Double Barrel Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

GClarkage

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11/07/04- Purchased at a Safeway grocery store.

Appearance- Pours with a nice head and halfway decent lacing. A reddish-amber coloring.

Smell- Lots of malt and sweet caramel. Didn't sense and hops really.

Taste- A clone of the scent. Sweetish carmel and malt tastes. Maybe a touch of hops too.

Mouthfeel- a bit over carbonated for me. Kind of felt full after this beer.

Drinkability- Maybe good for one or two. A good beer that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2004 22:57:53 | More by GClarkage

MattThomas

California

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale. Poured a great head. Not much nose in to the beer, though. I guess I expected something larger in the flavor of the beer, having five or six malts and double oak barreled. It does have a nice feel to the mouth. Quality medium weight (what I would expect for a Amber Ale). It is absolutely quaffable. There is enough going on, but light enough to enjoy.

Definitely not the best Amber Ale on the market, but quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2004 00:02:53 | More by MattThomas

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to UncleJimbo for this one. Boy, I needed a brew this evening after work, and lo and behold, this was sitting in the fridge. Nothing extraordinary about it's looks: medium to dark amber, not cloudy per se, but not crystal clear either. About 1/2 inch of cream colored foam at the pour, since gone down. Aroma seems thick and syrupy, of toasty malts and quiet hops. Carbonated mouthfeel full of small, prickly bubbles. The mouthfeel is a plus...I appreciate the level of carbonation. Tastewise, I am picking up low malt (although it's made with 5!), slightly biscuity. The beer concentrates on the end taste/finish (which is fine with me). That one is all about some slight puckery citrus. I can't believe the carbonation in this one! Probably helps it not come across as syrupy. Would drink again. Not stupendous, but I like the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2004 22:54:04 | More by PatandDavid

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice copper/amber with an ample fluffy head that settles almost into a creaminess leaving a thin sheet of lace,mild aromas of some toasted malt and caramel pretty soft on the nostrils.Caramel taste up front is the first thing I notice with biscuity malt backbone seems to have a little minty spice in the finish wich is nice,a pretty sweet tasting brew with not much hop presence.I think a decent session style ale but it might get a little to sweet after a few.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2004 22:16:41 | More by oberon

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear copper / amber color with a 1.5" head. Some light lacing developed. The aroma was of caramel and lighlty roasted malts. The flavor was strong on the caramel tones and was very light on the bitterness. There was a mild roasted character to this.

The mouthfeel smooth with a light crispness at the start, and had a smooth short caramel finish. I found this to be nicely drinkable and quite an enjoyable session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2004 11:30:50 | More by Gavage

charlesw

New York

2.53/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Oh, I'd call this some sort of a darkish orange. Quite light for an amber ale. It had a moderately tall (1") darkish head (deeper than cream) that has very nice lasting power - a very nice and durable lacing.
It smells like rice beer. Bleh. Cheap and alcoholy, weak and thin. Ew!
The taste is ok, I guess. It's probably better than the Casco Bay, but that doesn't say a whole lot (LOL). I mean, sure, it's got a bit of malt to it and it's lightly sweet, but there's a weird bite right in the middle of the palate that prevents it from being good. The aftertaste is fine - no complaints - a nice and easy, lingering finish that doesn't spike on anything.
It's definitely too thin in the mouth for me to fully enjoy it. Oh well!
I'd drink it as a light alternative to an amber - maybe for a hot afternoon at the beach or something. As such it would be fine. In any other context, well, bleh.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2004 21:39:06 | More by charlesw

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle.

This ale poured a clear, amber-red color with creamy, off-white foam that persisted a little while but eventually settled and left some lace. The smell was malty and yeasty with a light, fruity sweetness and a touch of caramel. The taste was lightly fruity and malty with a good touch of hop bitterness, and a bit of oakiness as well. The mouthfeel was smooth and dry and hoppy with a slight astringency. The body was medium with medium carbonation. There was a lingering hoppiness in the aftertaste. This was a decent amber/red ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2004 22:37:12 | More by UncleJimbo

mickeymac

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 12 ounce bottle, it pours a nice-looking deep orange with a fairly thick head. The smell is mostly summer fruit, with just a bit of hops. The taste is pleasant but not really remarkable in any way. It's just a bit on the sweet side; perhaps another helping of hops would improve it a bit. It's quite drinkable and would probably be a good choice when looking to move friends out of macros and into ales.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2004 04:34:35 | More by mickeymac

Todd

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Pours a rich amber colored beer, bright with a thin wispy lace. Appealing notes of caramel in the nose, with a very faint vanilla. Thick-ish, even mouthfeel that slowly coats the palate, slight sodium bicarbonate edge, crisp carbonation and a dominant malty profile of rustic bread crust, caramel, vanilla and a light, tea-like citric hop character that provides a nice balance. Notes of wood and earthy herbal flavors. Hint of berries and light sourness. Finish is a bit leafy and rough with a dry cracker flavor and touch of smoke.

