Double Barrel Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

kristenspaintings

California

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This English IPA is relatively flavorless. It has a nice head and aroma, but it doesn’t possess any qualities that would make me seek it out. The way I understand the English IPA style is that it’s supposed to be very flavorful and pleasantly bitter, able to hold its own against spicy or very flavorful dishes. This beer is not very flavorful or bitter and if paired with food that’s full of flavor, it would politely step into the background.

I’m not saying I dislike this beer. I don’t. It’s okay and not disagreeable in any way but it’s not what I’ve come to expect from this style of beer.

However, their brewery sounds like it would be a fun tour.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 16:32:37 | More by kristenspaintings

MikePags

New York

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: nice rich amber color.
S: malty with a hint of hops
T: malty with enough hops and complexity to have 2-3 before you look up. Not a session beer though as it has a slightly undesirable aftertaste.
M: moderate to thick with nice carbonation and excellent head.
O:a high quality beer that keeps you coming back for more but not FW's best offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:19:14 | More by MikePags

Tchfunkta

Kentucky

3.74/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A- Pours a viscous 1" head and a slightly reddish copper amber color.
S- Very faint floral hops breaks through definite caramel.
T- Caramel, bakery, hops spice
M- moderately thick sweetness.
O- Caramel malts makes this not my cup of tea, however I would not object to being served one by any means.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 03:31:43 | More by Tchfunkta

FlyingBull

California

4.04/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had this beer in a 22 oz bomber purchased at a local grocery store that has a pretty good craft selection.


A: Nice medium to dark amber color, clear, with lots of carbonation. ~1" of pale white foam lasted most of the drink.

S: Slight candy and caramel sweetness under the toasted malt, faintly spicy and a little floral from the hops.

T: Nice balanced malt sweetness (which I really liked!), with lots of caramel and bread notes. I also picked up the spicyness of the hops with balanced the sweetness for me.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with plenty of carbonation that balances the malt sweetness nicely.

D: I I could lay under a tap and drink it all night.

I thought this beer was very easy to drink, great taste, and one that I enjoyed very much.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 19:34:19 | More by FlyingBull

champ103

Texas

4.29/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a clear reddish/orange color. A dense two finger white head forms with excellent retention. Near perfect lacing. This is a looker.
S: Bread, caramel malt. A bit of honey sweetness. Floral, piny hops. The wood is most apparent in the nose. Very nice.
T: A nice malty sweetness. Caramel malt, bread and biscuit. Some faint fruity flavors going on with light apples. A light hoppness as well. Floral, gassy, piny, citrus flavors with a lingering dryness. Excellent balance, and very nice.
M/D: A medium body and near perfect carbonation. Crisp, clean, and refreshing. After the initial sweetness, this finishes with a dry bite. So easy and enjoyable to drink. All day with this.

I love this. The barrel treatment is so delicate, but works very well. Almost like a Burton Ale. Really, an excellent example of a Bitter or English Pale Ale. I would love to try this on cask. As is, still excellent.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 00:23:04 | More by champ103

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear copper with lots of bubbles and one-finger, off-white, frothy head that lasted a minute or two. Okay lacing.

S: Bread, caramel malt, and light citrus.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Biscuit, caramel malt, and light hops. Matches the nose pretty well.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth.

O: The head and lacing were disappointing, but this beer was very drinkable. Nice taste and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:46:17 | More by SolipsismalCat

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 11/27/12, poured into a snifter for review. Super light tan, nearly white, head tops out at about 2 fingers, but rather quickly recedes to a thin layer of white lace which sits as a top layer on the surface of the beer. There is some lacing on glass. The color of the beer is wood brown, with lots of red as well, nice and clear too. I have to say DBA looks fantastic.

Mostly bitter aromas up front, not much oak or wood or anything like that. I do get very light notes of vanilla, maybe some toffee or caramel and malt. It's pretty complex, but overall the aroma is not terribly enticing or energizing. Not bad, just not great.

The flavors in DBA are similar to the aromas, but much more complex, which results in a sweet blend of light vanilla, toffee, caramel and wood flavors of oak. It's nicely balanced, and certainly opens up as it warms up.

Feels smooth, but carbonated and textured. Very unique I'd say.

