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 04:54:22 | More by BucannonXC5

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

$22 for the 22oz bottle, served in a tulip
2011 Vintage 13% ABV
Sampled 01MAR13

[A] A half finger of compacted foamy head, light brown in color and short lived. The body is walnut colored - the darkest shade of brown - showing transparency only when the glass is tilted. A couple minuscule bubbles collect around the glass and nothing more. No lacing.

[S] Dark and sweet sugars, toasted marshmallows. Fading oak. Mild tea leaf and even milder mint. Menthol mixes with a wet tobacco-leaf-like earthiness. Heat is highly evident but integrated. Mint, menthol and tea leaf is not my thing so the aroma score suffers.

[T] Starts of with a complex blend of malt sweetness, heavily rendered but never approaching burnt. A short note of creamy, tootsie roll and semi-dark chocolate rolls in at mid palate, then fades out before the finish. The lasting notes are a melange of dark fruits and dark sugars, namely molasses and prune.

[M] The mouthfeel starts out average with a fine tingling carbonation - but just a tad too aggressive for my tastes - plus thinning it out a little. After breathing however, the mouthfeel comes into its own, and it is really, really good.

[O] A fantastic beer that probably deserves a clean 4.5...but I was just not digging the nose. However, the two weakest aspects - the nose and mouthfeel - improved to damn good after opening up to room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 14:59:20 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

this is not an English-style barleywine. if you know anything about beer, this is obvious and I need not go into further explanation. that said, i feel this is brazenly, unarguably an American -ized version of the style and a goddamn fine one at that...

A: (sort of, but quite) turbid on the pour....big-ish bubbles and the head breaks down quick....darkest of red (-brown) in color....brightens and clears up late, but still retains some haze....no lace....eh to look at

S: vanilla (oak barrel) and charred wood (bbq-ish) right off the bat....fairly potent cocoa and stronger dried fruit aromas, easily raisin and one more, maybe apricot?....bit of dark brown sugar....the smell doesn't permeate my sinus, smattering on the back of my nostrils like select others, but it's still mighty inviting...cons: lil lack of hops and fruit? ease off the (dark) crystal

T: the barrel aging pervades the whole...pretty complex from start to finish (more so colder?!)....start - chocolate, oak, dried old cherry, smooth ethanol....halfway - burnt/roasted-ness (dark crystal, chocolate malt), floral phenols (in essence, not so much flavor)...totally malt-driven, alc/phenols cut and balance....dark crystal looms large in the aftertaste, caramel....

F: there's a nice, bright, revitalizing warmth from the alcohol, et al....nice malt roundness that quickly vanishes into a uniquely dry (tannic) and cleansing(?/lifting?) finish....supreme balance between the malt and alcohol - it's so well-woven in, until the beer warms up quite a bit (I found out that eating a sugary-sweet food (chewy granola bar) with this accentuates the booziness multi-fold - but this isn't news to me, I suppose)

O: (hardly) arguably one of the top 3 American barleywines I've had - worth the extra effort on their part....very nice - highly recommended, for yourself or as a gift

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 04:38:41 | More by Bouleboubier

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle. bomber. aged 1 year in my cellar. poured into taster glass.

A: a slight haze on an otherwise dark brass/copper hue.

S: complex. coffee, caramel. a lot of oak, but not a ton of bourbon. present but not kicking you in the balls. dark cherries. a lot of vanilla.

T: more vanilla. booze. lots of booze, actually the first thing I notice. bourbon on the palate is where this thing comes to play. big time booze makes me think I didn't age this long enough....some roast and chocolate as well.

M: mellow. little bit of carb sizzle but nothing crazy. full bodied for sure.