The oak barrel system isn't overpowering, making this a very decent and complex offering with some interesting subtleties. Thanks to UnlceJimbo for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2004 04:45:22 | More by Todd

kmcnair

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled from a 12oz bottle. Pours a deep golden brown and makes a thin white head. Lots of cereal malt character in the nose, not much in the way of hops. Flavor is spicy and sharp, slightly bitter and has a syrupy-sweet malt character. Leaves a creamy coating in the mouth. Rather drinkable, overall above average for the style. I really wish the typical macro brew tasted like this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2004 06:34:39 | More by kmcnair

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From the bottle pours a clear dark amber color with an off white foamy head. The head stayed for a little while, and there was a decent amount of lace on the glass. Nice roasty smell combined with a touch of smoke. Taste first of caramel malt that has been toasted, with some slight hop bitterness. The end was slightly smoky and earthy, with a dry finish. Seemed a bit thin, and overcarbonated. Overall, not bad. Certainly a good idea, I could have gone for a bit more of an oak flavor, but I would not pass this one up.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2004 01:32:50 | More by Bierguy5

Jason

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle with no freshness date. Thanks to UncleJimbo for the sample.

Appearance: A definite pssst when I popped the cap, fast to foam with a light crackle of carbonation. One finger of foam stays intact over the clear mahogany colored brew.

Smell: Slight candy and caramel sweetness under the toasted malt, faintly floral from the hops and quite clean as well.

Taste: Clean malt sweetness, lots of caramel and bread. The hop character melts in the malt and struggles to break its hold. Finishes with a touch of sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Hard crispness rolls off the palate with a medium body.

Drinkability: I could only drink one, maybe two of these in a sitting … seems heavy for some reason.

Notes: A tasty brew, pale ale? Amber ale? Does it really matter? Either way it was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2004 02:17:26 | More by Jason

WetCoaster

California

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Very nice clear copper with a glowing gold undertone. Slightly off-white head, decent volume and durability. Some lacing. Moderate, fine carbonation.

Smell: Wow. For a "small" beer (5% ABV), this thing is booming. Very strong citrus/pineapple hop aroma with assertive green apple yeast esters. (Note: For some reason, the first of the six was far more powerful nosewise than was the others.) Didn't pick up much malt, but since this brewery is local, ours may be "fresher" than most.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth mouthfeel is the first thing I noticed; again, very good for a low ABV brew. The taste is mild and very typical of a West Coast pale ale with a nice balance of chewy malt and hop bite. Has hints of caramel toward the end and finishes dry and quite clean.

Drinkablity: Great taste, awesome aroma and mouthfeel, low ABV--you could drink these all day. In fact, I just might.

I have to admit, given that these arrived in the wave of hype surrounding "The Bachelor," I expected NOTHING from this beer and have avoided buying it for at least a year. My mistake. While perhaps not the advertised English ale, this is an extremely solid version of the WCPA style and is much better than I ever would have imagined. Great session brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2004 00:18:19 | More by WetCoaster

mzwolinski

California

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Extra Premium Quality," says the label. Ooooh. That must be good!

Pours clear amber, with a fast-fading, thin off-white head. English malt nose with a light fruitiness and a delicate floral hop scent.

Flavor starts off with sweet malt -- hints of caramel and a bit of apple. A little bit of hop spice to the finish, but not enough, IMHO. A bit "sticky" in the throat.

Only 5% ABV but pretty substantial in mouthfeel. This beer's a bit sweeter than most of the American ambers I drink, but nevertheless it's a decent English-style ale. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2004 22:51:09 | More by mzwolinski

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ultra effervescent and foamy cream colored head, massive and rocky! Medium amber hued brew. Subtle woody nose with sweet malt backing. Toasty oak flavors abound, mingling with some fruitiness and leafy hop bitters. Nice complex finish, showing some caramel like notes and more woodiness. A uniquely tasty ale. Thanks CRJM for the bottles!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2004 13:21:51 | More by beerluvr

Mark

California

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep amber color, airy head that shrunk a bit, lacing was o.k.. Musty aroma that was malt dominating, not much hop aroma, some nuttiness. Very smooth, woodsy, malty, did I say smooth? Full bodied yet refreshing. A very English like ale. Quite drinkable. I think this might be more of a cooler weather brew, but it went down nice on our 12th day in a row of unseasonable warmth. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2004 21:02:59 | More by Mark

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, highly effervescent but depply colored amber. Beer literally exploded from its brown tomb and rushed for the safety of the pint glass leaving a four finger head that dropped pockets of lace.
Aroma is toffee, nuts, sweet wood tones and some floral and citurs hop tones.
Flavor is sharp toffee, peat, some dark fruit, vanilla, nuts and a woddsy, resiny end.
Mouthfeel is smooth and buttery that switches to a bubbly, spicy and light but sharp bitterness.
Drinkability is pretty good, too sweet but good.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2004 00:12:20 | More by CRJMellor

Zorro

California

4.33/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice clear brown ale, dark for a pale ale.

