Firestone 12 - Anniversary Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

csmiley

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Many many thanks to prototypic for the chance to try this one out.

A - Pours a pretty dark brown with some cola highlights that show around the edges. No head to speak of. Well, there is a very fine ring around the edge of the glass. At 12% I wouldn't expect too much in this department but it would be nice to see at least a little something.

S - Starts out with dark fruit notes. Dark fruits soaked in alcohol and dipped in chocolate. Lots of raisin comes through. Toffee, butterscotch, and bread dough seem to dominate midway. Alcohol is consistent but stays pretty much out of the way. That is no small feat given the 12% tag. The toffee really sticks around for a while. Cocoa finishes it up.

T - There is the alcohol that was missing in the nose. This one is quite the complex beast. Toffee and caramel have a strong presence on the front end. The cocoa comes through stronger in the flavor than the aroma. The fruitiness seems to be tamed a little. Getting mostly raisin. Notes of cherry and fig as well. Alcohol is persistent throughout the brew. It borders getting too warm but doesn't quite get to that point though. On the very end there is a coffee or roasty flavor that is hard to pinpoint but it is there.

M - Fuller bodied with very light carbonation. It works for a brew this big though. Finish starts out creamy and ends with a touch of heat.

D - Drinkability it really good. This is a big beer that is probably best shared among friends. I'd be hard pressed to put away 22 ounces by myself. The "12" has allot of things going for it. Complexity is probably it's strongest suit but the balance of flavors comes in close behind. Appearance is a different story. No head = mediocre score in the category. Other than that, this is a fine beer that is highly recommended it you get the chance to try it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 03:34:59 | More by csmiley

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