D: glad this thing has gotten as low as it has (attenuation wise) otherwise it may be tough to drink. otherwise, super big. dark flavors. dark chocolate, bitter dark grains, black cherries, complex, more boozy than I would like. I wouldn't have mind it if I aged this for another couple years just to smooth it out a bit more. however, still super drinkable now.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 06:14:58 | More by Jimmys

drrone

Arizona

4.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - a beautitul dark mahagony color whic is all but opaque. Barely one finger of a beige creamy head that dissapated quickly. Little to no lacing.
S- I was surpised how little nose there was, but from I could pick up it had a sweet, sugary base, bourbon, with molasses and malt.
T-what was missing in scent it far made up for in taste. It has a great bourbon and alcohol kick, with very nice touches of vanilla and caramel.
M-it is easy to drink, but has that syrup-like texture throughout.
O- a great treat on draft. Although it didn't have quite the kick that the bottle I had a couple of weeks ago. A fanatastic beer either way.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 19:31:00 | More by drrone

laituegonflable

Australia

4.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark burgundy colour. Quite murky but a bit of a vibrant hue when held up to the light. Head is beige, with small bubbles, just a ring of foam left with disappointingly little lacing. Looks good, but a bit too big for its own boots.

Smell is very, very sweet but a nice sweet, with massive, massive coconut aroma - just huge, sticky coconut flesh, touch of vanilla and some pleasant sugar notes. Hint of some peachy, floral hops behind, but it's all that secondaried booze note, lovely clarity and tempered sweetness.

Taste is in a similar vein. Plenty of sweet malt underlying, with caramel, toffee and brown sugar, then over the top comes a succulent boozey sweetness with that lovely desiccated coconut flavour, hints of vanilla, and then yeah, a bite of booze late which is an unfortunate glitch. Palate is beautifully constructed as far as strong, sweet malt bombs go, but that unmistakeable heat from the booze on the back is a definite overstepping of the line.

Good body, not too thick and heavy but the hot booze on the back is noticeable and sharp.

With that in mind, this is a big, cuddly and loveable brew. Flavours I love and the development of the palate is superb. If not for that slight overheated booze on the back, this would have been held in wonderful balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 10:44:52 | More by laituegonflable

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4.39/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 22oz brown pop-top bottle, nicely boxed. Classy labelling and presentation. 2012 vintage, purchased from HyVee last year for around $15.00. Split with my wife into two Chimay chalices to commemorate a bittersweet day today. Sampled between cellar and room temperature.

Appearance: Beautiful burnished English walnut hued beer with a light beige cap which soon falls to a thick ring and patchy lacing. Lots of small sediment in suspension, but that's not particularly surprising. Beautiful burnt orange highlights when held up to the light, and tiny bubbles of streaming carbonation.

Smell: Incredibly rich and powerful. Very sweet notes of dark or slightly burnt caramel with dark fruity notes and a subtle kick of alcoholic heat as well. Rich, warm malt tones and no hop aromas to get in the way; the aromas are so thick and intense you can practically see them.

Taste: More complex on the palate than the aromas (as good as they are) suggest. Dark caramel, English pale malt, a dark spiciness reminiscent of Fisherman's Friend throat lozenges (menthol, eucalyptus oil, licorice), a bit of fruity alcohol, and a subdued, fruity English-hop bitterness. Ends on the light side of medium bitter and this, in combination with the alcohol, prevents this from becoming at all cloying.

Mouthfeel: Big and soft, though not quite as heavy as some big bruiser imperial stouts or the like...the mouthfeel works well for this beer.

Overall: Opened this today to celebrate the fact that after several years of looking forward to it, I finally had a paper accepted at the 2013 International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, MI, AFTER I had decided to leave my PhD program and academia behind me. Everything happens for a reason though and, even if it sucks, the wife and I thought we'd split this tonight to celebrate. It really is a fantastic beer, second only to King Henry in terms of an American-made English-style barleywine. This is the second time I've had it aged now (had the 2011 in 2012) and can honestly say that I don't understand any of the people who like this fresh over aged. I had the 2012 fresh and it tasted thin and almost hot to me, with very little depth of flavor. This, however, is another story. I picked up 2 of the 2013s, and I'll definitely be hanging onto them for awhile. Paired with some good English Red Leicester, this is fantastic, and a good value for the money.

