Double Barrel Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

JoeySchlitz

California

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

Overall a great session beer with a Belgian quality to it - there is a slight floral aroma and flavor to it. Looks great with a dark amber color and good head retention. Smell is light, again with floral undertones and the taste follows. I could drink many of these if it were more my style of beer, but seems a bit light so pretty much 'one and done' for me. Now the 'Double' DBA... that's a whole different story.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2009 07:38:37 | More by JoeySchlitz

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.3/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Clear, bright amber body with thin, creamy, white cap. Spotty lacing is left along the sides of the glass.

Smell: Caramel, melted butter, bready yeast, and oak. It's hard to explain, but the smell of DBA is just very unique and very enjoyable. Maybe I'm just a homer.

Taste: Similar to the smell, with warm buttery bread and caramel jumping out first and mildly hoppy finish. Oak can be found throughout.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with a crisp, clean finish. Carbonation produces a minor nip, and is pretty low for the style. Light-medium body.

Drinkability: My go-to amber (even though it's actually an English pale ale). The flavor is simple and delicious, and the body is light enough to allow you to drink as many as you'd like. I think FW really excels in this category with all of their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2008 08:16:41 | More by ThreeWiseMen

apaltrineri

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - A very coppery amber/orange color out of the tap, with a small off-white head and some lacing for the first half of the pint. Admirable.

S - Sweet earthy malt aroma, with yeasty sweetness finishing it off nicely. Hint of tart apples.

T - Mmm, this ale is balanced so well it is almost buttery! Not too much sweetness, balanced with hops that assert the ale's complex character. Not a standout, but very solid.

M - Smooth, buttery and the hint of carbonation make this one of the most pleasant red ales had in recent memory.

D - Could polish off these babies all night! Definitely worth the hike out to northern California to find this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2008 01:17:19 | More by apaltrineri

Mauerhan

California

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ive had this brew quite a few times on-tap as well as out of a bottle. it never really fails to serve. decent pour with very short lived head. subtle scent. nice flavor. great baseball brew. pair this up with a couple slices of pizza or a burger and some dogs and you have a winning combo. nowhere near the top shelf but i know that i can always depend on dba to come through for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2008 17:57:50 | More by Mauerhan

SkeeterHawk

Texas

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

Sampled on tap at Roarmary's in Vegas. I believe that it was the manager that served me, and it was really nice that he knew quite a bit about the beer. I find out later that he is BJCP certified. Bonus!

Clear amber brown color. Some lacing but the head only lasts for the first minute or so.

A little of the wood, but it comes across as more like a scotch ale in the aroma than an Amber. Some evident sweetness also suggests a scotch ale. A bit more toasty notes noticeable as it warms.

The flavor is also mild with a clean malty profile. The wood is tame and again only reminds me of a scotch ale. Some sweetness to linger with only a mild floral contribution from the hops. As the beer warms a bit the wood is becomming more apparent.

This is a pretty good beer and I would drink it quite a bit if it were available in Texas. I don't think that it would do that great as an Amber in competition, but it drinks good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2008 02:53:23 | More by SkeeterHawk

flexabull

California

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer pours a clear dark gold color, with a decent white head.

Aromas are quite mild, some bread, dough, and lightly roasted grainy malts.

Taste is nice, mild, but flavorful enough. Flavors are slightly sweet, caramel, grain, brewed tea, light oak, and a bit of spice. Finish has a slight pine hop bite.

Mouthfeel is good, well carbonated.

Drinkability is this beers strong suit. It's very sessionable. Flavorful, but not overpowering or heavy, a pleasant beer to drink. I had 2, and could have easily had a couple more.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2008 05:14:58 | More by flexabull

USCTrojanBrian

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Hitching Post (from the movie Sideways).

Brown, burgandy, red all colors present in the pour. At 5% this is incredibly drinkable. Sweet malts, subdued hops here, so not too bitey. Like certain other brewers, Firestone has a certain trademark taste across almost all its beers and this one carried the same delicious taste. They're almost a sweeter, creamier taste for the beers they make.

Anyway, this was delicious, but not quite spectacular.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2008 00:06:25 | More by USCTrojanBrian

charlzm

California

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 06/06/08 on cask at The Daily Pint, Santa Monica CA.

Slight hazy medium amber hue with an outrageously smooth and creamy two fingered tan head.

Aroma is juicy and full of toffee, caramel and butterscotch.

Flavor is likewise juicy and refreshing. Some hop flavors, but mainly a toffee and caramel malt character. A bit of hop bitterness at the end.

Being on cask does wonders for this beer, which is already perfectly fine bottled or on a standard tap already. I could have done another pint or two fo this one, but with so many other taps to explore...

