Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Reserve series #003. 12.5%abv. 2012 vintage.

A: Dark hersey chocolate pour is a pitch black in the vessel accompanied by golden micro-beads of carbonation slowly rising to build up the creamy, dark khaki head that sits stubbonly about with no where to go. Decent lace coverage.

S: Nice wiff of whiskey upon first uncapping gives you a good indication for what follows on the nose. Whiskey laced smooth chocolate malts appear with a slight smoky and charred nature of woodiness. Burnt licorice and burbon soaked dark fruit are always welcomed with roasted barley and a scorched toffee sweetness that balances just right.

T: The flavor is even more endearing. Whiskey heavy with bitter dark chocolate and licorice first pops out. Flashes of sweet scorched toffee offers balance and sweetness with a soothing campfire minerality of burnt grains and currant. Burbon touch of dark fruitiness comes about while the alcohol still is shy, feeling much lower then its advertised 12.5%abv which is just fine with me, it just shows how well and clean as smooth this beer really is on the next level. Smooth earthy and silty bitterness follows the swallow along with some freshly brewed french roast.

M: Luscious mouthful, silky thick and creamy from the oats with a warming of whisky and vanilla coffee bean ease. Amazing bite of earthy dark bitterness covers the tongue.

O: Overall this beer is certainly on a level above most others and a 1% by style. For such a dark and high abv beer this comes off amazingly smooth, refined, balanced and is so deliciously inviting i feel i can continue much longer then the bomber should allow me to. Was literally awestruck from the first sip to the last, kept my attention and excitment thoughout with vocal explanations thrown around as to its heavenly nature. I dont hand out 5's to often but really couldnt find much else i would rather see here that could make this any more enjoyable except for another bottle in hand. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 22:58:09 | More by beerthulhu

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.76/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A-deep black color with a decent light brown head and some lacing

S-bourbon, coffee, chocolate, dark malt, vanilla

T-dark roasted malt and coffee with chocolate and hint of vanilla enrobed in bourbon, slight bitterness in the finish

F-medium body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and rich with great balance and blending so that alcohol well-incorporated

O-a delicious RIS with great flavor and balance, one of the best of the style

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 17:17:18 | More by MDDMD

Immortale25

Florida

4.86/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a Due South Brewing Co. snifter. Label says 2012.

A- Pours a dense black color with a 1/2 inch dark tan head that retains a bit before falling down to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a half sheet of surface foam. Jagged ring of semi-resilient lacing.

S- Heavy molasses and brown sugar aroma with heavily roasted malt. Some oak and a nice kick of alcohol. Also notes of dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla.

T- Strong but smooth rush of dark roasted malt with chocolate, vanilla, oak, smoke and molasses all firing off at once in a firm but harmonious cavalcade of flavor. Alcohol is definitely pleasant but fits in with all the other pieces of this complex puzzle. Dangerously drinkable. The oak from barrel-aging comes through more and more as it warms.

M- Chewy, creamy and sticky with medium-low carbonation and a good amount of sharpness from the booze. Thick, full body.

O- Hallelujah. This deceivingly potent concoction just muscled its way into my top 5 RIS's of all time. A must-try.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:30:42 | More by Immortale25

jeonseh

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured in a FFF snifter

A - Dark, almost black, brown with a tan colored head that poured one finger tall. Settles down to a light layer of almost bog like foam sitting on top.

S - Nice, complex stout nose with chocolate, roasted malts, sweet caramel, slight bitter coffee, and oak. The chocolate and caramel are the dominant parts of the nose while the other bits are more subtle. It has good strong flavors that make themselves known while still allowing everything to blend together well.

T - Sweet vanilla, caramel and chocolate up front. As the beer goes on, there is chocolate, dark prunes, and light espresso. Finish is slight warming bourbon and oak which linger on in the finish.

MF - Silky, smooth beer with light carbonation. Light alcoholic kick and oak in the finish but otherwise a superb mouthfeel

O - This beer shows why Firestone Walker is known as a great blender and barrel ager. It has great flavors, is silky smooth and no rough edges. I was really impressed by this one and surprised how much it stood out from some of the other RIS's I've had lately.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 04:11:31 | More by jeonseh

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.41/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2012 bottle:

Appearance: Black as the ace of spades with a small, tan had that eventually fades to the perimeter only.

Smell: Oak barrel, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, coffee, caramel. F'in delicious smelling, very similar to BCBS.

Taste: Immense barrel character, wow. A great blend of bourbon, dark chocolate and coffee give way to a spicy, tobacco like ending, with lingering dark chocolate bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thicker than WWS, but not quite in the viscous territory of BCBS.