Overall: 93-94 = A

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 02:47:32 | More by BedetheVenerable

AltBock

Ohio

4.49/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bomber bottle that was sealed in a wine box. The box had the history of the beer, the fighting or the getting to ready to fight lion and bear, and a vintage year. The bottle itself had paper wrapped around the cap and a simple label that had a wealth of information about the beer. The label had the beer's O.G., IBU, cases produced number, F.G., yeast variety, color, a reserve number of 003, and another vintage year. This is from their current vintage, 2013. Poured into a Big Eddy (don't laugh) Snifter.

The label said this beer was dark ruby in color and I have to agree with that statement. It was so dark and murky and it almost looked dark brown in color. No highlights in this beer. The murkiness of this beer sent the ray of light back into the lightbulb. Out of nowhere rose a 1/4 of an inch head of foam that was light khaki in color. It had acceptable retention that left behind a tiny string of rings along the side and only a handful of sticky spots of lace around the glass. The appearance of the beer was just as nice as the beer's packaging.

The first thing I noticed about the aroma was how sweet this beer was. It's not rot your teeth sugary sweet, but pretty damn sweet. Up front was the brown sugar, toffee, molasses, sugar coated nuts, and a whiff of French vanilla. Following the sweet aromas was a little roasted malt, black cherry, and figs. The aroma then finished up with a subtle oak, bourbon, and alcohol. All the sweets mixed well with the dark fruits, bourbon, and oak.

Unlike the aroma, it wasn't the sweet flavors that kicked off the taste. It started off a little odd with the taste of alcohol and a hint of roasted malts. Quickly following that odd taste was a bunch of dark fruits. This bunch included figs, raisins, and black cherry. It was after the dark fruits when the sweet flavors emerged. The sweetness wasn't dominating like they were in the aroma. I found a little caramel, brown sugar, and French vanilla. Like the aroma, the taste finishes up with a drop of bourbon and a dab of oak. Very interesting. Nothing really dominated the taste and I'm perfectly fine with that. There were plenty of flavors to keep my tastebuds happy.

Despite this beer clocking in at 12.5% ABV, I found this Barleywine to be more medium bodied than full bodied. It's a little weird. The aftertaste was on the sweet side. The sweets dominated the aroma, was calmed down in the taste, and tried to come back in the aftertaste. The aftertaste was a little sweet with caramel, brown sugar, roasted malt, black cherry, figs, French vanilla, bourbon, and oak. This semi sweet aftertaste will last for a few minutes before it decides to leave.

I've been wanting to try this beer for a while. Did it live up to its hype? It did for me. I would have liked more bourbon and oak aromas and taste, but that's probably due to this beer's young age. I would love to age a bottle to see how it will taste in the future, but I only scored one bottle. So sad!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 19:46:31 | More by AltBock

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.44/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Abacus (2013 release) opens to a malty, fruity, alcohol-soaked aroma that is instantly appealing. Perhaps most noticeable are the huge fruit esters, including fig, raisin, plum, prune, and date, as well as lighter bits of pear, cherry, and berry. These lie atop a heavy vanilla-soaked caramel-and-molasses body, with wildflower honey, honeysuckle, and loads of brown sugar thrown in, as well as a bar or two of good milk chocolate. The grains bring thick brown breads, toast crust, biscuit, rising wheat dough, and floury baguette, and the hops add just a touch of pine and grapefruit. The beer also carries a thick barrel-aged overtone of vanilla, oak, and bourbon, the latter notes combining with the darker fruit esters to lend a port-like quality. On the whole, the nose is fantastic, and what was obviously a very good Barleywine before the barrel aging has been transformed into a small slice of heaven, featuring amazingly well-balanced fruits, breads, alcohols, and hops; it’s hard to imagine how this beer could be made to smell any better.

