Firestone 13 - Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Firestone 13 - Anniversary AleFirestone 13 - Anniversary Ale
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
12%
Score:
97
Avg:
4.39 | pDev: 8.43%
Reviews:
228
Ratings:
407
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 05, 2023
Added:
Nov 02, 2009
Wants:
  281
Gots:
  137
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Desaparecido:
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Rated by Desaparecido from Virginia

5/5  rDev +13.9%

Nov 14, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Jun 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.38 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Sep 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.49 by bubseymour from Maryland

Sep 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by Beerbom from California

Jul 12, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by AleHunter805 from California

Aug 04, 2019
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Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Black pour with thin brown barely-there head. Still and oily.

S: Mild oxiation... roasted sugars... vanilla, bourbon, and caramel.

T/F: Sweet... has held up pretty damned well for being 10 years old. Loads of caramel and toffee... boozy... lighter vanilla, chocolate, and bourbon. Lighter baked raisin and dark fruit. Medium to thick bodied... oily/sticky on the tongue.

O: A tasty sipper, and a really BIG beer. Probably past its 'best by' but still damned impressive one I'm really glad I got to try.
Mar 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by crobinso from Colorado

Dec 02, 2018
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Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

4.07/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bomber into a snifter appears black in color with a khaki head.

Nose is raison, mild oxidation, milk chocolate and bourbon booziness.

The taste is chocolate, raison, earth, mild oxidation blending to roasty grain contrasted by vanilla and caramel sweetness.

This is medium in body with modest carbonation. This beer was a real delight at ~8 years old. It held up much better than I imagined it would. The alcohol is completely masked making this one dangerously chuggable brew for 12%.
Jan 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by WormGod from New York

Dec 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by DIPAFAN from New Jersey

Jan 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.28 by dleiner from New York

Jan 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Jan 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by suckaj from Florida

Oct 27, 2016
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Rated by Can_has_beer from Texas

4/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Getting better, as the vertical goes up. Holding up against the 11 and 12. Still not godly, but showing nicely.
Jun 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.41 by Boilerup from Maryland

May 21, 2016
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Reviewed by AndyAvalanche from Massachusetts

4.99/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
39%- Porabola (13% ABV) - Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout - Aged in Bourbon Barrels
24% - Bravo -(11%AVB) Imperial Brown Ale - 2 Barrel varieties Bourbon and Brandy 50/50
15% Velvet Merkin (6% ABV) - Traditional Oatmeal Stout - Aged in Bourbon Barrels
6% Opal - (11%ABV) Wheat Wine- aged in rye barrels
6% Rufus - (11%ABV) Continental Imperial Amber Ale- aged in rye barrels
6% Double Double Barrel Ale - ( 10.9% ABV) - Double Englis Pale Ale - 100% aged in FW union retired barrels
4% Saucerful of Secrets (9% ABV) Belgian Strong Ale - Aged in bourbon barrels.


22 oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Out of the bottle towards the glass it's a dark cola brown color but as it pools up in the glass it becomes black and you can't see through it. Still there are some slightly lighter areas producing some slight brown highlights on the side. Slightly darker than kaki colored head with small and medium sized bubbles that sticks around a good portion of the session. Decent lacing and has a nice syrup effect after each sip. It's a good looking beer.

Smells awesome. Sweet aromas of vanilla, molasses, dark grain, ripe and not quite ripe plumbs, and a bit of leather and sweet tobacco. Some hard alcohol aromas, bourbon and a dark rum blend.

Taste is truly outstanding, I absolutely love it. Lots of vanilla, bourbon and bruleed caramel. There's also some sweet toffee flavors but there's a fruity element with flavors of dried plumbs and maybe even some raisons. A lot of natural sweetness, but there's a natural earthiness to the flavor as well. Roast grains, but there's a hop flavor as well at the end especially when it reaches room temp.

Mouthfeel is pretty near perfect, especially considering the style. Full bodied with some nice lingering flavors for several seconds. Nice natural sweetness, very smooth in the middle and has a nice warming finish at the end. A pinch of heat at the end, I wouldn't describe it as "hot" though. Very drinkable beer a very easy sipper. Firestone killed this one and it aged extraordinarily well. Wish I could find more of this one.
Mar 06, 2016
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Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Extremely drinkable for alcohol strength. Velvety, creamy mouthfeel, well-balanced with rounded malt up front, could use a few more years cellaring (4-6) to round it out a bit.
Feb 20, 2016
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Reviewed by ReDave from California

3.92/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
I found this in the back of 'deep storage'. These Anniversary Ales started tasting like pruney strong ales, and this may have been the last year i bought.
This seemed to hold it's age well, maintaining a pretty complex taste.
I'm thinking it might have been a little low carbonization to begin with, and it surely lost some on the way, but maintained enough effervescence to bring out the flavors well. Not much lace however.
As the beer warmed up, it was very drinkable, and hid the higher alcohol well.
Some bourbon, wood, and sweet flavours, very nice.
Jan 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Dec 24, 2015
Firestone 13 - Anniversary Ale from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 407 ratings