Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Mikesgroove for indulging me. Pours thick black with nearly black head. This is a bourbon story. Bourbon hits you in the nose and is strong, with alcohol apparent, in the taste. I am Ok with bourbon in moderation, we are not a corn distilled fan nation, but it was too much. Cocoa powder and coconut was also experienced and not integrated. This is above average body, it was finishable, I owed it to the brewers. Not as great as many other RIS I have consumed of late, it is an example of what is turned out as a big beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 00:35:56 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Can this beer live up to the hype, I have a lot of expectations on it to be honest. I have been staring at it on my wants list for 3 years, dying to get a taste, but with no luck. Then they bottle it and I go into full on rage mode to get some. A kind BA sent me a bottle and I am in heaven. My son graduated yesterday, what better way to celebrate I could not think of one.

Served chilled and poured into a snifter, this one was consumed on 05/26/2010.

Deep and dark, black as night this one poured with a tremendous fury. Evil looking and thick as oil it came at me . Small two finger head settled down and coated the sides with sticky chocolate colored lacing that let me know I was in for it.

As I reach in and take a whiff it hits me like a ton of bricks. Deep aroma of roasted malts, huge bourbon notes , vanilla, molasses, tons of rich oak and lots of sugary and boozy touches. Hard to explain, just soo complex I dont know where to begin. Warming just confuses me more as the profile seems neverending. Each sip is like liquid god for me. Deep roasted notes, coffee, light licorice, bourbon, boozy flavor that seems to dominate early on but fade as it starts to warm. Vanilla, and oak, chocolate, rich decadent notes of toffee and never ending complexity welcome me and wont let me go. Smooth carbonation, full, complex body, delicous, perfect nightcap.

Overall everything I wanted it to be and then some. One of the best BA beers I have ever had. It works on every level possible. So worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 01:15:15 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

On tap at the Blue Palms 1st Anniversary

A: Dark as night and wonderful viscosity to it. No head and no visible carbonation.

S: Vanilla, chocolate, licorice, some graham cracker, and slight booze.

T: A truly amazing beer. Very smooth vanilla flavor from the barrel, lots of chocolate, and some graham cracker. The booze is very well hidden in this monster, as well.

M: Huge body, velvety smooth.

D: I was expecting this one to be really overwhelming, but it wasn't at all. A fantastic beer, one that I wish I could have more often, and I actually ended up buying two glasses of it today.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 08:55:08 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Skuter for getting this out to me.

A: Pours near-black with a nice tan head that sticks around with a bit of lacing.

S: Very, very nice. The first thing I notice is quite a bit of oak alongside some vanilla and bits of char. In the background there are notes of chocolate and roasted coffee.

T: Much the same as the nose, but the roasted malt and oak take over a little bit, not allowing many of the subtle complexities to come through. It is very clear that this played a big role in the final FW13 blend.

M: Nice and creamy. Medium to full body.

D: Quite drinkable, although I really wish that the flavor profile was as well-integrated and complex as the nose. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this with a bit of age on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2010 00:45:34 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

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

2011 bottling

Appearance: Pours a pitch black color with a ringlet of foam that fades away though it leaves some dots and dashes behind

Smell: Chocolate, oatmeal/raisin and Bourbon

Taste: Rich chocolate flavors, up front, with the oatmeal/raisin and marshmallow flavors developing; by mid-palate, the Bourbon adds its heft to the sweeter elements, creating a boozy counterpoint; after the swallow, the sweeter flavors re-emerge, providing balance into the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, slightly creamy; boozy, with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: As can be inferred from the geometry of its name, this beer is still moving along the curve to the apogee; not sure how long the process will take but it is still a ways away from its optimal point of consumption

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 02:14:18 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage.