On the tongue, the barrel aging is immediately noticeable, with bourbon-soaked vanilla beans and charred oak chips rising quickly to the surface. These are joined by the fruit esters, here bringing in fig, raisin, plum, prune, pear, and cherry, as well as bits of brown sugar and a touch of molasses. Thick brown breads, as well as toast crust and rising wheat dough, add earthy touches. Subsequent sips bring an even heavier bourbon, vanilla, and charred oak onslaught, along with bits of kola nut, and a hint of pine. The aftertaste is heavy on bourbon, with bits of sugar hanging on for dear life. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is very good beer, and I suspect with aging it will become even better. However, as young as my bottle is, the bourbon notes simply overpower many of the flavors, making the mouthful not nearly as mouthwatering as the aroma, and giving the beer a very strong Jack-and-Coke overtone. If I buy a second bottle of this—and I likely will—I’m going to cellar it for a good two years.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 17:05:14 | More by jondeelee

Jonada

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Review #50

2013 Vintage served in a tulip glass

Appearance: Pours an extremely deep dark ruby red. About 2 fingers of a light khaki head that dissipated to thin collar. When held up to light there's some fine but visible sediment floating in the glass.

Smell: Caramel, toffee, dates, vanilla, milk chocolate, whiskey, coconut. As with so many of the FW barrel aged beers the aroma is super complex and inviting.

Taste: Vanilla, dark fruits, dates, plums, caramel, sweet bourbon, oak.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied. Carbonation is on the higher side of light. Slightly sticky mouthfeel. Inanely smooth for 12.5%

Overall: One of the best barleywines I've ever had. Incredibly complex and insanely smooth. Seek out a bottle to drink now and a few more to age.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 03:55:12 | More by Jonada

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 Series poured from a 650 mL bottle into a 3 Floyd's Teku Glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep, deep brown (almost black) and leaves about a half finger of tan head.

Smell: Lots of chocolate and bourbon come out right away. Definitely some toffee and caramel in there as well. Very pleasant aroma, not overbearing at all.

Taste: Matches the nose completely (chocolate, bourbon, toffee, caramel and perhaps some dark fruits), but then finishes with some alcohol which is definitely there but doesn't kill it or overpower the other flavors.

Mouth-feel: Surprisingly thin for this type of beer and for the flavors involved. Some carbonation, but not a whole lot.

Overall: A pretty good barrel-aged barleywine. This one has a whole lot of heat to it however which can always bring some mixed reactions. I don't think it kills it, but adds some interesting character.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:19:02 | More by Resuin

larryi86

Delaware

4.6/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle, 2013, poured into a tulip

A- A dark ruby red with a two finger off-white head.

S- Cherries/dark fruits, bourbon, vanilla, some chocolate, caramel.

T- Cherries, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, oak, really wowed me. Alcohol is noticeable but not overwhelming.

M- Smooth, medium to full body, creamy.

O- I am not the biggest Barelywine fan, but I am a big fan of this beer. Very well done and easy to drink for 12.5% ABV. Can't wait to pick up another bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:11:10 | More by larryi86

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from jpaco47 (awesome, thanks man!). 2012 release. Served in a Terrapin snifter.

Pours deep garnet hued chestnut with one and a quarter finger sandy head. No lace.

Smells of rich caramel, toffee, vanilla and bourbon.

The sweet, rich nose did not disappoint. Nice bourbon character with layers of toffee, vanilla, oak, caramel, burnt sugars, dark fruit, wine, butterscotch, toast and a smidge of cinnamon. There's a little nip of booze but this is sweet and smooth.

Creamy, semi-oily, medium thick body with nice light carbonation. Sweet, slick bourbon toffee finish.

An outstanding barley wine. Excellent balance between barrel, bourbon and caramelly malty goodness. I tend to like the hoppy barley wines (Hog Heaven, Behemoth, etc) but this is fantastic. Another must try offering from Firestone Walker.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:44:36 | More by ThickNStout

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

4.44/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: pors a reddish brown muddy color with a bit pov a red hue 1 finger of khaki head with good retention and lacing

S: get a good amount of stone fruit vanilla coconut and oak

T: up front good malt character some stone fruit and vanilla hop bitterness finishes with a bit of a tobacco hint there is a bit of alcohol