Overall: Definitely glad I was able to try this. Not a bad brew by any means, but I'm just not thrilled about the spicy notes of this(similar to what I thought about that element in Sucaba)although it does lend to the complexity. This is also a little boozy on the back end of the drink. Aside from that, Firestone Walker makes a lot of good beer and I will continue to imbibe, I just personally like their IPAs better.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:34:12 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

hreb

Washington

4.36/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle with foil cap and presented in a cardboard box. 2012 Firestone Walker Parabola. Aged 12 months in a "combination of barrels" and additionally personally cellared several months by me. Served at cellar temperature (mid to high 50°s, F). Beer pours opaque black with nearly zero head. Intense aroma of brandy, apricot, and prunes.

The first sip is both sharp / finely carbonated and rich with big, dark fruit flavors and alcohol warmth. The middle of the beer is deceptively light on the tongue. The beer concludes with a gentle bitter edge, though I'd never have guessed anywhere close to the DIPA-worthy 82 IBUs the label claims. A little bit of treacle / bitter molasses in the end. For an imperial stout this beer is just super mellow; the barrel aging and oak flavors do it really well. Oh, except for the heavy alcohol of course. For a stout there really aren't a lot of roasty, nutty, chocolate or coffee flavors, either. But there are layers of bourbon, fruit and brandy

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:22:21 | More by hreb

Topher78

California

4.78/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours black as used motor oil with little to no head and abundant alcohol legs. The aroma is enveloping and consists of vanilla, bourbon and espresso. The taste brings plenty of of roasted malt, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and coffee. The mouth feel is reminiscent of syrup, in that it coats your whole mouth and slides across your palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 04:07:23 | More by Topher78

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

650mL bottle, shared at a recent tasting. Cheers, Brad!

2012 vintage. Poured into a goblet. Dark chestnut, about a half inch of tan head that recedes into a thin ring.

Smells terrific. Nice rich caramel, sugar, vanilla, a touch of bourbon, light coffee and chocolate. Very nice.

This is one tasty brew. Sweet caramalized sugar, coffee, peat, bourbon, oak, bitter finish. Reminds me a great deal of some of the big high ABV bombs out there, but with a more reasonable ABV. This is great stuff. Thicker bodied, carbonation provides a light bite.

As far as I'm concerned, Firestone Walker can't miss. This is a terrific brew. Despite being nearly 13%, this is surprisingly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 03:28:41 | More by JohnnyBarman

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.53/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage. Yeah, it's a big American double stout and it looks the part, black as night with a big-bubbled tan froth that builds fast before falling to a thin cap under the heft of the 12.5% ethyl alcohol. Again, it's a powerful American stout and we all know what the best taste like (and this is one of the best) - rich espresso, raw cocoa, burnt sugars, toffee, and a punch of herbal hoppiness all layered with a smooth bourbon whiskey flavor on top of an oak foundation. Smoooth. The barrel aging has rounded out the rough spots and left the alcohol nigh undetectable. Firestone Walker brews excellent beer and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 22:10:06 | More by bump8628

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.56/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 Vintage

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some very dark amber highlights and a very light amount of visible carbonation. The beer has a quarter finger tall dark tan to mocha head that quickly reduces to a small patch of very thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of bourbon, oak, and vanilla along with some light to moderate notes of chocolate. There are some very light hints of alcohol in the aroma as well.

T: Upfront there is a strong flavor of chocolate, caramel, and coffee - the chocolate is more of a dark chocolate, a bittersweet chocolate. There is a moderate to strong flavor of bourbon, vanilla, and oak with just a hint of coconut towards the finish. There are light notes of roasted malts and vinous notes. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Just shy of full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Velvety smooth with a light amount of alcohol heat in the finish.

O: This beer is very enjoyable with a great amount of complexity to both the taste and the smell - this makes it a great sipping beer that is best slowly enjoyed... The beer smells much stronger than it tastes but the alcohol is not overly present in the flavor. The beer continues to smooth out as it warms and the complexity increases.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:01:06 | More by dbrauneis

Spectre

California

4.24/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A. Black body with a small light brown head.

S. Bourbon with a light coco in the aroma.

T. Flavor is coffee and chocolaty but has more bourbon in the scent.

M. Goes Down smooth. Not meant to be consumed quickly but very possible if reckless.

Overall a great stout, better with age.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 22:05:10 | More by Spectre

BierJager89

California

4.86/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber into a snifter

A: Pours a beautiful black with a brown head that fades to a ring

S: Nose is complex and full of vanilla with notes of earthy chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coconut and oak. It begs the tongue to taste.

