Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

thatsfine

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is my first review on here and this is a beer I've been wanting to try for a long time. Seemed like the right time to start posting. I'm new at this so please forgive any shortcomings, as I am learning each day.

The beer appeared extremely dark in the glass. I couldn't see any light through it. No head or lacing at all. Looks amazing.

Not a very strong smell. Traces of coffee and chocolate. The rest of it is too subtle for me to identify. The scent is just a tease of what the beer tastes like but it smells delicious.

Chocolate and coffee immediately. Bourbon taste stood out at the back of my mouth in particular. Not overpowering but enough to kick you in the pants. I loved the taste.

Felt good to drink. Perfect amount of heat on the back end, but pretty creamy and good.

Outstanding beer. Tons of different flavors. But not overdone and a pleasure to drink. Just had one glass, but definitely was sad to down the last sip. I love Firestone and this lived up to my expectations. If it were more available I would always have some in the cellar.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 07:17:29 | More by thatsfine

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap last night at The Library in Santa Monica.

Appearance - Comes in a 10oz sniffer. Arrives with about a finger of dark, mocha colored head that slowly dissipates. The beer itself is opaque, with literally no light showing through, even around the edges. As the beer begins to disappear, great looking lacing is left on the sides of the glass.

Smell - Wow, this smells amazing. Dark roasted malts, heavy on the dark chocolate, slight vanilla. I believe there is a hint of brown sugar and bourbon with slight burnt wood. This beer smells freaking amazing.

Taste - Wow again. Massive amounts of roasted (thought not overly bitter) malts up front. The dark chocolate is immediately made known and the other flavors just begin to make themselves known. Dark fruits such as sweet cherries and plums, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. This beer tastes just utterly amazing. Having had the Abyss on tap I was expecting it to be a bit muddled with picking the flavors out being so "fresh", however, this is not an issue whatsoever with this beer.

Mouthfeel - Great, thick viscosity. Lower carbonation, and finishes with a slight alcohol warming of the throat.

Drinkability - A sipper as it should be. However, let me preface that by stating at such an early and fresh age for this beer, it is more drinkable than BCS and the Abyss at the same age. I was very impressed at how this beer turned out and I wish I could have had a second glass. Good thing I have two in my cellar. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2010 01:40:20 | More by SpdKilz

MexicanSkittel

California

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

13% ? Yah you can certainly feel the heat in the after taste of this little gem. But the sweet port like upfront taste is a good balance to the Alc.
When I received this glass last night I noticed the very light cream colored head floating on an over powering DARK brown with highlights of black.
The nose was pleasant notes of coffee grounds, burbon, chocolate, and a subtle oak lingering.
Along with the smells I tasted each of those in this beer, along with a sweetness of port, which I think better described as Burbon in cherrywood casks.
I was preparing my mouth for a more viscous beer from the color, but it was a little lighter in texture, but it made up for that in the Alc. Then having a lasting finish of an irish coffee made from sweet american burbon, without the cream.
Quite a drinkable beer, but make it an after dinner sipper, or pair with bacon pancakes for a sunday brunch to get your day started.
Another yummy beer from the Firestone Walker.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2010 16:47:08 | More by MexicanSkittel

augustgarage

California

4.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse - served in a generic snifter.

Bistre/seal brown body, opaque, crowned by a finger of creamy tan foam which recedes to a thin but persistent collar and slick. Rich sticky lacing, light viscous tears.

Brown sugar, molasses, demerara rum, and faint barrel notes in the nose. It takes some time for the aromas to develop at this chilled draught temperature.

Super-intense but masterfully balanced array of roast malt, dark bread crust, vanilla, bourbon, hops, earth, pepper, anise, and more. The profile really blossoms as the ale warms.

Thick, chewy, viscous, but rather sticky. Very slight astringency.

