Double Barrel Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Pardishcreel

California

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It is an amber brown beer that is lighter not at all a dark brown.

The smell is strong with grains and devices you a little because that taste is much sweeter then the smell.

The taste at first was grainy with lots of under flavors I cant quite figure out starts out kind of bitter but the barley sugar is right there to smooth it out. The finish is a barley sweet that sits nicely on the tongue.

The drinkability is low though because for some reason this beer is really heavy for its style of brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 04:43:54 | More by Pardishcreel

bugaboo416

New York

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

AL clear light amber, nice head

S: lightly flowery but very hard to smell much more

T: nice malty flavor followed by smooth hop bitterness and a hint of caramel at the end.

M: light to medium body

O: very flavorful session beer, well balanced in all respects.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 03:01:49 | More by bugaboo416

jdhowe

California

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle, bottled on 1/28/13. I'm hoping it's not too old.

A: Pours a deep orange, crystal clear, with 1.5 fingers of off-white (orangeish) head from a vigorous pour. Head quickly dissipates do a thin, bubbly layer with just a little lacing left on the glass, but plenty of stickiness on the side leaving lacing as I drink.

S: I would never guess this an English Pale Ale, but the malts do have that aroma to them now that I look for it. The nose is dominated by sweet, sticky malt character... very little hopping. Definitely fruity. Malt leading into alcohol, and something else clean that I cannot recognize, perhaps from the yeast.

T: The taste follows the nose, hitting strong with lots of malty sweetness. Finish is nice and smooth with bitterness lingering after the sip has finished, but not too evident in the character of the beer. Pretty nice. A little much alcohol shows up for a 5abv beer, but this taste is malt-dominated. Not quite as hoppy as I'd like (not just as a hop-head, but for the style), but otherwise very nice.

M: Interesting, because this beer is very carbonated (maybe a little too much), but still coats the mouth and lingers with its stickiness (again, maybe a little too much). That said, the mouthfeel isn't bad, and the beer drinks quite well. In fact, I find the lingering stickiness making me want another sip pretty much immediately, so I'm probably going to put this pint away fast enough that I'll be opening another brew shortly.

O: A good beer. Not a great beer, but I'm definitely not sad I'm drinking this. While I don't tend to like many English Pale Ales (based on a small sample space), I'm finding this interpretation of the style to be enjoyable. Maybe a little on the sweet side for its own good, and the hop bitterness is left wanting for its style. Perhaps this is just a consequence of the 4-month-old bottle... I may have to revisit this fresher.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 06:46:23 | More by jdhowe

microbrew52

California

4.53/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy thick dark brown. The aroma is good. It has a nice pale malt and burnt toffee aroma that's a bit sweet smelling with just enough roasted character. If you have the cask next to the keg you can really taste the difference. The oak works well with this beer. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is my first FW beer. I like the their use of multiple specialty grains as well as the barrel fermenting. It offers up an interesting tasting experience.

Serving type: cask

12-31-2009 04:33:30 | More by microbrew52

au1sec

Alabama

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

This is a damn fine beverage! 12 oz brown bottle, no freshness date apparent to me. Not a hoppy brew...decent balance but definitely tilted toward the malty side. Pours a deep amber color, creamy head dissipates quickly and leaves a ring on the edge of the glass that laces slightly throughout. Thick mouthfeel, caramel malty...tastes very good. Some hops in the finish, but fairly subtle. I only planned on having a couple tonight, but I'm on my 4th of the sixer, and don't like the chances of the other two lasting very long. I'll be getting this again...disappointed I have passed it up in the past.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2003 18:58:13 | More by au1sec

Fillpott

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a bottle into an American pint glass and again into an English-style pint glass. The glass style changed my perceptions slightly with regards to the aroma and taste, but it wasn't a serious difference. Here were my notes.

A-Copper in color and very clear. True to the style, but on the darker side.

S-Light hop aroma and a malt/oak-aged overtone. I let this warm a little, and that released some of the barrel-aged smell. It reminded me of what I get out of bourbon, a little.

T-Smooth, well balanced and easy to drink. I liked the faint oak flavor to the beer. It seemed a little thicker and with a hint of vanilla than a traditional EPA.

M-Again, it was thicker and chewier than most Pale Ales I've tried. There was a good balance of hops to malt, but there felt like there were some unfermentables that were adding to the depth of the beer.