M: full bodied and lingers for awhile a bit sticky

O: great beer good example of an English style barley malt forward and the barrel aging is slightly hinted on this years

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 05:18:41 | More by smcnulty1981

DrewV

New York

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow! SOOO close to a perfect score from me, but I had to knock off a few ticks for the thin mouthfeel and muted aroma. Otherwise, this brew is out of this world. Pours a deep ruby color with a moderate 1-finger head. Smells of sweet malt with bourbon and vanilla overtones. The typical mellow oakiness is also present from the barrel aging. Overall, the flavors are perfectly balanced without any single one overpowering the others. A tad heavy on the sweetness, but absolutely nothing offensive. The 12.5% ABV is present, but fits into the overall flavor profile like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The sweet heat and bite is a welcomed finale to each outstanding sip. A solid A+ for this brew, nothing less. Easily worth the $15/bomber and I'll be looking to stock up on this each and every release.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:16:12 | More by DrewV

Mumbler

California

4.9/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2013 Sucuba

Pours a crimson brown with a little bit of head that quickly faded away into nothing. The smell is extrodinary with a lot of toffee, vanilla, bourbon and I want to say cinnomon but, it might just be a spiceness. The taste of this beer is other worldly, it is another absolutly fantastic addition to FW's Rep. It is sweet but not too sweet. Bourbon and wine barrells really mellowed this beer. Not a lot of taste from the wine barrells which I like. Overall an excellent beer that I will enjoy from time to time. Not trading this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 03:36:34 | More by Mumbler

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2013, batch 003. Bottled 14:57 1/09/13
My first bottle of this, expectations are through the roof

Pours a thick ruby brown with a little transparency around the edges. Held up against the light a lot of suspended particles float around clouding the beer. A half finger of foam has receded quickly and now has amassed around the ring of the glass with some moderate lacing

What a rich aroma! hops, caramel, coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, toffee, tobacco, brown sugar, sweet malts and alcohol all thrown into one bottle. Very complex and intricate, easily makes a 5

Taste falls a little below the aroma in telemetry. Hops, caramel, dark fruits, toffee, bourbon, coffee, butterscotch, toasted sugar, malt and alcohol. Lots going on here, very good also

The feel is a thick body with a creamy finish. Some definite heat to the beer, as is expected with so little age. Nice tingly burn on the tongue from the carbonation, very sippable

Overall this stuff is pretty good, but I'm a bit let down after trying parabola last weekend. This really needs to lie down for a while, should really improve with some age. I have three more in my cellar, I'll return with a re-review in a year or two

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:54:30 | More by lordofstarside

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.66/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2013 bottle poured into a FSW tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark Ruby red, that I can slightly see through. VERY thin white head, that dissipates quickly. Surprised by the lack of alcohol legs on this one, for such a high Alcohol %.

S: BIG barrel, bourbon sweetness, medicinal dark cherry. Not very aromatic for me which is surprising. Vanilla striking in as well.

T: Vanilla, caramel up front. Very smooth with light maltyness.Getting slight medicinal cherry on the tongue as well.

M: Medium bodied, slight alcohol burn warming the mouth, minimal carbonation, sticky sweetness coats the mouth.

O: A home run from FSW. Fantastic beer, that I can't wait to see how it develops.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:45:58 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.36/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a snifter. Acquired in a trade from spambum, thanks buddy! 2013 vintage.

A- Pours a rust colored body with a very small head that reduces quickly to a white ring. Dark and nearly opaque, can't tell if it's hazy but I think it is.

S- French vanilla coffee, bourbon, toffee, vanilla beans, butterscotch candy, white chocolate. Definitely smells like a dessert beer. Very nice.

T- Upfront there are sweet caramel, vanilla, bourbon notes. This develops into coffee and dark fruit notes, finishing slightly roasty. Warming booze definitely present. Somewhat harsh aftertaste.

M- Low carbonation, medium-heavy body. Split this one.