Barrel-aged to perfection, while Firestone gives tremendous attention to their blending, the base beers (especially Parabola and Abacus) are remarkable on their own. ABV is well integrated into the whole - while the stout base isn't as remarkable as the best examples as the style, the subtleties from the barrel are unique to this brewer. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2010 21:50:46 | More by augustgarage

vertigelt1

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at Blue Palms in Hollywood. At David Walkers suggestion, I tried it with a Garrotxa Sant Gil D'ibio Spanish semi-hard goat cheese. Perfection.

A: midnight black stout, thin kalua-coloured halo of head ringing the snifter.

S: slightly malty, very toasty. A bit of vanillin, tobacco and coca tinged with alcohol.

T: perfect blend of the above, plus notes of chocolate, boysenberry, and anise. Not as mnd bowing as the Avery Black Tot, but damn good.

M: substantial, milky but not thick. noticeable but light carbonation. Perfectly compliments the flavour and the alcohol.

D: glad I got this in a 10 oz. snifter, but I could easily drink three of these in a row, despite the alcohol. Definitely a sipper that gets better as it warms, but over a long session, I could keep going with this all night.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2010 05:16:06 | More by vertigelt1

DoubleJ

California

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

The one and only Parabola, on-tap at 38 Degrees. The final beer of the night, on to the beer:

Oh my, another darker than black imperial stout! The lacing on this one is actually quite solid for the style. Now in this beer, the barrel qualities are noticable, but are more subtle than the Rasputin XII I had earlier. The aroma is very mellow, with a little oak, and succulent cocoa.

While not as complex, it's still very tasty. There's chocolate, boysenberry(!), licorice, and a little touch of oak. That sounds, good, don't you think? And they're blended and balanced together with the craftsmanship of FW. It's thick and rich, yet never overbeaing or harsh on the palate.

Do I need to say that this is delicous beer? A bomber of this may be a little much for me, but I'd certainly be happy to split one with somebody in the future...or be lucky and find Parabola on-tap again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2010 16:57:56 | More by DoubleJ

Dlish

California

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

A- It is murky black with a hint of ruby. its foam is a dark brown and lightly beaded.

S- smells of dark chocolate, hits of Bourbon and alcohol.

T- Rich deep chocolate, hints of vanilla race by as a bourbon and rich dark cherries spread over the tongue. coffee and roasted malts start to grow and ends with just a hint of smokiness. Overall amazing, taste like liquid black forest cake but better.

M- thick chewy milky.

D- I've had this both on tap and from the bottle, both are amazing, I enjoy the small 4oz of it just fine, the 22 becomes over whelming. but now that i have had it, i keep getting the urge to by more or drive back to firestone!

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2010 08:57:00 | More by Dlish

oregonskibum

Oregon

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

Tasted at a release party at a local Portland pub. Served in a 8 oz snifter glass. The beer was served way too cold (likely in the lower 40's). On the bad side, the first couple tastes were not optimal. On the plus side, I was able to experience this beer as it warmed. Review from notes taken after the event.

A: Color is a very dark black with almost no head. The glass was very full.

S: Smell changed dramatically as the beer warmed. First impression was coffee and licorice. Later the chocolate and bourbon flavors started to show up. Eventually, the more subtle vanilla and oak flavors appear. THe smell is lush, complex, and big.

T: Taste is amazing. Big coffee and chocolate up front. In the middle, dark fruits, vanilla, oak, and some faint toffee. The taste is creamy and rich. The bourbon is obvious, but it's not in-your-face. Instead, you're able to pick up the vanilla and oak flavors rather than just tasting like a RIS with bourbon mixed in. Didn't notice the heat until I took a break and ran to the bathroom. THat's when it hit me - the back of my throat all the way down my neck has a warm, glowing feeling. Yeah, there's some heat there, but very comforting. Taste lingers (and lingers), leaving some light bitter, coffee and woody notes.

M: Big, lush, smooth. Full bodied with minimal carbonation (although definitely not flat). Definitely coats the tongue and stays around for a while.