Overall, this beer is well-balanced but not forceful in aroma or flavor. It's a nice alternative, and like I said above, unique. Worth a try, for sure. Wonder how this compared to other Barrel Aged varieties by Firestone Walker. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:44:50 | More by rodlavers

hreb

Washington

3.56/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beer pours an perfectly transparent but extremely carbonated amber color with nearly no head. Aroma is slightly sweet and rich. Toffee, but neither hops nor barrels. Flavor brings out classic English bitter/ale flavors and a really nicely rounded touch of oak. Definitely crisp in the finish. Overall this is a superbly balanced ale and if you've got any affinity for English style ale this is a great choice -- if you can forgive the carbonation, which in the case of this 22 is too high for the style. I bet it would be something on cask though.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:02:39 | More by hreb

Auracom

Illinois

3.31/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. purchase from MSCM. All 12 oz. poured into a FFF Rastal on February 8th, 2013.

A -Fantastically clear, deep ruby amber coloring. Frothy soft white head. Good lacing. I could drink this one through a camera, that's for damn sure.

S - Bready, light oak, crystal sugar, stone fruit, very soft banana-like yeast.

T - White bread galore. Surprisingly unclean, almost danky hop notes. Light almond and honey.

M - Light-medium body, moderate carbonation, lightly dry finish. Very clean overall.

D - Not as good as I'd hoped. I wish there was a stronger pine or grapefruit note to offset the dominant bready malt character. I'm a bit surprised that the oak doesn't shine through so strongly.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:03:06 | More by Auracom

sweemzander

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

(A)- Pours a deep amber color. Produced a nice cap of white froth. Good retention and good lacing left behind.

(S)- Quite the spicy array of piney hop and very very bitter smelling rye/carraway. Almost smells like sawdust too.

(T)- Similar to the smell in that combo of pine needle and spicy rye. Some subtle citrus behind a rather large caramel-like malt sweetness.

(M)- A solid carbonation level. A good balance, but perhaps too bold in how spicy it is showing with the rye. This only increases as it warms.

(O)- Its ok. In the sea of hoppy themed beers, this one gets lost in the tide for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 18:03:16 | More by sweemzander

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a brilliantly clear amber caramel color which highlights some moderate carbonation. Smallish off-white head fades fairly quickly. Lacing is mild.

S: The aroma is equal parts biscuity malt and some mild herbal hops.

T: The biscuit malt flavor is a little more forward than in the aroma, but still a very balance flavor. Light caramel complements the breadiness, while some noble hop flavors provide their mild bitterness. Finish is very clean and crisp.

M: Smooth and easy drinking. Carbonation is low but it really works for this beer.

O: Actually a stunning beer. One of the easiest drinking beers I have ever had. Actually had to open another one while writing this because the first one disappeared so fast! Easier to throw back than BMC-lite, but with great flavor nonetheless. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 22:49:10 | More by WankelEngine

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 11-27-12

Poured into a pint glass. DBA is a crystal clear amber body with red tones throughout that shows off an abundant amount of carbonation. The peach-colored head starts at about two fingers and slowly recedes to a thin lace on top. Really an attractive beer, and were the head to stick around more, I'd give it a 5.

The aroma isn't bad, but certainly not very exciting. The predominant aroma is crisp and metallic, but there are wafts of vanilla, oak, husky malt, and a whiff of earthy hops. I do wish the aroma hops were a tad stronger.

Letting this beer warm to just below room temperature is a great idea, as the flavors here are too delicate to show through if it is too chilled. When it gets there, expect light flavors that deliver gentle, subtle complexity. Toasted oak and vanilla are undercurrents here, with a smooth bitterness up front that is followed by a sweet caramel maltiness in the finish and exhale. Very well balanced.

Carbonation is a bit much at the start, but settles down through the pint to create a smooth finish. Medium to light in body. Soft mouthfeel and almost a creamy finish. Excellent.

To me, DBA offers something different, and it is an exceptional beer. Very attractive beer with a subtle oak nature that really plays well on this style. However, the hops are taking only a balancing role here, and I personally think that they should dial up the English hops (maybe use Fuggle) at the end of the boil. That would make for a better English Pale. Though I can't argue with what their doing since they have won a ton of awards from this beer. Keep doin what you're doin guys!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:52:29 | More by MusicaleMike

jvillefan

California

3.39/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

DBA

A: It has a nice golden copper color with a white head.