Serving type: cask

06-07-2008 17:20:23 | More by charlzm

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clear but dark amber. Nice citric balance on the flavor. Kind of a pine aspect to it, but not a pine tar thing you get from a lot of IPAs. It's more like a fresh bud off a young pine deal. It's vibrant and fairly interesting. Feel is nice. Interesting bite to the carbonation. Overall a good drinker and a nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2008 04:39:15 | More by RblWthACoz

illidurit

California

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

Served on tap. Copper color, with a bright white head that clings to the glass. Aromas of toasted malt and some citrusy hops. Flavor is grounded by the sweet malt as a candied citrus hoppiness lingers atop it. Medium bodied, well-carbonated, easy to quaff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2008 05:13:02 | More by illidurit

yourefragile

District of Columbia

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

Had on tap at the Chart House in Monterrey, CA. My first Firestone beer. Tasted closer to a brown ale to me than a Nugget Nectar, Red Rocket, Big Hoppy, etc (not to say they taste all that similar to each other)
A: A clear dark amber color with a very thin white head that leaves a tremendous amount of thick lacing.
S: Malt, caramel, not overly strong and some hops but not much presence from the oak here.
T: Clean and refreshing, but as I said above, taste reminded me more of an english brown (slightly thicker) than other ambers. Up front taste of roast malt, slight caramel, a little nutty and breadiness. Finishes with a slight hop taste. Nothing remarkable from the oak present in this. Very easy drinking pleasant beer, but nothing too exciting
M: Medium body, smooth and creamy with high carbonation, clean aftertaste
D: As it warmed up, this became slightly dry with a slightly unpleasant aftertaste like I felt about Duck Rabbit's Brown. Before that I was enjoying this much more. Glad I tried it, but would probably pass on it in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2008 20:44:14 | More by yourefragile

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thouroughly enjoyed after loosing a lot of money at Pour 24, New York New York Casino, Las Vegas. The beer seems to be a standard ESB, but with some American hops. The caramel flavors stand out along with slight buttery hints, and a big malt profile. The hops give some bitterness, spiciness, and citrus qualities, but also offer perfumy, pungent, pine character as well. The body seems a bit light for anything called 'double barrel'. I should not have expected a big beer. But the beer is nicely textured if you want a standard amber or ESB. All in all, a nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2007 20:02:18 | More by BEERchitect

terrapinchris

California

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer holds a special place in my memory for me, so I'm going to make it my first review here. In college I'd purchased six-packs of it, but my palate hadn't really developed to where I could say much about it. However, a few months ago, I had the pleasure of tasting it from a keg at my wedding (best man had purchased it for me). It definitely doesn't fit the profile of the many California brews that are overwhelmingly hopped. It pours a very deep amber, with a head that recedes quickly. The carbonation is very nearly what I would consider ideal for this type of beer. This had a hint of bitterness in the sip, but it seemed to warm in the mouth and finish with a chewy sweetness. The taste reminded me of a good Scottish ale, where the malts complement the bitterness in such a way that it avoids the sort of cloying sweetness that so many amber ales seem to fall prey to. All in all, an excellent beer for a session if you can find it on tap, Less so in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2007 18:28:05 | More by terrapinchris

Overlord

California

2.08/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Wow. What a disappointment. I hear great things about the near mythical Firestone 10 (one of the White Whales here at Beeradvocate.com), and was eager to try this. I actually gave it a whirl in San Luis Obispo, and yipes.

Not much carbonation, perhaps a one inch head. Taste was ... strange. I almost want to say it tasted as though it was flavored with wood chips. Some caramel/malt overtones, but nothing really to balance it out or add complexity. I see that many reviewers note some faint hops ... I detected none. A thin, strange tasting beer that wasn't my cup of tea.

It looked pretty with a nice amber color, though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2007 08:53:44 | More by Overlord

Floydster

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pitcher at Baja Sharkeez in El Porto

Poured a much deeper brown than I though it would, had this beer several times previously out of bottle and did not notice this

Good amber and my parent's choice when drinking a beer

Widely available and available in six packs and 22 oz. bottles

Smells more like a brown an ale than a red, but has a smooth taste, not bitter at all

Goes down easy and highly drinkable, also a good summer beer

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2007 00:30:24 | More by Floydster

DoubleJ

California

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

I have a tough decision to make. I'm at Angel Stadium and I want a beer to go with my hot dog. What should I get? Get Budweiser Select on draft, or part an extra 50 cents for Firestone Walker? Or I could part $12 for a bomber of Corona Light. I'll have a Firestone, please. And it was granted. Time to try it out:

Dark amber in color with a creamy head, it's first impression was better that the watery light beers other fans were guzzling. It has a pleasant flavor of apricot, caramel, and some pine. A quick brush of hops ended each sip. The feel seemed a bit watery, but I'll take this beer over many of the other options available at the ballpark.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2007 17:23:15 | More by DoubleJ

BradBLR

California

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

This beer was poured a fairly dark brown with a slight hint of red. The head was just slightly off white and very thin. There was a good amount of lacing considering that the head was so thin. The smell was a toasted malt aroma with a slight hint of hops. There was a slight wood smell, but very very faint.