D: This was excellent and will likely improve over the next year or so as the warming (which was increasingly noticable during the tasting) calms slightly. I really liked how well integrated the bourbon was with the stout. Not over the top, but just enough aging time to pick up the vanilla and oak flavors. Overall, this is excellent and I look forward to seeing this develop over the next couple years.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2010 20:37:13 | More by oregonskibum

2ndloveofmylife

California

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

Serving type: on-tap into a 4oz sniffer glass released day at Firestone

Pitch black with with a nice thin mocha colored head. Smells like chocolate and burnt marshmallows, thick caramel malt fudge, cocoa nibs, and a roasted malt characteristic reminiscent of espresso. There is also caramel, vanilla, and bourbon. Whiffs of alcohol.

The taste pretty mostly follows smell. Layers and more layers of bourbon with dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, pralines, caramel, vanilla. Roasted expresso and milk chocolate, some roasted cocoa, a ton of vanilla raisin, vanilla and bourbon flavor lingers. Wonderfully complex everything you would expect from a barrel aged imperial stout.

The drinkability is pretty unreal for 13% abv. Simple delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2010 20:09:09 | More by 2ndloveofmylife

MrTopher

California

4.9/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served in a tulip at the Surly Goat on May 18th.

A - Pitch Black, impossible to notice any other color other than black. Head is a dark rich mahogany color that fades away very slowly. But leave a nice lace around the glass.

S - Oak, Bourbon, Molasses, very complex but inviting.

T - The first taste is an explosion of chocolate that doesn't overpower, but invites the taste buds in for more and more. The next flavor that is present is a hint of coffee with some oakyness to the party, followed closely by a hint of bourbon with some molasses and vanilla. Every taste gets better and better.

M - Balanced and even, never to think or to flat, constant happiness from the front to the back all around the palette. This gets a 5 without a doubt. As described below velvet is spot on.

D - One of the smoothest Imperial Stouts on the market, easily!

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2010 22:36:36 | More by MrTopher

youradhere

Arkansas

4.88/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had at Jakes on tap, presented in a nice 8oz glass. Pitch black with no head. Smells like chocolate and burnt marshmallows, thick caramel malt and puppy kisses. Tastes like chocolate and burnt marshmallow, light char and a slight bitterness on the tail end. The alcohol warms just right and collaborates with the flavors decadently. Mouthfeel is perfect and the alcohol is sneaking up. I can see why there is so much hype on this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2010 01:10:48 | More by youradhere

popery

California

4.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

City Beer Store, Parabola release party. Two incredible barrel-aged beers from Firestone Walker in one night. Parabola pours a wall-to-wall black with a great brown head, thick and creamy. The aroma is complex and wonderful. Bourbon and oak are probably the strongest notes, but they don't dominate quite as much as in Parabola. There's a ton of dark chocolate, a healthy dose of roasted malt and a touch of vanilla. Brown sugar, molasses and caramel round it out. The flavor is all barrel-aged imperial stout goodness. All of those roasty sugars did their magic in the barrel, changing and blending with the barrel notes. It's not exactly sweet, but there are plenty of sugars present. There's definitely no unpleasant cloying sensation, despite its viscous feel. The finish gives a mild hop bite. This is a wonderful imperial stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2010 05:20:06 | More by popery

djmichaelk

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Firestone taproom in Paso Robles, May, 2010. 4oz tasting snifter (several of them).

A - Good two finger head, mocha in color, medium bubbles. The folks at the taproom know how to pour a beer. Very dark, as expected. Just a bit of light around the edges, coffee colored, of course. Decent lacing down the glass -- patchy, no rings. Nice looking beer.

S - Oh my! This is why I drove all the way down here. Strong french roast coffee and dark chocolate in the aroma. More of the coffee as you go along, with the bitterness fading toward the end. Excellent.

