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Firestone 15 - Anniversary Ale
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
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BA SCORE
96
world-class
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783 Ratings
THE BROS
N/A
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rAvg: 4.35
pDev: 12.41%
Reviews: 276
Hads: 507
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Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
California
,
United States
Style | ABV
American Strong Ale
| 12.50%
ABV
Availability:
Limited (brewed once).
bottle (227)
,
on-tap (48)
,
growler (1)
.
Notes:
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine.
17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine.
17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale.
13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale.
11% Good Foot (14.3 ABV) American Barley Wine.
10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout.
9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
5% Double Jack (9.5% ABV) Double India Pale Ale.
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russwbeck
Virginia
3.95
/5
rDev
-9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A Semi-clear deep red brown pour devoid of head. 4
S The smell is amazingly malty. Anton of vanilla with slight bourbon. It's oaky, but the amount of barrel aging makes it hard to determine what's going on. Boozy, but blended and mellowed very well. 4
T The taste is pretty boozy, but the bourbon and oak take over towards the backend. The vanilla and sweet maltiness are pervasive, but the barrel aging balances it out. This beer is becoming exceedingly difficult to describe. It's all barrel and sweetness. The finish is slightly hoppy. It's not bad, but I think Parabola and Velvet Merkin were better. 4
MF Heavy body with a low carbonation. Pretty drinkable, but the alcohol and sweetness gets to me a bit. 3.5
Pairing: This was the finishing beer. The nail in the coffin if you will. I wanted something to snack on, but I'm pretty sure I've run the gammet with delicious food. 3
O This is a great beer, but probably not worth the price tag for a bottle. It's good, but didn't blow me away 4
Serving type: on-tap
06-05-2012 02:04:22 |
More by russwbeck
arizcards
Arizona
4.63
/5
rDev
+6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Picked up a bomber from BevMo at the end of November for $21.99. I took the advice of BA's to drink young and not age too long.
Beer poured brown with an OK head upon initial pour.
Nose is wonderful; vanilla, bourbon, ripe dark fruit, hints of dark chocolate.
I have to admit that instinctively the booze from the barrels tell me to age this. Taking advice i cut the aging process short. Here we go...Taste is perfection, a light oaken vanilla bourbon theme provides the backbone. Dark ripe fruit and cocoa blend in nicely. Citrus and pine hops balance the huge flavorful backbone perfectly.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.
Overall this is an awesome beer, one of the best blends i have had. This is a beer that has been professionally aged by the fine FW brewers. I would concur that should be drank as "fresh" as possible!
Serving type: bottle
06-02-2012 23:36:25 |
More by arizcards
StlHopHead77
Illinois
3.83
/5
rDev
-12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A-Pours out a dark brown body with maroon edges and a thin,quickly dying head of light tan that left thin but sticky sheets of lacing.
S-Strong notes of bourbon,caramel,molasses,vanilla,plum,raisin and fruity alcohol.Nice baked sugar sweetness on the nose.
T-Toffee,vanilla,slightly off-putting tinny note,bourbon filled chocolates,caramel,date and slight leather.
M-Sweet but not cloying with decent complexity but a lingering "dirty" bourbon finish.
O-Good but not great.
Serving type: bottle
05-05-2012 11:41:12 |
More by StlHopHead77
claspada
New Jersey
4.35
/5
rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours darker than any barleywine I have ever seen that's for sure. The color is dark dark brown, but clear with dark ruby hues along the edges. There is a thin khaki head of small bubbles, that recedes fairly rapidly leaving some spotty lacing.
Aromas begin quite barrel forward with oak, vanilla and coconut opening up. There is a mildly sweet maltiness next mixed with a lot of nougat, a little toffee and a cocoa powder characteristic that opens up more and more as it warms. More dark caramel and an ever-so-slight dark fruitiness as you continue to smell; the best part of these FW blended beers is that you can smell them forever and you will always pick up new nuances. Booziness (which is extremely minimal) dissipates after a couple minutes and everything comes full circle and you once again get sweet coconut, cocoa powder and vanilla.