D-Very drinkable and will likely become a staple in my fridge when I have people over. It is a craft beer that doesn't frighten away "average" American beer drinkers, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 00:43:51 | More by Fillpott

wesclaypool

California

3.4/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a - Pours a dark brown/orange color with a thin layer of head.

s - Has a sweet, malty smell with no real bitterness present.

t - Again, very sweet with only a hint of bitterness.

m - Medium to thick body and very smooth.

d - If you aren't into bitter beers and instead look for something pretty malty, this is a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 04:06:32 | More by wesclaypool

cyraxx

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Double Barrel Ale pours a nice reddish amber color with a small bit of white head. The smell is lightly hopped with East Kent Goldings and has a good amount of caramel malt aroma. The taste is full of caramel malt, a touch of toffee, a slight hop character, and some toasty base malt flavor. Like all fine English beers, there is just enough carbonation to feel it prickle on your tongue and it has a light body to round things out. At first taste I wasn't pleased, but as I drank more I really began to like it. I could have drank a lot more than just the bomber I bought, and now that I'm back on the East Coast I wish I would have.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 20:15:46 | More by cyraxx

kcinlober

Oregon

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

Appearance: little to no head. It does pour a beautiful translucent copper color.

Aroma: malty and a little sweet for a pale ale. Not very strong but pleasant.

Palate: starts with a caramel or honey taste. A little citrus and a mild but pleasant finish. Solid pale ale, I would drink again

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 05:12:12 | More by kcinlober

nelson4

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

a- Poured to a nice clear amber/red
s- very heavy malty smell that reminds me of what it smells like when I am homebrewing. Too often, smell gets associated with hops. This has a great aroma.
t- Good malty taste, low on hops/bitterness but not to a fault. Flavor has slight caramel taste.
m- a little heavy on the carbonation, but overall nice feel.
d- This is where this beer stands out. I have had it on multiple occasions and it always seems to taste better on a hot summer day.
Overall a great example of a beer to watch a game with. Not something to cherish, but rather something to share.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2009 03:59:27 | More by nelson4

alamere

Washington

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

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass..

A - Beer looks good. Pours a small head and is carbonated on the low side, which is appropriate for this style in my opinion. Despite the low carb level and lack of foam, leaves lacing down the glass.

S - Sweet smelling, lacks the big hop presence of an american pale ale. Big toffee, carmel nose... really.. a lot different than the pales that I've been drinking recently.

T - Tastes REALLY good. I'm not sure what others were expecting when they tasted this but this is an extremely sessionable british style pale. A bit on the sweet side, and lighter on the hops than the american style pales. Still has that fuggle or Northern Brewer style bitterness that accents the big malt backbone of this ale.
Since I wasn't looking to taste "Barrel" I have absolutely no problem with this beer... in short, I'd rather taste this than "barrel".

M - Carbonation is lighter than normal, but I'm sure it's purposeful as English style pales generally are lighter in carb level. The big malt backbone adds to the smoothness of the sip.. and this beer evolves as it gets warmer.

O - This is not your standard pale. There are layers of flavor here that a normal beer does not possess. There is a toffee and malt backbone that really just makes the beer... and the hops have an almost chocolate quality. After that.. I think the yeast and malt and wood leave an original aftertaste. It's hard to find a fault in it... I'm unsure what others are tasting, but this is really what I'd hoped it would be when I purchased it. Not a ton of wood in the flavor, but.. certainly a great beer, worthy of me trying it and bluntly... I'd be surprised if I didn't purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 05:58:46 | More by alamere

noeldundas

British Columbia (Canada)

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

beautiful copper gold. like liquid pennies. light head with good lacing, english.

i get orange on the nose, with malt and brown sugar, reminds me of fruit cake, or some other pudding. oak is subtle from this large pint glass.

unexpectedly light and drinkable mouthfeel, malty with vanilla, and again, subtle oak, not what I thought. clean and crisp finish. though todd alstrom nailed the sodium bicarbonate edge that it has.

The drinkability is perfect for me. I was worried and thought it would be big and sweet and oaky. Nope. It's wonderful. Built with purpose. I would not hesitate to drink this all night... unless I had to drive.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 00:46:55 | More by noeldundas

Exner83

California

2.5/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I'm gonna have to agree with brother Jason Alström - It'd be hard to drink more than one of these.

I found it so smokey oaky--like a forest in my mouth! Finish is an acrid, arboreal dryness. I guess I'm a bare-bones malt and hops kinda guy, 'cause I haven't had this much fragrant wood in my mouth since... (insert terribly off-color gay porn reference here.) It's just NOT my thing. I want malt, people!

God forgive me for thinking a beer should taste like malted barley. Anyway, if you feel sucking on raw tree bark has run its course for you, put the branch down, and pick this up!

(And to think I washed this down with a shot of Grand Marnier. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!)

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2008 04:39:48 | More by Exner83

Odysseyalien

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This wasn't what I was hoping for with this beer. It pours a nice tan with a nice fruity aroma coming from the head. The head -- a nice foamy two inch affair into my pilsner glass. The lacing adorned the glass well as I progressed to completion.

