Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
100
world-class
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2,393 Ratings

THE BROS
95
world-class
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rAvg: 4.6
pDev: 8.7%
Reviews: 799
Hads: 1594

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Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | 13.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (690), on-tap (108), growler (1).

Notes:
Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged for 8 months in circa 1990's Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.

2011
OG: 29.5p [plato]
IBU: 82 [high]
Cases: 3000 produced [LTD]
Aged: 12 mo [time in barrel]
Yeast: British Ale [house]
Color: 167SRM [midnight black]

View: Beers (48) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by TenHornsProud:

TenHornsProud

Colorado

4.65/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage.

Pours a light black with ruby and brown highlights with a small, tan head.

Smells of sweet bourbon/alcohol with notes of charred oak, chocolate, cherry, vanilla, and bready sweetness.

Taste is bready, biscuit malt up front that goes into a chocolate liquor middle (bourbon and hints of others) before finishing on a smooth, yet warm chocolate biscuit character with notes of vanilla and oak. Everything balances quite nicely.

Heavy body with low carbonation works well. The alcohol is a bit too present at this stage, would be killer with some age.

I couldn't ask for a better barrel aged stout. It's not too liquor forward, and it is quite drinkable without aging. No stopping FW.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 03:20:55 | More by TenHornsProud

More User Reviews:

Lucho

Florida

4.25/5 rDev -7.6%

05-25-2013 07:04:27 | More by Lucho

RayUF07

Florida

4.5/5 rDev -2.2%

05-25-2013 05:47:32 | More by RayUF07

Fcolle2

Illinois

4.71/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: this pours a thick muddy black with a nice dark tan head. Lacing is beautiful, I've never seen anything quite like this.

S: bitter dark chocolate, minor notes of espresso, dark fruit and oak with a slight alcohol finish.

T: wow, lots dark chocolate and vanilla upfront that fades into the rich charred malt that is highlighted by the oak and hints of dark fruit. Bourbon is subtle, not over powering and very well balanced. Alcohol is there but well hidden.

M: thick in the best way possible, coats the mouth entirely and great small bubble carbonation, has the velvety feel of a nitro, really nice.

O: best beer I have had in a long time. Perfectly balanced and very complex. I can't wait to re-review the one I'm putting away for next year.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 02:05:03 | More by Fcolle2

Beeranator

North Carolina

5/5 rDev +8.7%

05-25-2013 01:45:34 | More by Beeranator

RichD

Rhode Island

5/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Been anticipating trying this beer for so long. Batch 004 poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a pitch, murky black. There was a small dark khaki colored head that eventual gave way to nothing.

S: Upon first smell, I get huge notes of coconut and vanilla with some wood character. Some oats and deep chocolate also fill my nostrils with glee. What a fantastic smell. Some dark fruits also come through, though muted.

T: Holy god! This is fantastic. Huge vanilla and coconut flavors start this out and chocolate comes through as well. The bourbon character is tremendous. It's not overpowering at all. Roasted coffee comes in for the finish, and what a finish it is.

M: An incredibly smooth brew this is. Medium mouthfeel

Overall: This is a treat for me to even have this considering how long I've been waiting to try this. The chocolate and coffee flavors mesh so well with the coconut and vanilla that come from the barrel aging. The 13% is virtually non existent so far. This is a well constructed beer and I'm definitely glad I got to enjoy this. This is one of the best beers I've ever had and Firestone Walker may have the best barrel aging programs in the world and this is a clear indicated of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:46:25 | More by RichD

NickThePyro

Washington

4.75/5 rDev +3.3%

05-25-2013 00:12:53 | More by NickThePyro

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.98/5 rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-review of the 2013 vintage. 22 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a very dark brown color; it isn't quite as pitch black as the 2012 version. There's more head than the previous vintage, though - a one finger khaki shade. It doesn't last a very long time, however a thin collar of lacing is left on the side of the glass.

S: There's a lot of dark chocolate at first, subtly augmented with a good bourbon character. Concentration will yield additional notes of brown sugar, hazelnut, currants, plums, vanilla, and coconut. I wish the aroma was more 'in-your-face', but I can't at all complain about the decent complexity and relative lack of harsh alcohol.

T: Pleasant dark chocolate and vanilla opens the palate, before it develops a currant-heavy midtaste. The back end is very heavy in charred oak, with some additional roasted malts (a welcome addition compared to last year), and piny hops. The big problem here is how obnoxiously boozy the finish is - especially taking its lack of notable alcohol aroma into consideration. However, much like Sucaba, the harshness seems to decrease the more this is imbibed. Even better, it shows good depth of flavor. At the end of the day, I enjoy it's decent bitterness and bourbon character too much to nitpick its flaws.

M: This seems to be a bit drier on the back of the palate compared to last year. It's just as sticky and viscous, though. The body itself is wonderfully creamy, with a medium texture befitting a barrel-aged RIS. Carbonation isn't terribly strong, and alcohol presence is assertive.

O: Let me start out by saying I'd be lying through my teeth if I said this wasn't a great BA RIS. It presents an excellent bourbon character and a depth others in the style lack. However, it's just too harsh to be world-class in my mind. Still, I'm really intrigued over aging my other bottle for a year to see how it develops.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 22:24:54 | More by ThisWangsChung