Velvet Merlin - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-dark brown black color with a nice tan head and decent lacing

S-dark roasted malt, chocolate, coffee,

T-dark malt, chocolate, coffee, light bitterness in finish with hints of pine

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-easy drinking with solid flavor, could see this as a regular

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 21:47:49 | More by MDDMD

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown body, lightening up around the edges. The head is minimal and doesn't last long.

The nose is abundant with coffee, roasted malt, and chocolate.

The taste is bitter coffee on both gbe front and bsck end, chocolate in the middle.

I was expecting the body to be a little softer considering its an oatmeal stout and the name. It's still smooth, but the carbonation is a little prickly.

A very solid stout. I especially appreciate the modest abv and robust flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:49:46 | More by Vonerichs

jvillefan

California

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Velvet Merlin

A: Deep brown with a mocha colored lace head.

S: There is heavy roast aromas with chocolate and toffee.

T: Nice lighter chocolate, coffee, and toffee flavors. This is one of the better non barrel aged stouts out there.

M: It has a nice viscosity and mild carbonation

O: Great beer, worth getting if you can get it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 01:42:01 | More by jvillefan

mcintire78

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

a: Pours deep brown to black. A very small amount of head that quickly dissipates and mild to moderate carbonation. Served out of a bottle and into a nonic pint glass.

s: A sweet, malty smell. Slightly of raisins.

t: Strong oatmeal taste up front, and ends up dry.

m: Little carbonation. A bit thin and dry on the end.

d: The low abv means you could drink more than one if you were so inclined. Not sure I'd be having more than one or two...

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 21:43:21 | More by mcintire78

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Firestone Wqalker Velvet Stout is good. The beer pours an opaque dark with thin, almost non-existent hear that is leaving a very spotty lace. The smell carries waffs of coffee/espresso. The taste carry a nice bitter burst with good coffee and roast. The mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a great session stout. Perfect for a winter tailgate.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:20:55 | More by WoodBrew

hagbergl

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A buddy of mine and I spotted this in six-packs at the local store and he decided to buy it for the Ravens-Patriots game. As a big fan of Firestone Walker's other beers, I was excited to try this. Served in a big old mug. Review is from notes.

Appearance (4.25/5): A moderately hard pour produces a huge, billowy khaki head. The luxuriant head sits atop a pitch black body of beer. Plenty of soapy residue lines the sides of the glass. Looks pretty great.

Smell (4/5): Very aromatic. Oats, grain, cereal, malty, light milk chocolate, black coffee, roasty. The oats give the aroma a slightly acidic twang. Basically everything you would expect from an oatmeal stout in terms of smell. One of the beer's stronger suits.

Taste (3.5/5): Black coffee, roasty, some nice dark chocolate notes arrive late and recede shortly thereafter, oats and grain. Dark maltiness borders on richness but doesn't quite cross the threshold–this is a fairly restrained and mild stout. While certainly flavorful, it doesn't approach the decadence of its bigger Russian Imperial and American Double cousins. I'm not enamored by the flavor here. While this is pretty good, there is nothing that stands out and 'wows' me–it features a fairly simple flavor profile and does it well.

Mouthfeel (4.25/5): In my opinion the best feature of this beer is its creamy smoothness. Velvet Merlin indeed. Very drinkable. Nice medium carbonation and medium body. These qualities almost make up for its shortfalls in the taste department.

Overall (4/5): Velvet Merlin is good, not great. Firestone has brewed a very drinkable, though simple and mild stout. I prefer my stouts to be a bit bolder. I know some people (weirdos, all) that would prefer this approach. But if you're an oatmeal stout aficionado, maybe you'll find virtues in Velvet Merlin my palate doesn't appreciate as well. My own stylistic preferences asides, I do think this is still a very respectable beer even if it's not by any means a show stopper.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:54:58 | More by hagbergl

bambam2517

Arizona

3.61/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle poured into a pint glass and drank at 45-55F. Bottled date of 11/05/2012.