The taste doesn't quite live up to the nose but is quite decadent none-the-less. Layers upon layers of flavor, with a progression ranging from caramel, milk chocolate, coconut and vanilla, up front, with a hint of light bourbon and dark fruit in the middle; after the swallow, some oakiness bring up the finish, with some light coffee (or maybe hop) bitterness lingering in the aftertaste.
The mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied with medium-low carbonation. Exactly where is needs to be for this style of beer. Flavor profile starts sweet from the bourbon and barleywine maltiness but ends nice and dry from the oak and higher ABV.
Overall this is my favorite of all the FW anniversary ales I have been fortunate enough to try (all but the 10th). In my opinion each year they keep getting better and better. Earlier examples were boozier (maybe they had fallen off with time) but this and the 14 were really tops in my opinion. I wish I would have not waited so long to try this so I could have seen (tasted) how hoppy it originally was 6 mo ago, but I will sacrifice that for the much more mellow (less hot) flavor profile that probably exists now.
Serving type: bottle
05-05-2012 00:13:00 |
More by claspada
Grohnke
Illinois
4.33
/5
rDev
-0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
light tan / cola colored frothy head dissipates quickly, only leaving a scattered film. Dark brown / deep amber, very clear.
smells of chocolate, caramel, cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, and alcohol warmth
sweet creamy caramel, sharp oak, vanilla, surprise fruity/citrus undertones, light dark fruit. well bittered. finish is a balance of sweet and dry, leaning towards the sweeter side, with an oaky cinnamon lingering finish that continues into the aftertaste.
medium-full body, medium to medium-low carbonation. High residual sweetness, leaves a sticky finish. Creamy and smooth. medium alcohol warmth.
this was a fabulous, complex, rich and bold beer. Blending is an art, and they have mastered it. Flavors and aromas came out independently strong, but also in a harmonious marriage. A sipper of a beer, that can be a little sweet or a little warm at times, but it was drunk fresh. I am very excited to see how this ages, and am glad i have 3.
Serving type: bottle
05-04-2012 03:14:56 |
More by Grohnke
rlee1390
Indiana
4.2
/5
rDev
-3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A-Clear deep ruby red almost brown, one finger head that doesn't last long.
S-Coffee, chocolate, caramel, oak and toffee.
T-Coffee, chocolate, caramel. Oak as well. Similar in many respects to a barleywine. There is some bitterness in there as well.
M-Medium to heavy, some carbonation and very smooth.
O-Glad I pulled the trigger on this one, not sure about getting another to age.
Serving type: bottle
05-02-2012 20:05:22 |
More by rlee1390
angrybabboon
Rhode Island
4.33
/5
rDev
-0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Cheers to Bilco for sharing this beer
Review adapted from notes taken 3/31/12
Appearance: Brown with some dark red - off-white, little head, retains a nice ring
Smell: Simply put, "barrel magic" - wood, vanilla, caramel malts, caramel (sugar), chocolate, some alcohol
Taste: Nicely balanced and very interesting - caramel malts, caramel sweetness, wood, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, some dark fruits, toffee, and a touch of booze, so many flavors going on
Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, adequately carbonated, smooth, dry
Overall: Firestone Walker = masters of barrel aging
Certainly different than Firestone Walker XIV, and interesting in its own way. This was a bit lighter than I expected, with a big emphasis on caramel. And as mentioned above, this is about as good as barrel aging gets.
Serving type: bottle
04-26-2012 05:27:25 |
More by angrybabboon
Jeffo
Netherlands
4.08
/5
rDev
-6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Thanks to Doodler for sending this beer over the pond and while back. Doopie, Pasqual and myself lined up the latest three FW anniversary beers a couple weeks back. Good fun guys. Bonjour 18 ans...
