Firestone 14 - Anniversary Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

DoubleJ

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at 38 Degrees, on to the beer:

Dark leather brown in color with a little lace that remains on top. The nose is very sweet and obviously influcenced by the barrel aging process. Whiskey and maple syrup are among the aromas coming from the liquid.

Bam! It's rich and it's delish. Some oak, toasted sugar, toffee, and marshmallow come out with good quantities. Still, it's a very mellow beverage, especially with the alcohol being buried quite well.

To sum it up, yet another worthy concoction to be made for the Anniversary series.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 00:29:09 | More by DoubleJ

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Rich otter brown is black in the chalice. A sparse sandstone head is both weak on the hold and lace.

S: Sambuca like aroma, black licorice, highly potent, especially at warmer temperatures, alcohol fusels dominate. Mild roast coffee, dark fruit of prunes with a smooth mild aroma of medium strength.

T: Deep flavor, robust rich, yet smooth of roast and black licorice blending beautifully together. Oak, black oily coffee with an earthy bitterness is also evident. Dark fruit of prunes, sweet burnt grains upfront that finishes out with a black liquor and dark bitterness. A slight buttery roasted grains and oak is also picked up on.

M: medium bodied, smooth and buttery in texture with an earthy roast bitterness and alcohol warming the inner cheeks and tongue.

O: Overall big flavor, great sipper that leaves a warming sensation all the way down to the pit of the belly.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 22:21:37 | More by beerthulhu

HopHead84

California

3.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11/19/10

Bottle split with my girlfriend. Appears much the same as the draft version: dark brown with a small beige head. This took a while to open up, but when it did the aroma was quite nice. Notes of caramel, toffee, bourbon, earthy hops, brown sugar, and chocolate are apparent. Alcohol is a bit stronger here. Overall, it smells good, but something is missing. Oxidation seems onerous compared to the keg, and the alcohol is a bit too strong. In the flavor I find notes of brown sugar, bourbon, toffee, caramel, oak, and a strong oxidation character coupled with powerful alcohol. Compared to the draft version, the booze and oxidation are much more apparent, and somewhat distracting. The various flavor components don't seem to meld as well as I'd hoped. Overall, it wasn't exactly how I remembered it tasting on draft, and it suffered for it. Still, a less good Firestone Anniversary is still a good beer. I don't think this one will age well. It seems like it would become more disharmonious, and though alcohol heat would wane, the oxidation is already starting off pretty strong and I don't see a solid foundation for it to build on. Though, I don't think 11, 12, or 13 have really aged for the better, so this isn't a new trend in the Firestone Walker Anniversary series, for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 08:58:14 | More by HopHead84

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Peter for sharing this one!

Poured into stone snifter. Pours a light layer of khaki beige head. Color is a deep copper hued brown.

Aroma: Oaky and vanilla. I definitely smell the black xantus. Chocolate and roasted malts. Some coffee. Very sharp. Whiskey or bourbon flavors.

Taste: Oak and bourbon here. Lots of chocolate and cocoa. Roasted malts and coffee. Some dark fruits. Vanilla. Parabola and Black Xantus flavors. A bit of heat.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and roasted. Velvety. Full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends a bit dry and roasted.

Overall, this was a pretty solid anniversary beer. Very enjoyable. I like the barrel flavors. Nose was a bit weak, but the taste made up for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 03:23:26 | More by mothman

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to mikesgroove for this one! Served from growler into a Green Man snifter. Poured a deep dark brown (almost black) with a half finger light tan head that subsided to a minimal amount almost instantly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, raisins, and alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, slight roasted malt, dark fruit, sweet alcohol, and subtle caramel. It had a heavy feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. This one definitely let you know it was 10+%. The alcohol and overall flavor definitely smoothed out upon warming up. The aroma while not overly complex, was quite good. An absolute must try here!

Serving type: growler

04-01-2011 13:21:13 | More by thagr81us

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

Firestone Walker tasting, including FW 10-14, Abacus, Parabola, Walker's Reserve, Black Xantus.

Order of preference and notes: 13, 12, 11, 14, 10
Abacus and Parabola still shined. Along with FW 13, these were my three favorites of the lineup, with FW 12 not far behind.