A - Dark espresso brown, very still body. Flat watery bubble ring on top, no traces of lacing.

S - Toffee-raisin, dark chocolate, a little sugary sweetness. roasted malt base, even a little peaty smoke.

T - Mostly pick up on the toffee, chocolate and caramel initially. It dries out some at the end and finishes in bready malt. I like it.

M - Very wet and slick in the mouth, has a bit of a smoky bitter finish like a rauchbier. I could go through a few of these working in cool fall temps, itd be well-matched.

O - A pretty good effort, more sessionable version of an oatmeal stout than others I've had. I do like them "stouter" though...Ipswich outdoes this one IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 23:45:02 | More by bambam2517

Moose90

Colorado

4.01/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled On: 09/07/12 @ 14:39
Tasted On: 01/30/13 @ 20:39

A - Dark translucent brown. 1 finger light brown head, thins out and leaves medium lacing.

S - Licorice. Dark heavy roasted malts. Light chocolate, coffee, and vanilla notes.

T - Big dark roasted chocolate malts. Rich bitter chocolate.

M - Crisp and dry, a bit light for the style. Dry and drinkable.

O - Good not great oatmeal stout. Typical flavors. Nothing outstanding. For a seasonal release and an oatmeal stout, the ABV should be higher.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 03:55:50 | More by Moose90

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle (bottled on 10/8/12) into a snifter

A- Poured very dark brown with mocha colored frothy head that dissipated quickly that left some spotty lace

S- Big sweet bready and caramel notes and roasted malt

T- Big sweet bready and caramel flavors, some roasted malt notes, very light chocolate notes. Very rich and sweet malt character with some nice roastiness for balance.

M- Pretty high carbonation, medium to light body, finished slightly watery

O-Some really nice sweet malt character. Tastes like a robust brown ale, missing some of the characters I like in a stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:36:08 | More by Hoptometrist

popery

California

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From notes. Opaque dark-brown with highlighting along the edges of the glass. The aroma, unlike the flavor, was fantastic. There are notes of chocolate, coffee, roasty malt, dry oak and a well-balanced bourbon flavor that meshed very well unlike some bourbon barrel-aged beers. The taste had all of these flavors, but they were far more muted. The bourbon flavor became almost watery. The feel may have been the real culprit. It was much too thin for a stout, much less a barrel-aged stout. A cask would likely bring out the creamy lush mouthfeel of the oatmeal stout. At any rate, it was still a good beer, and they get points for not overwhelming a relatively small stout with bourbon barrel-aging. Would be nice to see it in a cask. Edit (12/2/10): Bottle. I’ve been drinking this regularly since six-packs arrived and like it even better now. Excellent chocolate aroma/flavor, little bourbon. Smooth. Tons of flavor for the size. Great stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:32:40 | More by popery

barnzy78

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz, bottled 12/04/2012, pours dark brown topped with a foamy beige head that holds decent retention. Aromas and tastes are similar with oatmeal, chocolate, faint coffee, background toasted grain, roasted barley, kind of smells and tastes like how a bag of freshly cracked roasted barley smells. Mouth-feel is exceptionally smooth and creamy, while having a medium-to-full body. Overall, not a whole lot of complexity, but this brewery knows how to streamline a good, solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:49:08 | More by barnzy78

rawfish

California

3.56/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Dark, garnet highlights with a quickly building two finger mocha head. Below average retention with hints of sticky lacing left on the glass.

Obvious cereal grains, husky and raw with burnt malt, spent coffee grounds and hints of chocolate sweetness and dried prunes.

Thin profile with some husky light grains, grape juice comes to mind as well as some burnt toast, ashy with hints of chocolate and coffee. Pleasantly bitter and drying on the finish though.

Not velvety smooth or creamy but definitely easy to drink. Lighter body and muted carbonation paired with nearly no alcohol.