T: Chocolate, coconut and caramel up front, followed by big bourbon character, vanilla, caramel, oak and alcohol in the middle and finish. Aftertaste is delicious chocolate, bourbon and roasted malt. Just a touch short of perfection. Too much alcohol.

M: Full bodied, I'm sure, but I've forgotten the other details. I was too lost in the gloriousness of the beer.

O: Taste is what matters most. I'd say 99 out of 100, just a bit too much alcohol. I'll try it again and make a better review when 2013 comes out.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:59:06 | More by BierJager89

fernz18

California

4.66/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into a tulip. Dark and not penetrable by light. Small dark brown head.

S: Nice strong chocolatey and molasses with some vanilla.

T: Those 3 mentioned in the smell plus liquorice. Oh man does the flavor linger beautifully, a bit of heat and definitely a sipper.

M: I love it. It was thick chewy and coated nicely.

O: Fantastic brew, worth seeking out. And easily attainable in CA first couple of days of distribution. I do need to find some again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 23:27:38 | More by fernz18

mjw1200

Ohio

4.9/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is one of the best beers I have ever tasted. the perfectly right amount of booze enhances an impressively crafted stout. Outside of eclipse 20 yr Elijah Craig aged stout I can't think of anything better. Only slight slight draw back is I would have liked some more thickness

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:27:28 | More by mjw1200

mjohnson17

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a Bottle into a Snifter

A: Jet black with minimum head. Head quickly dissipates. Nice alcohol legs

S: Lots of dark roasted malt, bourbon, booze, chocolate, coffee

T: Out of this world. This bottle had 6 months age on it and there was a perfect blending of boozy heat mellowing nicely with the roasted malt. Lots of chocolate, toffee, coffee, oak, a bit of charred wood.

M: full body, sticky, easily coats the whole mouth with a sweet booziness.

O: One of the best beers I've had. There's really not much more you could do to this, a perfect example of a barrel aged beer. World class for sure

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 14:45:11 | More by mjohnson17

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 2012 vintage, poured into a snifter with my Dad on Christmas day, a new tradition.

Dark as chocolate coal with creamy brown 2 finger head with moderate retention and sticky lacing

Smell is chocolate elixir and cocoa fire in one. Booze sweetness. It's the most pleasant alcohol booziness that I've smelled. Not afraid of being an imperial stout and a strong one at that.

The most sweet, savory, chocolate rich, boozy, warm RIS ever! I don't want to type, I want to just drink more.

Full body, moderate carbonation, silky

The best stout I have had to date, much more on the chocolate side of things, the perfect Christmas beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 00:42:50 | More by williamjbauer

Beerandboards

New Mexico

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

Poured from a bomber into a large wine glass. 2012 vintage, reviewed fresh.

A - black, almost pitch, but when tilted and held to the light, a dark brown sugar color comes out on the edge. Very little carbonation, even an aggressive pour straight into the middle produces very little head. I wish there were a teeny bit more head, but almost no complaint here.

S - absolute 5 here. Top notch. Vanilla, bourbon, some very rich roasted malt, slight oak. Can't quit huffing this throughout the life of the pour. Really smells great.

T - also really really great here too. Vanilla, toasty malt, bourbon, rich deep flavors and I can't do a great job of describing. There are some hops that come in at the end and really assert some bitterness at the end. My only (tiny) complaint is that the hops may be just ever so slightly too bitter. As he beer warms, I find the hop bitterness less and less off putting, but I still have to say I'm glad I have another to cellar for a year or so to see if the hops quiet down.

M - again, no fault here. Where I complained a bit about no head, I have to give the beer props for perfect low carbonation. Rich, thick mouthfeel.

O - Very close to 5s all around, but not quite. This is about as close to perfect as I can think of though, really excellent.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 05:50:44 | More by Beerandboards

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer has been on my wish list for a long time. Being a fan of Russian Imperial Stouts, this is a premium example.

Poured from the bottle into a snifter, this stout was a dark black with little if any variation in the color. As expected, virtually no head was present as a reflection of a smooth stout. The aroma was boozy with notes a vanilla and dark fruits. I must note the aroma on this one to be close to nirvana. On the initial taste, one notes the smooth mouthfeel of vanilla that is implied by the barrel aging process. The booziness jumps ahead of the pack with a warming sensation. Dark fruits, darkened malts, cocoa, grape skin also make appearances before the warming sensation takes over. The thickness allows the warmth to linger nicely. The smoothness on this beer is unbelievable.