T - WOW. This is hard to drink slowly. The coffee is more forward, just how I like it. The sweetness is there in decent amounts, like a chocolate dessert, but the dryness keeps it from being overbearing the some stouts are. I didn't get a whole lot of barrel or bourbon in this, only hints of them, but that didn't hurt it at all. Everything seemed just right. I would have loved to try this with a food pairing, but no luck. Delicious.

M - Velvety. Definitely full bodied, and coats the mouth but then gets out of the way. Carbonation seems just right.

D - Unbelievable that this is 13%. I had four 4oz snifters, and while I definitely felt it, it was all I could do to not just sit and keep ordering more. If I hadn't had to drive two hours to get home, I probably would have. (Edit: just read some of the other reviews, and realized that others said almost the same thing. Nice to know I wasn't the only one.)

Overall -- I want to go back to try it again to be sure, but right now I'm about ready to say that this is the best stout that I've tried to date. Absolutely fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 17:32:19 | More by djmichaelk

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

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

A fine stout, a good showing from the boys in cali. The roast is big, the fruits present, it feels lacking though. I want more vanilla, more licorice, more fire. Stupidly smooth for such a virginal imperial stout, take that as a positive or negative or moot point from whatever your vantage.

I think my hesitation with this beer is the lack of identity. Its like so many other RISs, its just a fairly smooth one. A fine showing, but not one I would put in a fancy box and charge too much for.

I like it, I like it a lot in fact, I just would rather have an abyss.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2010 21:02:36 | More by olympuszymurgus

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.13/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Following review (written by Nick) based on notes from Saturday, April 3, 2010. Sampled at the Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, CA.

Served in a 5oz. snifter.

Appearance: A tall, brown, foamy, head emerges from a syrupy, pitch black body (looked like chocolate syrup coming out of the tap). Absolutely no light penetrates the thick, oily, body. Head retains nicely, but loses some of its color with time. Light, sudsy lacing. (4.5)

Smell: Huge toffee, chocolate cake/fudge, and bourbon. Wow! Charred oak, dark chocolate, and loads of malt add to the mix. Absolutely massive! The bourbon burn grows stronger as the beer warms, but never to a point where it's offensive. This would pair fantastically with a rich desert or cigar. I love it! (5.0)

Taste: Lots of dark chocolate, accompanied by bourbon, chocolate mousse, vanilla, and roasted malt. The bourbon is really assertive, and the roasted malt produces some solid bitterness, too. Extremely rich and cake-y. (4.5)

Mouthfeel: I struggled scoring this one; if allowable, I'd give it a 4.25. I love the robust, malty body, but the bourbon burn is pretty harsh. Not as syrupy as expected. Very heavy, warm, and dry. (4.25)

Drinkability: Addictive. I ordered three snifters back-to-back-to-back, and would have kept it going if my ride didn't have to leave. The burn is completely tolerable with all of the other flavors and aromas coming out of this beer. What a beauty! Can't wait til it's bottled! (4.5)

Overall Score from Wiseman Nick: A+ (4.58)

///

The following review is written by Wiseman Justin. He (I) sampled it earlier today (04-14-2010) Following review written from notes. It was hard to average these two reviews due to the disparity however I know Wiseman Nick wouldn't give out a 5 on smell haphazardly as such I did not average out the scores for smell.

Served in a snifter.

Appearance: Dark with a tight head. Looks like an exemplar of it's style. Nothing flashy going on. Very light lacing and very little head. 4.0

Smell: I get bourbon and some slight ash/smoke. Slight chocolate. Somewhat boring actually. 3.5

Taste: Taste a lot like a barleywine. The alcohol is very prevalent; chocolate is there along with bourbon and a slight burnt aftertaste. 3.75

Mouthfeel: Slick and slimy. I guess it 'feels' more like a barleywine then it 'tastes' like one. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing at all. 4.0

Drinkability: Not as high as I would hope. There are far more drinkable beers for this style. I will say this; I want the beer Wiseman Nick got. 3.5

Overall Score from Wiseman Justin: B (3.75)

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2010 02:53:55 | More by ThreeWiseMen

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had on tap at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn on 3/22/10.