Drinks like an oatmeal stout but ultimately disappointing, lots of burnt, ashy and raw grain flavors get collected on the palate before a nice coffee bitterness and drying take over. FW makes great beers but this is closer to the bottom of their list.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 06:21:13 | More by rawfish

arfenhouse

California

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Almost fully black and pours a decent tan head. Retention is a bit poor.

S: Aroma is a bit fleeting. A bit of coffee and chocolate mainly. A small amount of prune and grape.

T: Starts off with a bit of mocha sweetness. A bit of bittering roasted grains Aftertaste is of dark fruit and some bitter black coffee.

M: Light on the carbonation and feels medium-full. Has a pretty good creaminess to it. Definitely wet.

O: Decent oatmeal stout. Inexpensive and overall tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 08:36:10 | More by arfenhouse

D-Stylz

Oregon

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is an excellent stout with a great nose and wonderful flavor. However, I would have liked it to be more oatmealy and a bit smoother. It is a solid beer and for the price it is hard to beat. Perhaps if I could try it on tap I would enjoy it more. Normally, I enjoy everything I have by Firestone Walker.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:24:53 | More by D-Stylz

StoneyPeaches

California

3.59/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Velvet Merlin pours dark w little head. I like to swirl half the unpoured stout before pouring the rest in the glass to give it more bang. Smells wonderful - coffee and chocolate dominate. Mouthfeel is rather thin - certainly not creamy or velvety. Tastes pretty good though, like how it smells. In addition to coffee and chocolate, there's a hint of caramel note and slight sweetness. Very easy to drink (2 bottles go down like water). Love it with dark chocolate covered pretzels. The stout tastes more complex after.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:09:01 | More by StoneyPeaches

BierJager89

California

4.73/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a tulip or a small snifter.

A: Pitch black with a nice mocha head.

S: Coffee, roasted malt, toffee and a hint of chocolate in the nose.

T: Chocolatey delicious, with coffee, toffee, roasted malt, all those good roasty flavors you want out of a stout. Pleasantly bitter.

M: Perhaps the smoothest beer I've ever had (that wasn't flat), creamy, velvety goodness. Deserving of it's name, and a paragon of oatmeal stouts, at least in terms of mouthfeel. This beer displays exactly how much the addition of oatmeal to the mash can do to a stout.

O: I compensated a bit with the taste score, because this beer should get a 100... out of 5... on the mouthfeel, and I can't do that. One of my top 20, and maybe the best value in that respect. I can get six of these for less than a quarter of the price of some of the others I've tried that are better. Get a six pack when it's available if you like smooth oatmeal stouts. This is the best of it's style (well, the bourbon barrel aged version, Velvet Merkin, is a little better).

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 20:37:25 | More by BierJager89

TheMarkE

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark as night with little foam but very good lacing.

Smell: Oatmeal and raisins.

Taste: Oatmeal and raisins are just the beginning. Complex flavor with chocolate, coffee, caramel swirling around in there.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, and creamy.

The Verdict: Very good. Bursting with roasted malt flavor, but less bitter than many oatmeal stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:49:06 | More by TheMarkE

Danishboy59

4.8/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Came in a sampler pack, so glad it did!

A - Light does not penetrate this truly dark stout, poured in a pint glass, almost no head.

S - Coffee, toasty malt, something almost like garlic in a good way

T&M - Huge coffee up front, toasty malt, some pine, just the right amount of hops on the end, thinner than most stouts, warming alcohol, just enough tingle in the carbonation, and some nice caramel on the long and winding finish. Velvet is the proper term for this one.

The smoothest stout with big flavor that I've ever had, the only stout I like better than Obsidian. This beer is all about balance, It is exceptional. Buy all you can find...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 12:06:54 | More by Danishboy59

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Velvet Merlin

Bottle given to me by my buddy PVG, poured into my Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass.

A: Pours pitch black. Thin brown head that dissipated quickly. 3.5

S: Big roasty oatmeal notes come pouring out of the glass. A touch of chocolate and a hint of pine underneath. 4.5.

