Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Pahn

New York

4.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to BA morningthief for picking this up for me in Boston. 2011 batch, 12.5% ABV, 82 IBUs.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1.5 inch frothy tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves tight rings of lacing that don't last. Pours solid black. Big legs, no lacing.

Smell: Mostly a heavy caramel aroma, along with some roasted malt, chocolate, cookie dough, and a mild influence of oak and hops. Not enormously aromatic, but what's there is nice.

With some warmth, the aroma quickly opens up. The 12.5% ABV starts to show itself with some reasonably heavy booziness, but, as with many great high gravity beers, this deepens the other notes rather overshadowing them. The interplay of alcohol, hops, and deep pastry and dark fruit smelling malt (along with some restrained barrel influence) is very satisfying.

Some surprising, savory molasses comes out late in the bottle, urging me to push this score up to a 5.0. I'm sold; there's the beautiful, decadent dessert stout depth, but the savory molasses and roasted aromas take it all to another level. Exceptional.

Taste: Mellow and smooth up front, with cookie dough, caramel, and some mild oak, leading to a welcome bitter and somewhat highly carbonated finish. Long aftertaste in which the bold alcohol heat dances with roasted malt, chocolate, and caramel (I know "dances with" sounds a little precious, but the heat persists while different beautiful malt flavors make appearances through the long aftertaste).

The flavor integration in this beer is amazing. The caramel, cookie dough, oak, and mild roasted malt flavors up front are silky smooth, rich, and utterly devoid of alcohol heat. Then the back end has a big hop kick, tons of heat, and lots of deep roasty stout flavors. While "start" and "finish" are very distinct, the notes (especially in the start) are in such harmony that it's more artificial than usual to talk about distinct cookie dough, caramel, chocolate, (etc) flavors.

I hate to give out so many 5s, but this is a real "wow" beer. Virtually nothing left to improve upon here.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, very smooth and creamy, with a great bitterness and high carbonation apparent at the end that allows for the extremely rich flavor up front. Nice long aftertaste that tries its best to say "I know this beer is delicious and you want more, but take it slowwww...." Wouldn't change anything about it.

Overall: This is a stunning beer. I'd heard that Firestone Walker were barrel aging masters... and it seems they live up to their reputation.

For the first couple sips, I thought, "This is indeed a great beer, with nice dessert flavors balanced out by bitterness and heat; around a 4.5 in most categories." Then in all aspects the beer just kept getting better... if you want more out of a beer than Parabola delivers, you're probably asking too much or are confused. Seriously close to perfection.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:32:39 | More by Pahn

IrishKevin

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%

05-20-2013 00:22:04 | More by IrishKevin

HawkIPA

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%

05-19-2013 22:35:35 | More by HawkIPA

ShawnMH

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-19-2013 15:50:43 | More by ShawnMH

JellyJacket

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -7.6%

05-19-2013 10:33:46 | More by JellyJacket

nick_asian

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-19-2013 06:54:38 | More by nick_asian

haknort

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-19-2013 03:27:52 | More by haknort

jakeox

Illinois

5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-19-2013 02:08:21 | More by jakeox

pkalix

California

4.59/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured black, no head, even with a vigorous shake just to see what it'd do... nothing really special about the look of it on the front, although it is obviously pouring a little syrup-y.
smells and tastes more like a bourbon than it does a beer. over-roasted coffee flavor and aroma, vanilla; yes, the fudge i get too. very sweet, very bitter.the alcohol is there, but is part of the overall taste and blends in with the flavors. the wood from the barrels is very strong. i appreciate what they've done but i dont much allow myself to be influenced by a brew which picks up a lot of its flavor from the storage vessel. there is a myriad of flavors but i feel they are over-shadowed by strong oak barrel presence.
2nd pour yields some alcohol presence. lots of oak. the malty quality of the brew seems to pick up more of the barrel residue.
it's still a 13% brew, so i suppose i ought to review it from that perspective. maybe i really wasnt looking for a sipper tonight. still a great brew. lots of effort here....

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:28:53 | More by pkalix

klythjohan

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-19-2013 00:19:21 | More by klythjohan

dwagner003

California

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 18:53:20 | More by dwagner003

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 16:43:54 | More by eyeenjoybeer

Mikecap

Rhode Island

5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-18-2013 16:31:54 | More by Mikecap

Texsuds

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -7.6%

05-18-2013 15:35:23 | More by Texsuds

RobDB

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%

05-18-2013 11:19:27 | More by RobDB

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 06:08:18 | More by Deuane

Roose13

New Jersey

4.98/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bomber poured into a shaped pint glass. It's a 2013, no. 004.

A: Beautiful, thin black color. I poured it with minimal head, but about a half inch of thin head lingers throughout the entire enjoyment of this beer. Leaves a wall of bubbles

S: Sweet, dark chocolate; bourbon is also strong; coffee, vanilla and subtle cherry.

T: The bourbon is so strong in the taste, but not too strong if that makes any sense. Like, it's definitely there, but not over powering. The chocolate is also strong and sweet, dancing with the bourbon to make this a ridiculously tasty stout. A very rich beer. I get the vanilla and coffee lingering in the aftertaste as well.

M: Incredibly smooth, like liquid silk. It also lingers beautifully, leaving the entire mouth coated with all it's different flavors.

Overall: Seriously, this is one of the best effing beers I have ever had and may just be the best RIS I've ever enjoyed. I paid $15 for this and would easily drop $20 it's so freakin' good. Sipped it slow and made it last like a fine bourbon.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:36:37 | More by Roose13

Netdogca

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%

05-18-2013 03:14:22 | More by Netdogca

TheLevi4000

New York

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 01:33:43 | More by TheLevi4000

ssalamone

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 01:12:36 | More by ssalamone

barbellsNbeers

Texas

5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-18-2013 01:11:55 | More by barbellsNbeers

rdooley

Texas

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-17-2013 23:54:19 | More by rdooley

jgluck

California

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%

05-17-2013 23:47:25 | More by jgluck

MRsojourner

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-17-2013 22:53:31 | More by MRsojourner

BarrelAgedBrian

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -13%

05-17-2013 20:42:56 | More by BarrelAgedBrian