This is a great beer for a cold winter night. I was not as blown away by the taste as I expected, but still enjoyed this one a great deal.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 16:19:28 | More by JohnnyHopps

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 version--poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass

Appearance: black in color, opaque, minimal head, high carbonation

Smell: oak, dark chocolate, cocoa, and whiskey

Taste: huge oak start, dark chocolate--especially in the middle, vanilla, roasted maltsweet caramel, and whiskey

Mouthfeel: very sweet with slight roasty bitterness, moderate-high carbonation, heavy bodied

Overall: Amazing and roasty RIS. This one has alcohol bite but is never overbearing. My preference is for Sucuba and Barrel Aged DBA, but this makes for an excellent third place from the brewery. I love the oaking and the complexity with multiple layers of chocolate. I will try to pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 15:12:28 | More by tigg924

kdb150

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle poured into an oversized snifter.

A - Pours very, very dark brown. Little head quickly diminishes to a ring. The ring sticks around, no lacing to speak of. Good look for a big stout.

S - This baby really knocks you out on the nose. The bourbon and roasted malts are clearly present, but the nose is far more complex underneath. Oak and vanilla as expected, along tobacco, leather, and a slight hoppy note. This is one of the best smelling beers I've ever had. Really remarkable.

T - Also kills it. Nice bourbon presence which greatly complements the vanilla, cocoa, and roatiness. This beer tastes full of dark, roasted malts, and you get the slightest hoppy note on the palate that comes through in the nose. This is just a pleasure to drink.

M - Perfect. Smooth, creamy, barely a hint of alcohol present anywhere. Coating and not cloying, the flavor on this lasts forever, and what lingers is very delicious.

O - This is one of the very best bourbon barrel-aged stouts out there, if not the best. Truly a treat to drink. Buy many of these so you have plenty to drink now, and some to drink later.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:52:52 | More by kdb150

spark3148857

New York

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours bitch black (midnight black according to FW) with a one finger tan head that recedes to a ring of tight bubbles. Notes of bourbon, oak, cherries, dark fruit, dark chocolate, coffee, some booze and brown sugar sweetness in the nose. Taste opens with bourbon and oak followed by dark fruits in the middle of the palate. Back end is a pop of intense milk chocolate and coffee that coats the mouth. The alcohol is imperceptible. Mouthfeel is thick and coating, among the best I've had. Parabola meets the hype and in some ways exceeds it. Certainly the best barrel aged RIS I've had (still waiting on KBS).

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 18:53:58 | More by spark3148857

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22oz bottle from j47paco (thanks Juan!). Bottled in 2012. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours black with one and a half fingers of tan head that leaves very little lace.

Smells of sweet vanilla, bourbon and cocoa.

Taste is a great mixture of bourbon, oaky, woodsy, vanilla, creamed coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco, licorice, leather, earth and a little booze. Many fantastic layers of flavor open up as it warms.

Creamy but medium bodied with light carbonation.

A very well done and balanced beer. Great mixture of imperial stout with well blended bourbon barrel character. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 01:28:56 | More by ThickNStout

n2185

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours black with two fingers of light brown head that fades into a frothy ring with a little lacing.

S: roasted malts with lots of sweet chocolate, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Nice

T: roasted malts here as well with semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Very tasty.

M: thick body with medium carbonation, this beer isn't quite as creamy as I'd like.

O: a good bbal stout overall. Not too sweet or boozy, this beer is well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:27:50 | More by n2185

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.28/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours jet black with a razor thin tan head that settles down to a halo around the edges. As expected, the nose is bourbony, but its 12.5% abv is well masked. Notes of chocolate & coconut fight against slightly metallic notes of bourbon. It's definitely a bold elixir that drinks smoothly. The initial sweetness followed by much more bitterness (82 IBUs!) than I originally expected. It reminds me of wookey jack except with a lot more bourbon and booziness. The mouthfeel is bold and full bodied and despite spending 12 months in a barrel... there is ample carbonation. The aftertaste is a lingering vanilla bitterness that is possibly to bitter for its own good as the contrast overpowers the rich smoothness and drinkability I've come to expect in a good RIS. Regardless, this beer is damn good, but I must admit that I've had some that are better.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 05:16:17 | More by ThePorterSorter

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz botle into a fine stemmed tuplip glass.

A- Pours a true opaque black color with a mocha-brown head, just about 2finger due to a healthy pouring. That head fades to a lip that will not go away.

S- BOOZEY right away, and strong. Once past the booze, there are notes of creamy vanilla, smokey oak, anise and cocoa.

T- Smores roasted over the fire, simply put. It tastes like it smells.

M- so smooth and velvety, great full and creamy body. But the booze just won't quit. No sign of the IBUs, either.

O-I'd like to see the ABV toned down or at least masked, and more than a bit. For me, I expect more balance in a RIS, but it's certainly not bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:14:25 | More by NiceTaps