S: It has a musty malt aroma to it that I am not a fan of. That is really all that is there

T: There is nothing special about this beer. It has heavy lager notes to it with minimal hop character.

M: There is a nice feel to it with great carbonation to it.

O: I would not get this beer again. There is nothing that is great about this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 01:33:30 | More by jvillefan

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours very much like an IPA with a nice clear amber brown color and a 1/2 inch of sticky foam.

S - Smells of mild english malts, bread, toffee, and some sweet citrus hops.

T - Taste is very easy and clean with a biscuit hit, some citrus hops, and just a mild touch of herbal twang.

M - Light, refreshing, easy drinking ale.

Overall definitely overpaid at 4 dollars for the single but damn even for a simple English pale ale these guys make a tasty ale. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 06:38:15 | More by DrDemento456

olfolxholme

California

3.41/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

36

12 oz bottle into a Samuel Smith tulip pint glass

A - Bright golden orange. Nice clarity. 1 finger white head. Pretty good lacing. Decent head retention.

S - Doughy. Faint grassy hops. Some pale malt. Nice yeastiness.

T - A nice malt sweetness with some distant grassy hop notes. Enjoyable roastiness sneaks up when warm.

M - Nice full bodied mouthfeel.

O - On the one hand, this didn't wow me. On the other hand, of the English Pale Ales that I've had - this is probably the one I've enjoyed the most. So, take it from an American IPA/DIPA drinker - this was very pleasant and had a strong malt backbone that revealed itself as the beer continued to warm.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:12:19 | More by olfolxholme

barnzy78

Illinois

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

12oz, bottled on 12/26/12, pours amber in color with a frothy, off-white head, excellent clarity, nice lacing as the head fades. Aromas are breast malt, herbal hop, caramel, earthy. Tastes are a nice balance of earthy, herbal hops, caramel, brown sugar, mild, spicy finish with a hint of toasted oak. The carbonation is perfect and allows for palate coverage and optimum flavor profiles. Overall, ample bitterness with a nice malty sweetness and a clean finish - another well executed beer from Firestone-Walker.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:29:18 | More by barnzy78

TheMarkE

California

3.79/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Nice amber color, good foam, decent retention.

Smell: Strong malt aroma with pine and spice in the background. Fairly complex.

Taste: Malty with a touch of caramel and a nice hop bitterness to wash it down.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied.

The Verdict: I like it. A solid pale ale to sip with your meal or great to throw back a few after work.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:53:00 | More by TheMarkE

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep brown to amber - color really looks nice. Some carbonation and just a little lacing. Smell is fairly regular ale, with maybe a hint of smoke coming through. Taste starts with strong ale flavors - some darker malts - but then the oak definitely brings through a very light vanilla but more smoke presence on the back end. Really nice beer for what they did in this ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 00:03:38 | More by Oakenator

Moose90

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Light amber, 1/2" head with minimal lacing.

S - Bread malt, slight wheat toast coming through. Refreshing.

T - Malt up front with a little bit of bitter hops on the finish. Very well balanced. Nice light-medium malt with an equal hop finish.

M - Light-Medium body, finish disappears rather quickly.

O - Nailed in for the style. Unfortunately I am just not a die hard fan for the style. It's a solid beer, no doubt about it; but not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 02:25:22 | More by Moose90

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Two fingers of head. Clear, copper colored body.
Smells has a nice dose of caramel and pine. Good.
Taste lets the malt come through nicely. Mildly sweet with just a bit of bitterness. A little citrus.
Texture is smooth, short of creamy. Really nice for a pale ale.
Drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:12:26 | More by Fatehunter

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

Appearance: DBA pours a great looking, crystal clear deep amber/copper. Its effervescence is extremely active, with carbonation streaming off the bottom of the glass at a rapid pace. There is an off-white, creamy looking finger of head that eventually sinks to a nice crust. There is an impressive amount of lacing for the beer’s low ABV. This is one of the darker pale ales that this reviewer has seen, and is a very nice looking beer.