Pours an opaque black with a 1 inch khaki head that fades to a thin film on the top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. The smell of this beer is very complex with toasted coconut, vanilla, wood, milk chocolate, and roasted malt. Taste is the same as the nose with more of a cocoa powder flavor coming through than milk chocolate. Mild roasty bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good stout with very complex smells and flavors. Some of the smells and flavors remind me a lot of Abacus which I can only assume is from the barrel aging program both beers went through. I am glad I have a few more of these in my cellar to enjoy in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 15:38:08 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a nice large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of black chocolate with some light vanilla notes and some light dry roasted malt. Taste is dominated by loads of black chocolate notes with some light dry roasted malt and some vanilla and light bourbon notes. Taste is definitely quite complex and not as dry as expected with quite a bit of residual sugar coming through. Body is full with a really nice creamy texture and some good carbonation with no apparent alcohol. I can’t find many fault in this beer except that that bourbon could bit a bit more pronounced.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 21:32:26 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Insane intensity and full of character, this Imperial Russian Stout is one for the ages.

Dark, dark brown (nearly black) with almost complete opaqueness, only admitting light around the estreme edges. Froathy tan head formation leads to average retainage (falters underneath the thinning of 13% abv.). Light on lacing but moderate on classic brandy legging.

Deep and complex aromas start and finish with brownie-like chocolaty notes that are decorated with cherry, sherry, soy, grape, dates, figs, caramel, vanilla, and aged woods. With all that going on, the beer's aroma is all about the bittersweet chocolate and French roast coffee.

Chocolatey early, the beer morphs into Irish Coffee flavors (think whisky and cream), and fruitness that comes equally from fruity esters and alcohols. Again, aged and dehydrated fruits of cherries, apples, figs, dates, raisons all give a rum-soaked fruitcake flavor that carries through to the finish and aftertaste.

Full and rich early, the beer breaks early to finish with an alcohol thinning texture and ultimately warm, maybe hot finish. Very drinkable because it doesn't start too thick but doesn't finish thin, fusal, or abrasive.

Very well balanced throughout, Parabola demonstrates all of what is prominant about the spread of flavors that make up the Russian Imperial Stout profile. All of this manifests in a beer that reviels new flavors with each warming sip. Delicious and succulent from sip to finish, this beer drinks much more easily than it should.

Thanks Auroracrisis!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 04:42:51 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Big thanks to the Central PA group of the Gang Bang BIF for this bottle!

Another big Want brought forth thanks to this BIF. Good times. It pours a straight onyx topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises chocolate syrup, roasted malts, molasses, very light oak, vanilla, and caramel. The taste holds notes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, light vanilla, very light coffee, and an even lighter touch of char. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a kinda chewy feel. Overall, a great impy stout, one that seems to warrant the hype it receives. Get some.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 19:41:08 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Firestone Walker Parabola Barrel aged Imperial Stout 2011.
Russian Imperial Stout. Reserve Series No. 002. OG 29.5 P, IBU 82, Cases 3000, 12 months aged in barrel, British ale yeast, 167 srm. Alc. 12.5% ABV.

Solid black, under a rich brown, cocoa head. Looks fantastic, that is to say, magnificent, or, so to speak, amazing.

Aroma: dense as can be. Molasses, chocolate, espresso, dark rum, …and let us not forget alcohol. Thick, rich, huge, …massive, really.

Taste: vast, voluminous, enormous, …thick, rich, malty, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit. high alcohol, but just shy of what we call "hot". Dense and dangerous. Viscous and vicious. We could keep this up all day, I suppose. I can crack open the thesaurus and round up the usual suspects. In short, it's as big and overblown as the best of them.

So huge, I couldn't finish it. Chose to drink it after a night of drinking other beers, and didn't have the capacity for taking the whole bomber down, after those initial notes. I capped the remains and finished it off last night, no worse the wear. Well, a little worse. Didn't hurt it that much though.

A magnificent achievement in the style, worthy of speaking of in the same breath as the previous champions.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 08:56:09 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared at a recent small tasting. Split between three people. Beer served in a snifter. Beer is dark black and forms a one fingered head of small brown bubbles that leaves some lacing on the glass. Nice.