I've waited a long time to try Sucaba and it didn't let me down! This is such a complex brew, and the bourbon really stands out and makes a grand presence. It's a heavier version of Founders Backwoods Bastard in my opinion, and that's one of my favorite beers. I am cellaring one of these to see how it ages, maybe the harshness will lessen. Get a few while they're still on the shelves!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:53:44 | More by gcamparone

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Cola coloured liquid with 1/2" tan head.

S: Vanilla, caramel, bourbon, alcohol, cherries.

T: Wood, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, alcohol, cherries, toffee.

M: Medium viscosity and a low level of carbonation. Some drying.

O: Beautiful. Can't believe it took me this long to try it.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:55:32 | More by DaftCaskBC

Philousa

California

4.11/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Imbibed at Wine Affairs on 3/4/13.

Deep amber, clear in appearance with a very creamy half finger tan head. Spots cling to the glass sparingly. Lots of caramel with toffee candy, rich chocolate, vanilla, and strong oak (not overpowering). Toasted wheat bread is also prevalent. Caramel and vanilla dominate the palate with dark chocolate, candied sugar, and lot of booze to end. Feel is slightly viscous with a dry finish. Great, but I can't have more than a snifter since it's so sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 18:28:58 | More by Philousa

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber

A - very dark ruby red. The label calls is "dark rust", which I would say is correct. Looks almost black away from the light, held to light, the red comes out. Not much head unless you really pour down the middle, then about an inch or so that retains for a bit.

S - a lot of caramel and vanilla dominate. Some bourbon and alcohol on the edges.

T - Taste follows the nose. Sticky vanilla and caramel up front. Very very smooth, with some light toasty malt type flavor next. Finishes with medium hop bitterness. It seems to lack a little bit of complexity somewhere, but its more than made up for with the smoothness.

M - just on the thick side of medium. Very low carb. Excellent.

O - really great beer. Super easy drinking, hides the ABV no problem. Could drink this every night. Only gripe would be a little lack of depth in the flavor profile, but overall an A/A+ beer

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 06:14:19 | More by Beerandboards

TheCondor

Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this beer up at All-Star Pizza and Pub in Parkville. Just stopped in for one beer, and I had heard this was a good one. So I gave it a shot. From a tulip glass.

Appearance - Poured a deep ruby, almost black, with a thin, half finger head of quickly receding head that left outstanding lacing. I personally don't think it was presented well by bar staff, but thats just me.

Smell - Big time dark fruits, oak, booze, and some vanilla and other sweetness. This was a complex smell, lots of layers to it that all kind of merged together. Really good.

Taste - Follows the nose quite well, but I think it improves on the nose even. The dark fruits and vanilla are the big time players on the palate. Oak, dark fruits, and toffee/caramel wash the palate at the start, with the vanilla sweetness bringing up the rear with a slight malty backbone. This was an outstanding beer, for sure.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, like a big stout, creamy, and rich. There is certainly a boozy, bourbon element on the finish, you know this is a high ABV beer. Coats the throat with warmth and goodness.

Overall - This is truly one of the best beers I have ever had. Firestone Walker is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries, in that their line is so varied and robust. This is an exceptional beer. I thought it was a stout at first, and put it on line with BCBS. I wasn't until I reviewed it that I learned it was considered an English Barleywine. You need to go get this brew as soon as possible.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:34:21 | More by TheCondor

weonfire

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 Version.

A - Dark Ruby, pencil thin head - dissipates quickly, say 2 min.

S - Sweet bourbon - but not overpowering, carmel malt, dried plums/dates. overall not real potent other than the bourbon.

T - Oh wow. This is real nice. sweet malt with great bourbon. Carmel, molasses, barley, oak/woody. Hop level is low. Sweet all the way thru- but certainly not a syrupy taste that could rise with such a sweet brew. 12.5 ABVs hidden completely. very impressed.

M - Thick feel, not as velvety as a stout but very nice, froth tingles on the tongue. lingers for 1-2 min. coats mouth very well

O - Amazing. Everything a person is looking for in an english barelywine. If i really had to pick out a downfall (and im nit picking) is a more potent scent.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:47:23 | More by weonfire