From a bomber into a snifter
APPERANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, off-white head with lousy retention. Color is a slightly hazy ruby red and no carbonation is evident. Head quickly fades to only a ring, which remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the glass. Nothing special.
SMELL: Heavy bourbon barrel smell for sure. Bourbon, oak, vanilla all over the nose, with some caramel and toffee aromas from the base beer probably. Bold, enticing, and demands attention.
TASTE: Follows the nose, but with an added push of caramel and toffee sweetness up front. Lots of the sweet malts, with an impressive bourbon barrel added to the mix. Bourbon, oak, and vanilla of course, with and strong barrel dominated aftertaste lingering on the palate. Some sweet caramel lingers alongside the barrel flavors as well.
PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Not overly creamy on the palate, but goes down fine and finishes slightly sticky. Carbonation is actually a touch prickly perhaps. Some heat lingers on the palate.
OVERALL: Really tasty stuff. A little too much heat and a bigger, creamier palate would have helped, but as far as bourbon barrel dominant beers are concerned, this is one of the better ones out there. Really glad to get a shot at this one, and it was fun to line up three years of the anniversary series at once. Thanks again for the bottle Doodler. This one comes highly recommended.
Serving type: bottle
04-23-2012 20:36:42 |
More by Jeffo
samie85
Illinois
4.2
/5
rDev
-3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a ruby-tinged cola color with a finger and a half of off-white head.
Big bourbon notes with sweet caramel and some chocolate, and some dark fruit.
Follows the nose with huge spicy bourbon notes and light caramel and a hint of chocolate.
A little hot with medium body with and very low carbonation.
This one could use a little more time in the bottle... still a little hot; unless you prefer your beers with alcohol heat.
Serving type: bottle
04-15-2012 04:27:19 |
More by samie85
derkfromwi
Wisconsin
4.48
/5
rDev
+3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into New Belgium Globe Glass
A: Half-inch off-white almost light khaki head, golden-brown color, little bit of lacing
S: Bourbon, caramel, citrus, dark fruits, as it warms to room temperature vanilla comes out
T: Bourbon, toffee, orange peel, oak, chocolate, mango
M: Creamy, warming, good carbonation, not too thick, but full-bodied and put together nicely
O: This beer is awesome and interesting, you look at the beer styles that went into this blend and then you start to pick out everything you are smelling and tasting. Firestone has a lot of good beers
Serving type: bottle
04-14-2012 05:09:28 |
More by derkfromwi
aasher
Indiana
4.48
/5
rDev
+3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle courtesy of the immortal BrewerB, who also sent me the 14th, massive thanks once again Brian!
This beer pours a medium bodied, dark brown with copper and amber highlights and a one finger off white head. The nose is like a cross of American barley wine and old ale. There is plenty of malt, oak, light bourbon, some vanilla, and toffee. It has a nice nose and it what is to be expected from this line, barrel and malt. The flavors are more assertive than the nose. There is plenty of caramel, toffee, vanilla, oak. Bourbon barrel, and slight dark fruit. It has old ale written all over it. It is complex for the style and I appreciate how the wood shines through all this sweet matinees. It drinks medium in body and sweet, with the alcohol absent in both the nose and flavor. There is a good amount of residual sugar. The aftertaste is really nice and this is where the barrel aging shines. Overall I think this is much better than the 14 and much more complex. I really like this. It drinks like a barrel aged old ale and I appreciate that. This is a fine beer. Perhaps I should have chased another...
Serving type: bottle
04-14-2012 04:20:45 |
More by aasher
DaftCaskBC
British Columbia (Canada)
4.93
/5
rDev
+13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A: 1/4" cream colorued head over cola coloured liquid.
S: Chocolate, oak, bourbon, roasted barley, caramel, vanilla.
T: Creamy caramel, vanilla, bourbon, oak, roasted barley, and toasted malt. Beautiful.
M: Medium to thick viscosity, and a medium level of carbonation.
O: Very drinkable, creamy, and smooth.