Aroma is bourbony and nice. Its a little hot in the nose, much hotter in the nose than in the mouth.

This is close to the perfect tasting beer. Its creamy and smooth, mildly sweet up front, not hot in the mouth. A subtle and well balanced liquor flavors, nice bourbon character. Its mildly dry but not harsh or acrid. Good roast in the back, some almost coffee like flavors. Very wonderful beer. I would drink this again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 16:37:28 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

Big thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. This has been on my wants for a long time.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head.

The aroma is a mix of licorice and roasted malt. The beer's aroma reminds me of Ten Fidy and is a little disappointing.

The flavor more than makes up for the slight disappointment in the aroma. I get a ton of roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and maple. The flavor is very complex and all of the flavors meld together very well, with none of the individual flavors stomping on the others.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

This is how you do a bourbon barrel aged beer. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 04:32:58 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.63/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Good looking Imperial Stout. Opaque, jet black hue with a small, light brown head of fluffy foam. Nice retention and minimal lacing.

S - Lots of dried dark fruits like raisin, plum and maybe some figs. Also, chocolate, roasted malt and bourbon notes.

T - Delicious beer. So much balance in a huge beer. Bourbon, raisin, rich dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla. Fantastic.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth with a dry finish. A medium to full bodied beer with a potent alcohol warmth.

D - Again, a fantastic tasting brew. I wish I could get my hands on some more.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2010 19:41:41 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.47/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin tan head that quickly faded away and left some lacing on the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are strong aromas of bourbon, oak and vanilla on the nose along with some hints of alcohol.
T: Quite complex, the taste is very similar to the smell with flavors of oak and vanilla and also has notes of chocolate and hints of wine in the flavors. The complexity increases as the beer warms up.
M: It feels full-bodied and smooth on the palate with a light to moderate amount of carbonation with heat from the alcohol in the finish.
O: Despite its strength, the beer doesn’t taste overly strong but is a good sipping beer because its complex aroma and taste will retain your interest.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 01:24:21 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the Sixth Annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer.

A - Pitch black, with a healthy amount of head and light carbonation. Very ominous looking brew.

S - This one took a while to warm up - but when it did, wow! Molasses, rye & bourbon whiskey, marzipan, toffee, and oak. A really distinct and unusual collection of flavors.

T - Really hits you with the wood & whiskey on the front palate, then rewards you with a little sweetness at the back. Pretty potent.

M - Creamy, but not as viscous a I expected. I couldn't think of much else to say - a little generic.

D - The strong whiskey aftertaste would pretty much limit me to one of these in an evening.

Wish we got more Firestone Walker stuff in Chicago...

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2008 16:10:40 | More by MasterSki

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Capone's Black Friday event, this beer poured out as a very dark black color with a thin tan head on top. The smell of the beer was roasted and sweet, some aromas of wood and sweet bourbon on the nose. The taste of the beer is just stunning... I really couldn't believe how nice this tasted. The sweet bourbon flavors come out perfectly in this brew. The mouthfeel of this beer was thick and oily just like it should be. Overall this brew is special. It's very very good!

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 08:02:49 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

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

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, 8 oz. serving, as it is 13%,

A: Pours a jet black, with a light tan head with good retention, and excellent, thick lacing.

S: Get a lot of bourbon notes mixed with some coffee and booze, ethanol volatiles are there that you can feel in the nose.

T: Reminds me of Firestone 11 right of the bat with its initial taste which was full of vanilla. But then the beer changes and shows that it was only a small part of that beer. Major chocolate and coffee notes, definite espresso with a soothing alcohol presence, very tasty stout.

M: Velvety smooth and thick, what you'd expect from a 13% stout, pretty much picture perfect, very full-bodied.