Smell is very malty with some perfume and sweetness, and some hops. Faint wood and vanilla scent from the French Oak barrels they make this stuff in.

Taste sweet malt and bitter hops fight each other to a draw leaving a pleasant range of flavors. Vanilla, oak, caramel, malt, tea, citrus, all show up in the taste. Starts sweet and ends dry and woody.

Mouthfeel is full and a bit astringent.

Super drinkable, my favorite local brew, superior to SNA Pale Ale in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2004 04:14:11 | More by Zorro

jonnylieberman

California

4.35/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep copper/orange almost red color in the glass. Good initial head.

Smelled like a proper California ale.

The taste; Firestone either uses a whole lot of caramel malt, or else this ale goes through a decoction mash. Serious caramel flavor brilliantly balanced with good hop bitterness. Damn fine in my opinion.

Felt very nice in my mouth. Felt nicer going down the hatch

I could drink many of these. I'm kicking myself for having waited so long to try it. I think the packaging turned me off. No matter, for now I know!

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2004 09:05:19 | More by jonnylieberman

Chsyhkr

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

An English Style Pale Ale from the west coast. Crystal Malt with ample hops to offset and a nice dry finish.

Probably better on tap as it is pretty average from the bottle here on the east coast. Amber to copper in color, little head and not much body. More dry than complex, but not a bad beer. Just not distinguished in any way.

A nice pale ale, enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2004 02:56:33 | More by Chsyhkr

drewbage

California

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pale orange/brown with a crisp white head.

Aroma is deeply fruity, similar to rusty red apples with just a touch of diacetyl at the end of the aroma.

Fore palate is strikingly hoppy with a crispy biscuit malt palate followed by a long lingering english hop bite. Faintest hint of the oak used in the fermentation in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2003 09:10:22 | More by drewbage

Boilermaker88

California

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up during a run to Whole Foods in Pasadena. This particular bottle got separated from the pack and was easy pickings. The beer had a clear coppery color with some bubbles rising lazily to the surface in a vain attempt to sustain the foamy, bubbly off-white head. The head faded down to a thin wispy skim with minor lacing.
The smell had notes of caramel malt and citrusy aromatic hops. The taste was initially somewhat sweet but a more assertive hops taste moved aside any malt flavors as the beer moved to the back of the palate. There was a nice hoppy bite to the finish. The feel was medium-bodied, slick and smooth.
Overall, a decent brew. Definitely middle of the herd.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2003 19:15:20 | More by Boilermaker88

Gusler

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudless burnished copper, the head is portly in size, and somewhat creamy in texture and the color a winsome light tan as it dissipates a thin sheet of lace is formed. Nose is mostly malt with a light floral aroma present, fresh, clean and the start is malt laden and sweet, top is light to moderate in feel. Finish is pleasingly acidic with the hops gratifying in their spicy presence with a bone-dry aftertaste, been 1160 days since I had one of these, and I still find it quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2003 19:29:38 | More by Gusler

gnaussea

California

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Very pretty orage-amber color with an unfortunately petty head. The smell is quite sweet and malty with hints of nut and banana. These however, are lost in the flavor. The flavor is quite woodsy, with a soft hop and sweet malt flavor, but the complexity is lost in the rustic background. Overall, not a bad brew. Not a great brew, but it's wide availability makes it a good drinking beer on many a night out.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2003 07:43:53 | More by gnaussea

Rumrunner

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pint Glass.

Poured a clean amber color. Very nice to look at. A good head which disappears quickly. Decent lacing. The scents started musty, weak and unenjoyable. As the ale warmed the scents got better. The musty wood gave way to fruity hops. The malt was practically non-existent on the nose.

The flavor is okay overall. The ale has an overall wood flavor to it. Great if you like this but in this ale it masks the hops and malts. There is some fruit in the flavors but the hops have a hard time asserting themselves. There is a sweet vanilla flavor and a bit of a sweet yeast flavor. The malts are present but again they are not strong. Overall the flavors are on the side of unsatisfying.

It has no bite on the mouth. It feels slick and unfortunately a bit oily. It drinks easy and the carbonation has a nice feel to it.

Overall, this is a just slightly above average ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2003 06:59:03 | More by Rumrunner