Serving type: bottle
04-10-2012 04:43:20 |
More by DaftCaskBC
brotherloco
California
4.43
/5
rDev
+1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22oz foil wrapped bomber. Served in a snifter at cellar temperature.
Pours a very dark, but clear reddish-brown. About a finger of beige foam forms and dissipates to chunky ring full of large bubbles. Spots of lacing.
A rich aroma of vanilla ice cream, caramel, sweet malt, oak, red wine tannins, bitter citrusy hops, and a prominent sting of alcohol.
Flavor starts with aggressive bright fruit. Very sweet flavor of toffee carries through from start to finish. Vanilla plays a big part too and is strong in the middle. Between the sweetness and the tannins, a real port wine profile blossoms between the middle and the finish. Plenty of bitterness in the finish. Everything transitions nicely and contributes to an evolving and complex flavor. Alcohol is pretty well hidden given the strength, but it does emerge in the finish and you do feel the heat after several sips.
Full bodied with medium-low carbonation. Along with the sweetness it stays a bit thick and encourages sipping.
An exquisite blend of flavors. Unique, balanced, and exactly what you expect from Firestone Walker.
Serving type: bottle
04-07-2012 04:08:57 |
More by brotherloco
DavoleBomb
Ohio
3.63
/5
rDev
-16.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to Callmecoon for this.
3.0 A: Deep brown color. Beige head that falls almost instantly.
4.0 S: While I thought 13 and 14 were both bourbony messes with too much going on, this one is better integrated. Don't get me wrong. This also has too much going on and lacks a focus, but it does it better. Roasted notes, caramel, toffee, dark fruits including plum, dates, raisins, and prune, some light fruits. Caramel, toffee, chocolate, and light char. Good bit of vanilla, some oak, and leathery bourbon. Even a touch of herbal hops. Smells good, but the lack of focus prevents me from loving it.
3.5 T: Same as the nose. Lots of flavors, but instead of a few good slaps across the face with big flavors, you get a million little pinches on the arm. Caramel and dark fruits are the strongest. Everything else listed in the smell in varying lesser amounts. This is the least bourbony of the anniversary beers that I've had, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, the booziness is still there, but isn't distracting.
4.0 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Moderately creamy.
3.5 D: Of the anniversary blends I've had, this falls between 13 and 14 with 14 being the best. Glad to have had it and glad I have another for opening up at a later time with some of its bretheren
Serving type: bottle
04-05-2012 01:43:42 |
More by DavoleBomb
Goblinmunkey7
Massachusetts
4.23
/5
rDev
-2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Bilco for sharing the bottle.
Apperance: Deep, rich brown. So very rich. Head is a nice solid tan and drops to a small ring almost instantly. Relatively clear with a solid pour.
Smell: Loads of malts and bourbon, but it's in no way aggressive. Tons of vanilla, caramel, and toffee layered over dark fruits. Some hints of raisins in there. Woody in good measure. Almost no hints of any hopping, but a mild citrus character lingers in the back. Sweet and full of sugary aromas. Runs the gamut from brown sugar, over to caramel and toffee, ending in deep chewy molasses.
Taste: Sweet and malty. Alcohol punches in the back. but is never aggressive. Barrel aging really added a nice depth to this whole thing. Caramel and molasses mix with vanilla and lingering oak notes. Faintly nutty. Pulls notes of chocolate. Sweetness is high, but works in the long run.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, but smooth and creamy to the point that it could almost pass for full-bodied. Carbonation is incredibly low and turns this in to a sipper.
Overall: This furthers my notion that Firestone Walker knows how to use a barrel and no one barrel ages better than they do. Loads of depth and complexity and each component manages to shine and contribute to the beer.
Serving type: bottle
04-03-2012 23:47:12 |
More by Goblinmunkey7
jsulko
Illinois
4.4
/5
rDev
+1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle poured into a snifter
Pours a dark brown with hint of red. Head is minimal and slightly brown.