The taste was a sharp malt flavor with a hint of toasted malt essence. There was a nice hop bitterness at the end, but nothing too strong. The mouthfeel was ok, but the CO2 was too strong. The beer's thickness was fine.

A really nice beer to have on tap at a restaurant that does not have craft beers. A good standard in any book.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2007 20:23:14 | More by BradBLR

DogFood11

California

1.93/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured into a pounder it formed a mediocre head that was eggshell white and left traces of lace. Brown body with medium to light carbonation.

A really odd tasting beer. I'm a category geek sometimes and I have no idea where this would fit in. It's kind of its own style so to speak. Has an odd woody backer that effects every pull. Roasted malts are somewhere between charred and roasted, creating a slightly bitter malt bill that is like drinking freshly cut dried kendling. Hops are a bit zippy although they have a tendancy to take a backseat with everything else going on. There is a sort of candied presence as well towards the beginning and lasts just for a brief second.

Notes: I really couldn't figure this one out. Not to say that complex and confusing can't be good, because it most definately can. This is just to much all over the map and the profiles are rather odd and don't blend well....Not for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2006 21:09:47 | More by DogFood11

JayTheFinn

California

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

Pours a nice reddish brown with a decent off white head. Malty smell and taste to this one. More so than expected. It's kinda caramel/vanilla like. Fairly full body. Nice and smooth. Goes down easy. This is a good stand alone session beer or I could definitely drink this one with a snack or even a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2006 03:10:05 | More by JayTheFinn

MiScusi

California

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

I was totally surprised when I got a beer that was as malty and smooth as this one. The carbonation was fairly low (but not so low you'd think it was flat), the hops were very low, but still there just a bit.

There was just something about this beer I enjoyed. This was one of those amber ales that are on the more malty/full bodied side instead of having a generous amount of hops too, but regardless, it was solid.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2006 02:46:59 | More by MiScusi

SethB2

California

3.18/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Red Robin in Yuba City.

Beer served in a liter sized mug. Deep transparent redish amber color with a very nice head on the mug. Smell was nothing great. Some hops and a slight amount of sweetness. Taste was similar. It reminded me of what a APA is when it misses the target. Mouthfeel was thin and watery to me. Drinkability isn't bad. It's a fairly non offensive brew, so throwing a few back wouldn't be too difficult.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2006 02:19:16 | More by SethB2

joecast

Australia

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

clear deep copper color. half inch foamy head leaves little lacing.

aroma is malty sweet with some floral notes. fairly light even after letting it warm.

not much residual sweetness. leaning towards malt, but a nice finishing bitterness. an easy drinker if you dont want to maul your tastebuds.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2006 00:59:57 | More by joecast

poluti

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer on-tap at the Westwood Brewing company. It poured a lacy white head with a deep amber color (pretty typical). It smelled like a light ale with a hint of floral noted. I enjoyed the smell. It had a great body of smell with the hint of hops hitting the nose- almost spicy. The taste was malty sweet and the hops were present- I wished I had a little more of the bitter kick- but the goldings were def. present which is a great sign for an english ale. It had a bit of a fruity kick to it. The texture was smooth as it lightly covers the palate. I found this beer highly drinkable and have already recommended it to friends who can kind it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2005 06:04:37 | More by poluti

Jamie134

California

4.5/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a British Pale Ale despite others believing it is an amber. Amber merely describes the color. Website says all imported malt and hops. The result is apparent in the taste. It is more of a low-key session beer, highly drinkable. The oak fermentation also contributes a smoothness and sweetness to the beer. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2005 17:32:27 | More by Jamie134

BrewMaster

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at McCormick & Shmick's in Pasadena.

Appearance: Clear reddish brown color with thin, off-white lacing for a head. The carbonation slowly drifts to the top, almost like it doesn't want to go. The head thins very quickly and swirling doesn't really revive the head. It has no stickiness to it and barely stays together as on clump of bubbles.

Smell: Crisp malt aroma with a light floral hop scent. Not much to smell on this beer besides the malt.

Taste: Lightly sour and roasty malt flavor with a bready sweetness. Some faint diacetyl fruit flavors crop up around the earthy hop ending. They combine to give the beer a nice bitter sweet ending. Crisp malt flavor dominates throughout the beer.

Mouthfeel: Dry on the palate yet very smooth. Light to medium bodied and it got lighter in the last quarter of the beer to give it a watery ending. It surely was refreshing on a hot summer afternoon.

Drinkability: I can't say I'd go looking for this beer again, but I probably wouldn't turn it down either. Middle of the road and forgettable, but still tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2005 18:39:12 | More by BrewMaster