Dark hazelnut brown with an average sized head and a little lacing. The aroma is bold, with scents of vanilla, oak, leather, roasted malt, alcohol, and tobacco. This is some tasty beer. Very complex, masterfully crafted and balanced, this beer would make a great addition to the cellar, as it would almost certainly age gracefully. Drink now or age, Firestone Walker 14 is a great beer to share a few ways.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 20:19:32 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

California

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Toronado.

Firestone's new anniversary blend looks much the same as the previous two vintages: a blackened, nearly opaque amber-brown. The head shows surprising longevity given the style and high alcohol, though it does eventually dissipate completely.

What an outstanding aroma. There's an abundance of toasted coconut and vanilla, rich caramel, oak, a hint of milk chocolate. Despite 1/3 of the blend being comprised of neutral barrel Double Double Barrel Ale, there's no lack of bourbon and brandy character here.

Firestone's anniversary beers usually have some heat and harshness to them when they're fresh, but that's not the case with XIV; the alcohol is very reserved. I had this side by side with Parabola and Abacus, and to my surprise, XIV showed greater depth and less heat.

There's a strong caramel and bittersweet chocolate presence on the palate, with subtleties of vanilla, coconut rum and brandy shining through. Oak contributes light tannins that cut the sweetness slightly, though it remains a rich and heavy beer. Alcohol is nicely integrated, a mild heat that balances rather than detracts.

Carbonation is at a lower-moderate level, just enough to give the palate a light scrubbing. The body is full, but not syrupy by any means; Firestone is excellent about making rich beers that aren't cloying.

While I still need to try this from the bottle to get a better feel for it, numerous glasses on tap leave me with the impression that this is one of the better anniversary blends.

Addendum: A better beer on tap than out of the bottle, though bottles are fairly good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2010 17:51:50 | More by largadeer

jrallen34

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

650 ml Bottle poured into my De Struise glass... Dark brown pour with a hint of crimson. A very light tan head leases a thick finger cap, ok lacing... The star of this beer is the aroma, perfectly shows the greatness of barrel aging. Vanilla with super smooth bourbon, molasses, dark fruits, a hint of oak and chocolate. Main player is the vanilla accented by the bourbon. Outstanding!... The taste has the same elements but isn't quite as successful. Same flavors but more oak, more alcohol very spirit like, and a touch to warm. More oak and dark fruits come through, loses a lot of the vanilla. Still good just not as smooth or sweet, hurting the drinkability a bit... The mouthfeel is nice, a little warm but nice, good carbonation. Easy to drink.

This is really good, much better then 12 or 13. A steep price tag but worth it.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 02:08:08 | More by jrallen34

dirtylou

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on-tap, map room - chicago

appearance: served in a chalice at the map room -welcome to Chicago Firestone Walker. dark oily body - light tan lace

smell: rich and chocolatey, booze soaked plum

taste: rich dark fruits, fig, oak barrel, vanilla, bourbon, bakers chocolate, toffee, licorice. FW 14 packs a punch but not before it delivers its well rounded flavor assault

mouthfeel: rich, full bodied, lingering alcohol presence

overall: lovely

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2011 23:42:22 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle, black wrap with a silver pull tab to make things easy, and capped.

It pours a pitch black with about an inch of tannish foam. Plenty of lacing to please the folks that put a lot of emphasis on the appearance department...like myself.

There's no mistaking the barrel aging in the smell. There's lots of it and very pleasing. A huge amount of caramel malt sits side by side with the BA and makes this a treat to sniff over and over again.

The taste takes it a step further. Nicely sweet from the malt, deliciously decadent from the barrel aging, good notes of bread and a good dose of chocolate and some dark fruit in the background. Wow. This is some seriously good stuff and I'm getting quite a bit of warming from the more than substantial amount of alcohol that went into this puppy. Still, surprisingly drinkable for me. Wow, again.

I'd call it full bodied with a lowish level of carbonation that ends up with a great mouth feel. Luxurious, in fact.

Drinkability *could* have suffered from the sheer strength of this 14th Anniversary offering from Firestone Walker but imho,
they did their best to keep the alcohol in check and I surely appreciate it. It makes the sitting that much more easy to cope with.

Absolutely delicious fresh, I reckon this American Strong Ale *could* hold up, and maybe even improve, for many years to come. This is a hell of a brew!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 20:26:03 | More by Bitterbill

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Galaxy Hut tonight. And then, again. And then again, to make it a nice, round liter of this fine beverage.