A: I really shouldn't even rate (I mean review) the appearance because the lighting is dim in Spuyten. Poured black with a beige head with big bubbles and swirls throughout. Good lacing too.

S: Wow! Vanilla, oak, maple leaf, faint rum aroma, and most of all ooey gooey caramel - sort of like a Caramello bar.

T: Bittersweet chocolate layered with oaky and vanilla flavors, a caramel filling, and a coffee finish. The taste gets dramatically better as the beers warms up.

M: Silky smooth. I would even go as far to say this was luxurious or elegant.

D: There's no way this is 13%! Not a hint of booze until its already down warming your chest.

What a treat! Thanks to the guys at Spuyten Duyvil!

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2010 01:18:57 | More by hoppymcgee

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at The Stone Brewing Bistro & World Gardens on 11/13/09 during their Firestone Walker 13th on the 13th event. Served in a snifter.

Pours an inpenetrable dense black, with a 1/2 finger mix of reddish burnt and chocolately brown head. The retention on this is VERY rich, on the edges, with some thinner wisps in the center, leaving a strong latticework of heavy spotty lacing and brown gooey residue behind. Bourbon, vanilla, and oaky tannins jump out of the aroma at me first. This in no way overruns the nose, as a velvety smooth layer dwells underneath the barrel character, just dripping notes of chocolate syrup, molasses, roasted coffee, flaked oats, licorice, and coconut. Some alcohol hangs heavy with a pang of warmth in the nose, but it never does get overly intrusive or stinging.

The taste starts out with a rich & thick base of dark gooey chocolate, which the other flavors then seem to quickly gather around. Roast, coffee, vanilla, chewy oats, licorice, dark cherries, and finally shredded roasted coconut (which really puts this over the top), all wrap around that big chocolate sweetness, making for about as decadent of a flavor profile as I could hope for or want from this. Bourbon is flavorful (char and molasses are poking out at me) yet it is still fairly restrained in the finish, along with that every present slick woody character. It is just so WELL balanced in here with the other flavors, with the majority of the barrel coming out with a dry flush in the backend of the profile. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a huge creaminess to it from the oats. That powerful ABV is present (you can literally feel it raging underneath each sip) but the flavors are so equally mammouth here, it just perfectly masks any actual alcohol taste. It pretty much just leaves a slight haze on the breath, with much of any alcohol flavor coming from the bourbon and not the ABV.

Wow, the flavor and complexity of this was just outrageous and it's no wonder that the Anniversary blends are always so awesome with this being a big part of each one. This is one of the finest barrel-aged Stouts I've that I've had this year and I personally think that this is a bit underrated on here. Just fantastic stuff all around!

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2009 17:59:28 | More by Kegatron

slaintemhor

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the anniversary of Bailey's Taproom in summer of 2009. The colour was black with some caramel coloured edges. The aroma was brimming with toffee, dark chocolate and burnt caramel. On the palate, there was little CO2, but no matter as there was such a viscous character that CO2 seemed trivial. Loads of dark chocolate, coffee, treacle, toffee, caramel, molasses and I think a hint of lust and greed just for good measure.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2009 02:13:59 | More by slaintemhor

nickd717

California

4.3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a bunch of this at GABF. All in all, it's a pretty kick-ass imperial stout.

A - Pitch black and viscous with no head to speak of.

S - Aroma is roast, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and wood. Not too much bourbon.

T - Flavor is intense, awesome, and fairly sweet, with roasted malt, coffee, rich chocolate cake, hints of dark fruit, bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Nicely balanced. This is, as I would have said 10 years ago in my awkward youth, "the bomb diggity."

M - Mouthfeel is smooth, slick, and viscous with low carbonation.