Taste wise, it's a summer session sipper, a taste that generally I don't go for. Didn't have the flavor that I personally look for in a beer. I'm spoiled by Firestone's other offerings such as the Double Jack, which is my favorite overall brew and their barley wine offering, Sucaba. This one is light on the hops and malt but it's a nice balance.

You might like this if you want a beer that's not too hoppy and with relatively low alcohol content. Think session beer and you might have a winner.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:00:51 | More by Odysseyalien

HopJ

California

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap. Served very cold in a chilled mug so it took a awhile before I was really able to taste it. A nice beer but not a lot of intensity or complexity. Flavors blend well together but I was wanting a bit more. The carbonation is was high for my tastes. Wouldn't mind tasting again a some point but wont seek it out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 16:50:33 | More by HopJ

amart79

California

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap

A - Clear golden brown color. A decent head that dissipates fairly quickly.

S - nice fresh smell. A little toasty with a fresh citrusy hops.

T - pretty smooth, bready/malty taste with a little bitter bite at the end.

M - just the right amount of carbonation. It was very smooth on the palate.

Overall - Good solid beer. It's got just a little of everything you'd like to be there.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 06:29:12 | More by amart79

mattdavis452

California

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

The key to this beer is its balance - overall, it is very well-balanced (as you shall see, I use this phrase a bit more than normal in this post).

A - Nice amber color.

S - Smells well-balanced, fits well with its appearance

T - A little more on the bitter side, but does not even come close to approaching an IPA. Well done for this style of beer.

M - Not too light or heavy. Again, quite well-balanced.

D - One of my favorite session beers. Easy to drink, goes well with most any food (in my opinion), and relatively affordable. Not too shabby overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 08:05:15 | More by mattdavis452

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

beace

Ohio

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

My first encounter with a Firestone Walker brew... excited to taste what other beers they craft.

Appearance, amber color with a brilliant clarity. Head retention is a little weak and so is the lacing.

Notes of baked bread, caramel, toffee, and some dark fruit. Quite pleasant and complex aroma for an amber styled beer. There may even be a bit of oak in the nose or that might be my head telling me that because of the unique brewing system they use.

A very malty brew. Very close to chewing upon malt. There is as described in the aroma, a caramel biscuit character, dark fruits rub the pallet and bitterness takes light jabs at back of the tongue during the finish.

The bread character of this beer would play a factor in its drinkability. A unique and interesting amber. I would prefer a bit more of a hop character and less biscuit.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 23:06:11 | More by beace

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

2ndloveofmylife

California

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

I was in Pismo beach and wanted a beer to go with my BBQ. They had a local brewery's beer on tap, so I gave it a try. Wow, what a great choice I made that day. It yummy from the start and only got better as I drank it.

It's a perfect beer to compliment your BBQ meat. Strong enough not to be over powered, but not to strong to over power your food.

It's a nice amber color, not to much smell, taste is crisp with a sweet maltiness with just a little bitterness at then end. Not much going on in the mouth but definitely very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 04:29:42 | More by 2ndloveofmylife

lazy8

California

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in pint glass
A: Copper color with visible carbonation
S: Chocolate and a little caramel
T: Slight chocolate flavor with additional tase of malt with a bready taste
M: Medium carbonation, creamy but not heavy
Overall: This is a refreshing session beer with good carbonation and very little bite. The beer goes down easily and it has a much more refined taste that big brewer regulars.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 18:47:01 | More by lazy8

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

BrewDrinkRepeat

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, purchased on the East Coast. (Unfortunately I have no idea how long this bottle sat on the shelf, or how long it took to get to Maryland before that.) Consumed from a Sam Adams beer glass.

Pours a medium copper color, brilliant clarity. Thin bright head that dissipates quickly, leaving a minimum amount of lacing.

Some caramel notes on the nose, also some stale wet-paper oxidized aromas. Zero hop aroma. I'm not put off by this, especially knowing that this might be an old bottle, but at the same time there is little here to entice me to drink. If I knew for certain that this was relatively fresh I would be disappointed.

Nice malty flavor, some toffee and biscuit as well. Not caramelly enough for the style, could use more crystal malt. Gentle hop bitterness, not enough for an American Amber style but not completely lacking, either. Enough to keep this from being a malty beer, but that's about it. I was expecting a bigger hop presence.

Medium mouthfeel, carbonation is nice and adds a bit of zing to make up for the missing hop bite.

A very drinkable beer, but a bit disappointing compared to what I've heard. I hope to find a known-fresh sample at some point to compare to this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 01:21:39 | More by BrewDrinkRepeat

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