D: This is an outstanding beer from Firestone and I was suprised how fast I finished the glass. Not as good as the blend of Firestone 11, but this is great in its own right, glad I finally got to try it; I definitely want to have it again while it is still out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2008 07:20:05 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Wil for busting this out at the Ludachris summer bbq. Never thought i'd ever see a bottle of this! Review is from notes.

Pours placidly with little activity, inky black with a glassy surface. Some sticky mocha foam flecks to the edges, forming a ring with some spotty lace too. As the glass is tilted, traces of tiny carb bubbles slowly creep upwards.

Woody tobacco and mellow roasted coffee in the aroma. Just a hint of the barrel, but it's masterfully integrated.

Rich dark chocolate smudged with oak, with a well integrated taste of mellow bourbon that lingers in the end. Traces of vanilla and coconut blend easily with a mellow bitterness. Though there's little indication of heat, it's still a mellow sipper best shared. I'm most impressed with how seamlessly Parabola is put together, nice work from the team at Firestone Walker...

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 17:44:01 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a black color with a 1/2" head which falls quickly to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: roasted malts, dark chocolate, and some fruit sweetness are up front. Some vanilla and alcohol round it out.

Taste: big roasted malt flavors, chocolate, vanilla, prunes, a bit of coffee , and alcohol. Very complex and flavors improve as it warms.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Smooth throughout. Long lasting aftertaste.

Overall: very slow sipping but very flavorful. This would be better aged as it is a bit boozy now.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 17:06:05 | More by Gavage

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bottle shared at Al's blow-out.

A: The imperial stout sure is imperial looking, dark and black. A moderate-sized head, a tan color, stands out against the darkness.

S: The nose is nutty and roasted, plenty of malts to go around. Call me an outlier, but I wasn't impressed with the bourbon presence.

T: The roasted flavors consume the stout, burnt and bready, well toasted. Nuttiness matches the dark stouts, a sweeter flavor that puts a few dents into the roasted depth. Again, the barrel aging isn't very dominant. Instead the malt profile is left to fend for its own. Some oak comes through late, but the oomph of bourbon seems to be lost on me. Anyone wanna send me another to try?

M: The mouthfeel is that of an imperial stout, sweet and deep, burnt and full. Much more stout than bourbon, at least what was in my glass.

D: Big and bold, a mouthful of a stout. Only problem is that is like every other imperial stout, dark and warming with plenty of roasted flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 01:34:21 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Glad I passed up the chance to try this at a bar I was at and was able to pick it up at a store (at random). Saved some coin and got a chance to truly relax with a nice beer. That being said, you gotta love finally getting to these super hyped up beers. Because you're either going to be blown away and really dig it, or you're going to be under-impressed with it. Guess which of those two this beer was for me. The latter. Sure, it's nice. Has some nice characteristics to it that work well. But this thing is rated up there with other beers that I've had that really made an impression. This one does not do that so much. There are nice vanilla and bourbon tones and a good profile, but there is nothing really interesting about it. It's "nice", but doesn't really do anything for me at all. Especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 05:55:12 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured opaque black with a huge frothy brown head.

S: Nose is boozy,oats, light bourbon, cocoa.

T: After having Parabola on draft numerous times and initially at FW 13 release I thought the bottled 2011 was a tad bit hotter and bourbon heavy than previous years. Nose and taste mirror are very close with molasses and dark chocolate being most prominent with some bourbon and oak in there. This beer is pretty boozy but the ABV is hidden pretty good. If you dont watch it this beer will sneak up on you.

M: This brew is totally full bodied and smooth. The ABV is pretty high and this keeps drinkability at Good. Not a session beer for sure but great for a cold day!

O Oh so well done and down right fantastic

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 21:07:33 | More by barleywinefiend

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to dsgolovin for this brew.