T: Taste follows the nose. Roasted barley and oatmeal dominate. I'm picking up on something reminiscent of the *char* you got out on the outer crust of a good seared steak. Struggling to find the chocolate on the tongue that I picked up in the nose, but the hint of pine is definitely present. 4

M: Lighter than I would have expected based on the pour. The 5.5% ABV is for real here. But not really in a bad way. It's smooth, and finishes with a nice dry hoppy stickiness. 4

D/O: Very drinkable, and certainly repeatable. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 17:57:47 | More by psuKinger

AlphaRanger

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From bottle to Lagunitas mason jar...

A- Black as night! Off white tan head that dissipated quite fast. So not too much retention to speak of.

S- coffee caramel vanilla sweetness from the oats and faint alcohol. FANTASTIC! Sweet and delicious, the aromas are well balanced.

T- Roasted malt, coffee, molasses.

M- Avg. for the style. Not too heavy. Carbonation was lacking. Slightly creamy finish but not RICH like a nitro can. Great aftertaste.

O- A great representation of the style here. Drank this beer the night I asked my wifes folks if I could marry their daughter. haha. Not too sweet here, all the flavors complement each other nicely without allowing one to become to overbearing; sweet, bitter, toasted, faintness of alcohol to name a few. A great stout overall. Highly recommended indeed.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 17:17:22 | More by AlphaRanger

Maurod4d

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was one of the reasons I became a stout drinker. Last evening yet again I came to know just why I love this beer. It taste toward the front is a sharp espresso coffee taste and finishes with hints of chocolate malt and cream. One of the best ways to enjoy beer on a winters evening is with a stout like this in your hand.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2012 17:01:33 | More by Maurod4d

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thoroughly enjoyed on tap and picked up a bottle at the brewery in November. An excellent American stout, although without the full-fledged creaminess found in some other oatmeal varietals.

Pours a dark, near-black amber with moderate coffee coloured head. Beautiful aroma of roasted dark malts has coffee, chocolate and some smokiness. The taste is well balanced and truly outstanding: a nice mix of caramelized sweetness with an underlying dry backbone and nicely bitter finish. Many layers of chocolate and espresso flavours, along with an assortment of with roasted and toasted malts.

Would highly recommend!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 22:43:50 | More by hopsolutely

Braz

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pure black stout with one thumb of creamy tan head. Coffee and cocoa dominate the nose. Roasted coffee and dark chocolate flavors, maybe a touch of toffee as well. Lightly sweet and lightly bitter. Creamy velvety texture very pleasing. Pretty full bodied. Has a fairly dry finish. Very nice stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 06:19:09 | More by Braz

Jayli

Massachusetts

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

Had on tap at Tavern on Hollywood 12/1
Served in a pint glass

A: This beer pours an opaque black. 2 finger of khaki head that recedes quickly. Minor wisps of lacing left on the glass.

S: Nose is oatmeal, roasted malts, chocolate and toffee.

T: Taste is oatmeal upfront interspersed with a nice dose of chocolate. Middle is toffee caramel and a good deal of roastiness. Roast malts hang over in to the finish with an add of coffee and some bitter bakers chocolate.

M: Medium to fuller body, medium carbonation, rich and creamy body to this beer.

O: Goes down easy, very tasty, somewhat filling, low kick, nice representation of style. This is a delicious beer - if you're of the stout persuasion. I was in SoCal and still in the stout spirit which was hard to find at bars there. Definitely one I would hit up on the regular back home!

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2012 05:14:21 | More by Jayli

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into nonic pint at freshcraft in lodo. Pours a slightly ambered deep brown with thin head. Nice roasted malt and slight coffee aromas. Taste is really bold roasted malts, coffee, bourbon like and somewhat sweet. Nicely balanced...its sweet but has a bitter finish. Its bold but light and airy without being over heavy. Such a great brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 01:24:02 | More by DrinkSlurm