Aroma: The malt is extremely present in the aroma, but it is an odd, almost adjunct-lager smell to the malt that is not at all pleasing. Along with that comes a bit of a yeasty aroma and some biscuits and crackers. Caramel and toffee are also there. The hops do not come through very much, which is a shame. What is there is floral, but it is extremely hard to sniff out. It is not a bad smelling beer, but the evocation of awful American adjunct lager smells is not a positive association.

Taste: Pretty much follows the nose, without the nasty adjunct lager suggestion. The caramel malts come through really nicely, and there is just barely a bitterness. In fact, the yeast comes through and gives a sort of marmalade quality as well. The only real drawback to the flavor is the fact that the flavor just is not quite flavorful enough. This would do better as a beer with more ABV, so it can be assumed that Double DBA was a great choice for Firestone Walker.

Mouthfeel: Like the taste, there is not much to comment on here. It is a pretty run-of-the-mill beer with a medium to thin mouthfeel, quite active carbonation, and not much else going on. The finish is relatively dry, but is not astringent at all. This would be a refreshing beer on a hot summer day, but as it is, like the rest of the beer, the mouthfeel is just expected and average.

Overall: Having never had a Firestone Walker beer before, I had high hopes. This may not have been the place to start. This is an extremely pedestrian offering that really does not do anything special. I would certainly not turn this down if offered me, but I also would not actively seek it out again. Given that FW does not distribute to Wisconsin, this choice will not even be available to me. I will not judge FW based on this beer alone, as it does not have a great pedigree as it is. 14/20

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 06:33:24 | More by THANAT0PSIS

danieelol

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful toffee red with lovely frothy head and lacing.

Smell is very complex. Yeasty, honeycomb malts, oranges. Definitely get the oak, but it contributes not so much in terms of aromatics but more in terms of a slightly fruity, Belgian, even fusel-like note.

Taste is a carryover of subtle oak, honeycomb, oranges.

Mouthfeel is moderate- goes down creamy and easily with a bitter finish, fairly sharp and yeasty, boozy, Belgian.

Overall a nice, complex beer which drinks like it might as well have come from the Fuller's stable.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:51:52 | More by danieelol

phishsihq

Colorado

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

This English-style pale ale pours an intriguing amber-orange, and it is capped with a thin, white head and moderate amounts of lace stick to the glass. Sweet malt aromas, most caramel and toffee, meld into some floral hop aromas. Flavors or toffee, biscuits, caramel, and tea create an interesting sweetness that becomes balanced by some grassy, floral hop flavors and bitterness. Finishing clean and dry, DBA is moderate in both mouthfeel and carbonation. Never a dull beer from these perennial medal winners!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:41:59 | More by phishsihq

ElSid

California

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Beers of California

#23

Bottled on Date: 9/26/12

A: Clear copper with a transient head of white foam which leaves behind trace lace on the glass

S: Biscuity and sugary malt with a pinch of pine and herb which adds a nice olfactory kick.

T: Well balanced with buttery biscuit, caramel, and brown sugar maltiness. Wisps of vanilla and wood. The malts are contrasted with earthy bittering hops which also have some notes of herb, pine and a tea-like leafiness.

M: Smooth with a good amount of bubbles and ample linger.

O: The flavors do well together but as a whole this brew is somewhat pedestrian with no real exceptional moments but overall Double Barrel remains a satisfactory representation of the English Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 04:52:27 | More by ElSid

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Bottled August 21st 2012.

A real nice pour brings a great dark copper red caramel body, crystal clear, hints of chestnut brown edges, a nice smorgasborg of colors. Head is off white, somewhat fluffy making three fingers, with some decent pinhead size consistency. A real classic looking pint.

Nose is filled with lots of wonderment. Toasty crispy malt backbone, with a sweet cinnamon. Hints of fruity esters. Caramel and strawberries. Real nice mix on the bouquet here, quite decent and impressive really digging this, and excited about what might come next.

Palate hits with a large but mellow tea herbal palate. Finishes clean with a light body and bringing the toast aromas found on the nose. Slightly grainy finish. Quenching. Mild sense of cream and a mellow oolong black tea like aftertaste, and lots leafy character.

Overall, from the nose to palate there is a little bit of minor disappointment but it's still a very solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 18:39:18 | More by smakawhat