22oz. Bomber
Black Tin Foil/Capped

Pours a jet black color, nice carbonation, with a one-finger creamy tan head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, tons of chocolate/toffee notes, vanilla, slight bourbon note. The taste is malty, sweet, with lots of chocolate/toffee. Full/Medium Body. The ABV is too up front on this one. A very tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 20:06:42 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

4.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From 11/28/10 notes. Shared a 22 oz. bottle of this with my brother. Poured into an oversized wine glass.

a - Pours a jet black color with one to two fingers of tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for a few minutes and leaves a little bit of lacing on the glass. Looks great.

s - Smells of bourbon, oak, chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malts, and coffee. Very complex and great. I had Old Rasputin XII the night before drinking this one and I think the two of them might be the best barrel aged RIS's I've ever had.

t - Tastes of bourbon, chocolate, roasted malts, oak, dark fruits, and vanilla. Again, very complex; I loved it.

m - Wow, the mouthfeel is truly amazing. Light to medium body and low carbonation, this might be the smoothest RIS I've ever had. A perfect mouthfeel.

d - Truly an amazing barrel aged beer; this is one of my favorite RIS's. The smell and taste are both very balanced and complex, and the mouthfeel is perfect. I felt like I could drink a lot of this, even with the 13% ABV. Can't wait to have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 00:11:02 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 vintage. After lots of seeking, sleuthing, battling, and waiting, I'm finally gonna crack this one. It better be worth the hype and wait. Also gotta thank Visionaries and womencantsail for last year's vintage that I never ended up cracking.

Pours a fairly thick oil level viscosity midnight black syrupy looking beer, with a smaller 1/2 finger fizzy black head that fades fairly quickly, not one photon of light getting through.

Nose erupts with chocolate, baker's, dark, cocoa, hot chocolate, milk chocolate, etc. Some roast, light coffee, but not a ton of roasted malts, dark malts, fairly malty but lots of dark malt aromas, hints of caramel and dark crystal malts, hint of licorice and some oats. Then a light bourbon touch, some sweet candy bourbon, as well as a bit of a wood and barrel, with quite a bit of vanilla as well. Hints of booze waft out, and bring a very slight earthy hop kick.

taste starts creamy and luscious, dark malts just sit. It's fairly sweet from the loads of malts, balancing out the booze a bit that doesn't come on as strong as 12.5%, but you can tell is there with a bit of tingle and lots of warmth. Again loads of chocolate, some dark chocolate, baker's, hot cocoa and almost cocoa nib like addition, and creamy chocolate milk almost. Lots of oats as well bring a nice creamy thick almost gooey feel. The bourbon is there too, but not dominant, it plays a role in helping to round the heavy beer off, bringing more of the oak and wood, especially vanilla, but just a bit of the sweet molasses like bourbon. Then come the hops, it starts slightly bitter but gets more so the longer the sip goes and fades, bringing some big earthy hops, light spicy and chewy hops, a slight salty bitter hop quality. There is a slight touch of brine between the charred malts and earthy hops. As it fades, some caramel comes out with the vanilla, and a bit more of the bourbon, a big mouth coating that just blankets the mouth for minutes after, and still a bit sweet. But that all gives way fairly quickly to the bitterness and earthy hops that bring a bit more salty and earthy bitter tastes long after the sip is gone.

Mouth is big bodied, very big, thick and luscious, creamy, a bit velvety, and slightly syrupy and mouth coating, lower but decent for the style carbonation, and some hot booze.

Overall great, worthy the hype I think. not the best of the big Imperial Stouts around, but definitely a great Imperial Stout. Big and bold, great stout flavors, doesn't overpower with roasted malts or briny scorched malts, and doesn't overpower with booze or sweetness but definitely lets you know it has both. The oak, wood, and vanilla help round it some, but the bourbon is just an afterthought compared to the big malts, chocolate, and other big flavors. The nice creamy and lucious feel are great. And then when the big earthy spicy hops kick in it really brings it up to hype level of awesomeness. Can't wait to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 19:48:53 | More by jlindros