Smell is sweet with some dark fruit smells as well as a slight oak smell as well.
Taste is somewhat sweet, almost carmel with a slight alcohol burn on the finish.
A very unique beer. One I was glad to have.
Serving type: bottle
04-01-2012 03:49:13 |
More by jsulko
mothman
Saskatchewan (Canada)
4.33
/5
rDev
-0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a tan head. Color is a dark ruby bronze.
Aroma: coconut and barleywine flavors. Caramel and toffee. Chocolate, dark fruits, and raisins. Cirtus fruits. Oak and vanilla.
Taste: Tons of coconut. Caramel, toffee, and chocolate malts. Vanilla, raisins, and spices. Grapefruit and orange. Malty, hoppy. Then I finally get some barrel aged flavors. Oak and bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Warming and smooth. Medium to full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends sticky.
Overall, a great blend. I love the coconut flavors. Lots of barleywine flavors and dipa flavors. Solid stuff.
Serving type: on-tap
03-31-2012 01:24:24 |
More by mothman
hopfacebrew
Colorado
4
/5
rDev
-8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from bomber dated 11/07/11 (I think as it is worn) to a pint glass the beer arrives a deep rich deep mahagoney color with a thin 1 finger tan head, some retention and a bit I lacing. Hints of fig, rum, raisins, vanilla, oak, roast, caramel sweetness, and mollasses in the nose. No hint of alcohol. The flavor is full and rich with all the character in the nose blended together for a warm treat. More pronounced run and whiskey alcohol flavors. A lingering caramel sweetness with a lasting fig flavor. Mildly bitter and smooth. Full bodied. Overall this is good, not sure it's worth the price tag but I'm glad to have had tried it.
Serving type: bottle
03-29-2012 00:38:15 |
More by hopfacebrew
WillCarrera
Illinois
4
/5
rDev
-8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bomber, poured into a snifter.
A- Pours a deep brown mahogany color, topped with a fizzy layer of tan head that quickly recedes to a ring around the edge of the glass.
S- Huge sweet barley wine aroma, lots of sweet dark fruit like figs and dates, big caramel and molasses aroma, also bourbon and vanilla.
T- Big and sweet, lots of caramel, dark fruit, strong barrel charter of bourbon, oak and vanilla, mild chocolate and nut character is also in there somewhere. The booze is pretty powerful and very sweet.
M- Medium-bodied, the beer looked pretty fizzy pouring it but it has a smooth, creamy feel, the body feels slightly thin for the style. Significant boozy heat.
O- This was a tasty beer, but nothing really got my attention, seemed a bit muddled and too boozy, I probably wouldn't pick this up again at the price I paid for it.
Serving type: bottle
03-26-2012 01:18:19 |
More by WillCarrera
Gobzilla
California
4.43
/5
rDev
+1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: poured a dark brown in color with brown highlghts and a thin khaki colored head that left a good amount of lacing sticking to the glass.
S: I could definitely smell lots of caramel but also had plenty of chocolate malts, some bourbon oaky character, a little booze, maple syrup, tons of sweetness and slight dark fruits.
T: Lots of the caramel came out on the flavor alongside chocolate malts, booze, oak character, some maple sweetness, vanilla accents, and a touch of dark fruits.
M: the brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonationwhich had a sweet, boozy, oaky, mild fruity, and silky sticky finish.
O: very good barrel aged blend, these foos really know how to do it. Westside beer pimps!!!