D - Good for a -bal aged imperial stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2009 23:53:02 | More by nickd717

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

JoeySchlitz

California

4.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Recently enjoyed this on tap at Tornado with abfraser.

A: A great looking stout with a small mocha colored head which recedes to lacing that lasts to the bottom of the glass. Pretty much black - no light getting through this one.

S: Fantastic smell - getting a load of candied sugar, chocolate, actually smells somewhat like an almond joy bar put into a blender and mixed with coffee and bourbon. The alcohol smacks you in the face with this one - you can tell it's a bit hot.

T: Taste follows the smell and the alcohol is again very apparent. Has a strong kick at the beginning followed by a rich, chocolaty mocha aftermath. There is a bit of a bite on the tail end with the higher abv warming its way into your stomach. Given that this is the base beer for the 12th anniversary blend the two are very similar.

M: Great creamy texture with good level of carbonation - not too thick but coats the mouth and leaves a bit of coffee aftertaste on the palate.

D: I'd love to put back this stuff all day but with the high octane it will put you on your ass. The only detriment and one thing that could improve it just a bit is to dial back some of the heat. One of the best imperial stouts out there.

Overall an awesome brew that I'm glad to have had the chance to try.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2009 00:43:16 | More by JoeySchlitz

bulletrain76

California

4.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Draught at The Blue Palms. Black with a small tan head. Smooth deeply roasted malt and bourbon aroma. The flavor is an integrated blend of dark chocolate cake, caramel, vanilla, and light bourbon. The wood shows lightly but the overall barrel character is very integrated into the whole presentation of the beer, and the heat from the bourbon doesn't approach the richness of the malt. Thick with a silky texture. Probably the best bourbon-aged stout that I've had. The aging adds lots of complexity without drowning out the base beer. Firestone Walker needs to quite wasting all of this in the anniversary blends and bottle it as a separate release.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2009 19:42:16 | More by bulletrain76

barnzy78

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at For The Love of Hops Festival - Two Brothers Brewing Co, Warrenville, IL. 9oz serving in a plastic cup (unfortunately).

Poured black with a light brown head that dissipated quickly, but expected given the ABV. Aromas were rich with hints of roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, and coffee. Tastes were full and rich also - bold roasted malts, dark chocolate sweetness that lingers with notes of coffee, anise and maybe some bourbon. Mouth-feel was thick, smooth, creamy and chewy - excellent! Finished with a hint of pepper as the dark chocolate lingers on the palate. I had no clue this was 13% ABV while drinking it, and would recommend this to anyone who can get their hands on it! Excellent treat to have this one on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2009 21:45:02 | More by barnzy78

tjthresh

Indiana

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

I tried this beer at The Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer 08. This beer pours black with a brown head. The aroma is light toast with plenty of chocolate and fruit. Well balanced bourbon, oak, and chocolate flavors. The mouthfeel is oily and the finish is sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2009 18:04:39 | More by tjthresh

SacoDeToro

California

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

On tap at Beachwood BBQ.

The beer was a dark coal black with a dense brown head.

The aroma of the beer was of roated coffee, intense malt, licorice, chocolate, vanilla, and alcohol.

The flavor of the beer was intesely malty. Chocolate, coffee, chewy malt, and notes of licorice made up the bulk of the flavor. The bourbon notes peaked through with some vanilla and oak accents. The hops hit towards the finish and helped balance out some of the sweetness of the beer.

The carbonation was soft and complimented the flavors well. The slightly viscous mouthfeel was not quite as heavy as I would have expected for a beer this beer. This beer coated your mouth with intense flavors that seamlessly cascaded from one to the other. The 13% alcohol was very well hidden.

This is a wonderful beer with tremendous complexity. Enjoyed best over an hour's period to allow it to warm and transition through a myriad of rich flavors. Very drinkable for such a big beer. I had no trouble enjoying a full-sized glass.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2009 19:09:04 | More by SacoDeToro