Pouring a very dark brown with reddish brown highlights, there's a dense, brown head with good retention and lacing. The nose is outstanding. Clearly, this is different from the previous blends, the lack of Parabola is obvious. The base is clearly a barrel aged brown, there's toffee, maple, nougat, and plenty of bourbon. Vanilla, brown sugar are present, but there isn't much oak. The malt character of this blend is arguably a little disappointing. More or less simple, with a blend of sugar, brown sugar, there's a lack of a deeper complexity here. Initially, I am struck by the strength of brandy here, but the more it warms up, the more bourbon comes out.

The palate opens with a big, bourbon character, vanilla, oak and some brown sugar. Again, the lack of malt complexity translates to the palate here, I find mostly a simple blend of sugars present. The barrel expression is excellent. Bourbon and brandy are present, but really, the lack of roast and a balancing bitterness makes this less than excellent. Mildly drying on the finish, there's some oak and tannins present, but not too much. A touch of bitterness is present as well. The mouthfeel is sublime. Medium with mild carbonation, the flavors on the finish are excellent. Brown sugar and vanilla in moderate amounts, this allows for enjoyment of the flavors. I did drink 3 12oz glasses, and could have gone for more. This is quite excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2010 03:57:05 | More by DefenCorps

FosterJM

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

71st review on BA
bottle to pint

App- It was almost a pitch black pour but my eyes were playing tricks on me and saw in the light the dark brown it poured with almost no head on it.

Smell- It was a big smell of booze, licorice and anise.

Taste- A boozy, choco/caramel flavor with the smallness of a Utopias.

Mouth- It was a bit thin but I enjoyed the aftertaste to it.

Drink- It's drinking really well right now with the barrels bring a suprising mix of flavors that play well off eachother.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 03:06:34 | More by FosterJM

dgilks

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque, dark brown colour with a small, smooth, tan head with good head retention. Attractive.

Chocolate, brown sugar, mild coffee, melanoidin, more malt, more sugar and a hint of roast. Lots of fruitiness. Rounded, smooth vanilla oak and caramel notes. Great.

This is a rich and robust dessert beer full of caramelised sugar, cocoa, bourbon, spice, oak, melanoidin and fruit. Nutty. Really good and the blend of beers in here is really good.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Good, dry finish.

I really like this. The barrel character is prominent but well integrated into the rest of the beer. The balance of nut, chocolate, caramel and other malt notes is really good and indicative of a great brewer and an even better blender.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 09:37:05 | More by dgilks

AgentZero

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark reddish beer that looks almost black in a dimly lit room. Tan head that left some stick on the sides.

S - Decently hot, with barrel, bourbon, chocolate, and oak. Even though it smells a bit hot, I actually likes this quite a bit.

T - Taste is great. While there is a decent bit of alcohol heat in there, the caramel, vanilla, oak, and barrel flavors in this are really nice. A little bit buttery, even hot I think this is good. Can see it being flat out awesome with a little age.

M - Nice carbonation, smooth, caramely, good stuff.

O - Great beer, I'm a huge fan of this and in doing the vertical I think this was actually my favorite one, even with it being as new as it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 01:35:53 | More by AgentZero

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: small goblet, translucent black in color, very little head but most likely a result of the serving than the beer itself

s: big sugary aroma, dark fruit puree - black fig and raisin most notasble, bourbon fruitcake, rich chocolate and roast compliment s of the stout side of the equation, nice vanilla, dark sugars, perfect booze presence, smells great and thoughtfully blended

m: lightly carbonated, with a full, slick body, sticky sugars lingering after the swallow

t: thick with sweet flavors of dark fruits - fig and raisin, well integrated barreling with smooth bourbon and oak, chocolate and roast, vanilla, heavily caramelized sugars, mildly hopped, warming alcohol, complex and satisfying

d: drinks very well for the abv

draft at Galaxy Hut, Arlington

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2010 01:34:47 | More by blackie

champ103

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A big thanks to Dajtai007 and wolffman17 for sharing a bottle with me.

A: pours nearly opaque black, with some brown around the edges. A two finger beige/kaki head forms with really good retention. Light lace is left behind.
S: A big malty aroma. Toasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, toffee, light coffee. Some wood lingers as well. Very nice.
T: I can't get enough of the big toasted malt flavor. So well balanced with vanilla and toffee. It never gets over barring or cloying. A very nice wood flavor lingers on as well. I love it.
M/D: A full body. So smooth and creamy. Big lushes and velvety. The best part. So easy to drink. Just a bit of heat, but a real treat to sip on. I wish this would never end.