Serving type: bottle
03-25-2012 09:23:08 |
More by Gobzilla
jamesfrazer
Virginia
4.68
/5
rDev
+7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The tobacco and vanilla notes of this beer seem unreal. I was very intimidated by this beer, that why it took so long for me to drink it. @ 12.5 %ABV and being my first Barleywine i dont think ill ever be able to enjoy another beer of this style as much as enjoyed firestone walker 15... Unfortunatly i might have to buy another one of ebay in order to appreciate it aged :/
Serving type: bottle
03-24-2012 18:40:59 |
More by jamesfrazer
MDDMD
Pennsylvania
4.43
/5
rDev
+1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A-deep red brown color with minimal tan head and no significant lacing
S-cramel and vanilla with some bourbon overtones
T-complex blend of caramel, toffee, chocolate, vanilla with some bourbon and oaky flavors
F-mediumbody with little carbonation, smooth silky mouth feel, alcohol is not apparent and well-integrated
O-Delicious sipping ale with a rich balanced blend of flavors and alcohol
Serving type: on-tap
03-24-2012 18:18:38 |
More by MDDMD
dirtylou
Washington
4.28
/5
rDev
-1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22oz bomber, boxed
a blend of 8 different beers , dominated by bourbon and brandy barrel aged barleywines.
appearance: served in my Old Wooly snifter, very dark garnet body, light tan lace - minimal retention
smell: lots of barrel - brandy, bourbon, oak, vanilla, brown sugar, dark fruits
taste: plum soaked in brandy, bourbon soaked oak, vanilla bean, raisin, brown sugar, chewy caramel malt, pine, lots of fruit - cherry, mango, plum. interesting concoction - a bit of a deviation from the past anniversary beers
mouthfeel: rich medium body, smooth finish, strong alcohol warming, moderate bitterness
overall: tasty
Serving type: bottle
03-18-2012 23:49:12 |
More by dirtylou
impending
California
3.9
/5
rDev
-10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
B+
Taps, Petaluma
Served in a mini FW snifter. Dark caramel nearly opaque molasses, no head no lacing.
Aroma is rich with toffee, vanilla, little bourbon, little barrel, surprising amount of hop goodness.
All the scent promised is sweetly delivered. The hops are minor but distinct, not to its strength. Full bodied mouthfeel. Nice complexity but for vague reasons the sum is significantly less than its parts.
cheers
jd
Serving type: on-tap
03-18-2012 21:16:00 |
More by impending
Damian
Massachusetts
4.93
/5
rDev
+13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Drank on-tap at the The Alehouse, Amesbury, MA
Served in a cervoise
Very dark mahogany with a slight haze. The liquid was topped by a three-finger head of super dense and creamy, light tan foam that was slow to fade. Droplets of lacing clung to the glass.
The barrel aging played a huge part in the aroma. Bourbon came through front and center. Fragrant vanilla and toasted coconut notes dominated. Lots of sweet, rich brown sugar and dark fruits. Quite raisiny. I could hardly stop myself from smelling this.
The flavor profile was perhaps even more impressive than the nose. Super rich and robust. Quite sweet, but not cloying in the least bit. As in the aroma, the barrels played a huge role. In this case, they lent the beer a sweet and complex, dark rum-like flavor. Good amount of caramel malts and toffee on the front end. Strong raisin and plum notes. Vanilla and coconut were noticeable as well. The beer finished slightly boozy on the back end. As the liquid warmed, the booziness increased but never became distracting.
The mouthfeel was super plush and creamy. Pillowy soft and medium bodied for the style. The beer contained a finely bubbled, medium effervescence. The only thing keeping me from awarding the mouthfeel a "5" was that the liquid could have been a bit more viscous.
Contrary to what others are saying about this beer, I thought it was Firestone Walker's best anniversary release to date (I have tried 11-15). Last year, I sampled 14 fresh on-tap and felt that it needed some time to mellow. The bottle of 14 I had a few months ago was significantly smoother and more rounded. Same was true for Parabola. The fresh bottle I tried was rough around the edges, but a bottle with a year of age on it drank perfectly. This beer, however, is spectacular right out of the gate, and I think that is due in part to the decreased role of Parabola in the blend (9% this year vs. 27% last year). If you have a bottle, my advice would be to drink it sooner than later.
Serving type: on-tap
03-18-2012 04:02:39 |
More by Damian
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Firestone 15 - Anniversary Ale from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
96
out of
100
based on
783
user ratings.
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