I have had this several times now. Overall, another excellent beer From Firestone Walker. I think Parabola is just a bit better, but this is truly exceptional. I love it, and highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 04:01:01 | More by champ103

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bottle shared by blisscent. Pours the color and clarity of cola with no head. Nose suggests cocoa, banana esters, artificial sweetener and a trace of vanilla and lactose. Flavors reveal caramel, toffee, coca and coffee - really tasty. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a carbonation that falls short of lively. A really delicious brew. It's definitely sweet, but not at the extreme range of the spectrum (e.g. Creme Brulee). If you're not into sweet, you might want to cellar this one a little longer; however, it found it to be just right.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 21:56:21 | More by Jwale73

Gmann

New York

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brown color with a short dense khaki colored head that settled into a light ring.

The aroma is sweet with toffee notes, candied fruit and some hints of oak. Very malty aroma. Aroma is alright, not a big fan of the candied fruit notes.

The taste is of caramel, honey, and toffee. Loads of sweet malt upfront. Some brown sugar, wood, toasted pumpernickle and seasame. Some vanilla from the barrel aged parts of the brew as well as some bourbon soaked cherries. Loads of different flavors going on, perhaps a bit too much as it is hard to focus.

The beer is well bodied with prickly carbonation. It is big and malty so it is a bit sticky. This is all malt on the palate.

One big beer for sure. The flavors are great and new ones seem to pop up as you drink. That said it is a bit heavy handed on the various flavors and the ABV is enough to take down a hippo so the drinkability is limited. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 02:13:18 | More by Gmann

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap at Blue Monkey in New Jersey, this is the first time I traveled into Jersey to drink some beer. Baffled by how NJ gets FS before PA, but I live in a great location, The Fertile Crescent! Bitches better recognize..

Firestone came to me in a big ol Chimay chalice type glass with about 10oz or so in it. A big black ol body with a dark tan, semi mocha like head. Sudsy and firm. Some stick towards the side, spraypaint in some spots. Great looks for a big beer like this. Smell is incredible, getting alot of parabola with coffee, roasted malt, caramel, bourbon and the like. I kinda get a old ale feeling out of this, alot to say the least. Im greeted by like 7 different beers at once and the Parabola comes out the most with nice chocolate and roasted coffee overtones. I get some bourbon barrel from what im guessing is the double double barrel stout. Vanilla, slight oak, small butterscotch. This is alot of beers in one, alot going on, cant really describe it, but I know I taste that parabola, by god, that beer is good on it's own. Feel is what you would expect, rich and chewy, approaching full, yet not hot at all, ok maybe there is a burn towards the end, but I like the burn sometimes, it let's me know im alive. There was a one glass per customer allotment at the bar, I could of easily went for another if allowed and barring I had a taxi waiting for me. Better, stronger, maltier!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 04:07:23 | More by onix1agr

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a very dark brown color with a thin finger of frothy chocolate-khaki colored head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is full of sweet caramelized sugars, vanilla, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, brandy, with some chocolate, coffee, and booze.

T - Starts off with sweet caramelized sugars, dark fruit, vanilla, and some chocolate and brown sugar. Through the middle, oak, Bourbon, and Brandy come through with some toasted coconut and a bit of coffee. The finish is a mix of vanilla, oak, Bourbon, dark fruit, caramelized malts, with some roasted chocolate and booze.

M - Full bodied with mild carbonation. Feels smooth and a bit syrupy with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. Great bold barrel aged beer. Nice and complex from the blend of barrels and nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 05:25:16 | More by ngeunit1

GbVDave

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into two snifters. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

Bottle dated 10/25/10

A: Pours a still dark cola brown. Got a 'ffft' when I opened it, but mostly this just sits in the glass kind of lifeless. A tiny wafer of dark khaki foam retains for about 5 seconds before settling into the thinnest collar I've seen in a long while. Lacing is a non-issue.

S: Wonderful aromas of fudge brownies, chocolate covered cherries, toasted nuts, bakers chocolate, molassas, vanilla, dark chocolate chip bread pudding, and with the slightest whiff of alcohol.

T: As above, with a growing influence of rich nutty flavors, more chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and flourless chocolate cake. Dessert in a glass!

M: Pretty slick and coating with a welcome sizzle of alcohol on the tongue. If it weren't for that this would be pure syrup.

O: This was so enjoyable. Would've scored higher if it hadn't layed in the glass all ugly and lifeless. Other than that, this was pretty awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 23:31:09 | More by GbVDave

emmasdad

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Ratman for procuring a bottle of this one for me. Poured a very dark brown/black color with a very small brown head. Aromas of booze, bourbon, chocolate and vanilla. On the palate, this one was thick, smooth and full bodied, very boozy, with flavors of oak, toffee, chocolate, bourbon and vanilla. Pretty good, but not as amazing as I had hoped.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 22:59:28 | More by emmasdad

maximum12

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to dbg3, errantknight, & lothore for bottles of FW XIV. Huge fan of the Anniversary series, & I've been looking forward to it since it first came out; the least of these have been excellent. Split the bomber with my hard-working wife, whose eyes lit up when I told her what was in the glass.

Once I carved & wrestled the tape off the cap, the pour is breezy black, with light leaking in around the bronzed, muscled edges. Smells a lot like Velvet Merkin, that distinct oatmeal edge, & a gorgeous shot of bourbon, vanilla, & glorious malts.

Firestone Walker XIV comes with a prestigous heritage, & can hold its head high in the halls of its forefathers. Still pretty hot & boozy at this tender age. Nutty vanilla bourbon heartily malted cheesecake. That's it. I could end this review right now. The bourbon is beautifully cooked into this brew, coming across in the vanilla, whiskey, & a shot of heat that warms the toes. Scarce glances of amaretto, chilled dark fruit, bare chocolate sneaks in at the end like a thief in the night. A thief bearing gifts.

Creamy as all get out, once again a la Velvet Merlin. Drinks like a champion, mostly because of how lovely it tastes. Low carbonation.

Excellent beer that lives up to all that has come before. It seems that most of these beers have peaked for me after at least a year or rest & recuperation; I'm eager to see what some time will do to this wild boar. Thanks again, Firestone Walker.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 03:45:17 | More by maximum12

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to piclee for this.

3.5 A: Black color. Aggressive pour yielded about one finger of frothy beige head that fell quickly and left no lacing.

4.5 S: This is simply jampacked with licorice. So much licorice that just about every other aroma is hard to pick up. Candied plum is the second most apparent aroma, followed by chocolate, a mild bourbon, and oak and vanilla. Behind all that there is raisin and tobacco, prune, a mild roastiness, and caramel sweetness. Speaking of sweetness, this is indeed quite sweet overall.

4.0 T: Taste is good, but isn't as impressive as the nose. Again, there's lots of sweetness. Big caramel component, which is heightened by syruppy boubon booziness. Less fruity than the nose suggests, but there is still a decent amount of plum with lesser amounts of raisin and fig. Light roastiness with some oak and some vanilla and a bit more chocolate. Moderate to high-moderate booziness.

3.5 M: Heavy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation, but it isn't as spritzy as I'd like. Also, a bit chewier than I prefer. Big creaminess, but a still present booziness reduced the smoothness a bit.

4.0 D: Before this, the only anniversary beer I had was the 13 - and I thought it was a horrid mess. This, though it also lacks a clear direction, comes together much much much better. Flavors blend well and the booziness isn't too overwhelming. I bet this will be a lot better in a couple years. Probably not worth the $20, but definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 02:25:32 | More by DavoleBomb

laituegonflable

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark colour, just brown at the edges with pleasant ochre head, small bubbles but sparse around the edges. Lace is thin; could be better. Nice colour though.

Smell is sweet, chocolatey, rich and nutty. Lots of peanut brittle, almond and a kind of sweet battery malt to it that gives it a savoury but sweet edge. Oaky, nutty and pleasant. Man it's good.

Taste is sweet, with all the same characters of the nose - sweet, nutty, almost salty at times. Starts sweet with a barleywine complexity to it, burnt sugar and toffee that then develops dark malty roastiness with peanut butter, batter and coffee, some red wine notes as well with oak, cedar and that lovely bourbon vanilla sweetness at the back. A lovely blossoming palate full of delicious flavours; just drink it.

Full, smooth, with a hint of booziness at the back that adds a slight sharpness. Otherwise beautiful.

Delicious beer, with a perfectly drawn balance between those rich, dark beer flavours and the sweeter flavours from the booze and oak.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 23:45:33 | More by laituegonflable