Sour Opal
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Sour OpalSour Opal
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #133
ABV:
5%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,503
Avg:
4.29 | pDev: 7.46%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
322
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 25, 2022
Added:
Sep 23, 2012
Wants:
  44
Gots:
  45
We’ve patiently waited for two years to offer you this exquisite ale! Sour Opal retraces its roots to the lambic cellars of the town of Brussels and the Senne River valley, in Belgium. This American “Gueuze” represents a spectrum of flavors from a traditional barrel aged sour ale, complete with aromas of aged cheese and a distinct earthy mustiness that can only be found in a well cellared barrel aged sour. The complexity and balanced flavors of Sour Opal can be attributed first to the crisp assertive tannic acidity of the Viognier barrels. Oak-derived flavors and aromas mingle with guava, passion fruit, pineapple and tart cherry notes. This beer rounds out with a crisp clean and quenching acidity as well as a mild grape fruitiness that is intensified by a higher carbonation level.
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Ratings by benzalman:
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Reviewed by benzalman from California

4.34/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Really great tart sour. Picked up from Barrelworks in CA. This is on par with several of the other FW wild/sour releases and worth seeking out. Excellent beer.
Aug 03, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Oct 25, 2022
 
Rated: 3.99 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Dec 02, 2021
Photo of mschrei
Reviewed by mschrei from Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I love FW barrel aged program, be it stouts, barleywines, or wild ales. This is no exception. Hazy golden orange with mild head and lacing. Funky Brett smell with tart notes of apricot and citrus that delivers on the taste. Not a strong barrel character, but a mild alcohol presence. Crisp, dry, refreshing, an easy sipper. Excellent.
Sep 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.34 by TwoTrees from Washington

Dec 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4.48 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Sep 02, 2020
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.71/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Batch: No. 003 Bottled: 05/08/17

Pours golden amber orange with a creamy frothy white foam head. Smells like vanilla beans, coconut, toffee, toasty oak barrel, caramelized bready malt, lemon, apricot, dusty hay, straw, barnyard, mild nutty dry aged cheese, with floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Tastes lambic-esque with notes of lemon, tart apricot, cider, sweet vinegar, woody spice complexity, vanilla, coconut, toasty wine oak barrel, dusty hay, straw, toffee, caramelized bready crackery malts, ocean mist, with some floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium bodied, creamy slick with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really nice blended gueuze style ale.
Jun 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.34 by taospowder from New Mexico

May 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.83 by TimG_0913 from Delaware

Apr 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.43 by caffeinelogic from New York

Feb 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.27 by impending from California

Feb 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jan 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.41 by merglegm from California

Oct 20, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 5/8/17; drank 9/4/17 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy orange appearance; champagne bubbles throughout.

A rough pour yielded a nice bright white head; a thick curtain of lace.

Tart lemon, honeyed wheat & faint dandelion notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Tart lemon & honeyed wheat flavors up front; mildly dry dandelion notes on the finish.

A bold, flavorful American sour; above average & worthy of a quaff anytime.
Oct 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.19 by MickeyHops from California

Sep 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.47 by GClarkage from California

Aug 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.6 by FrankCastle from California

Jun 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by aztraz from Sweden

May 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by crob3888 from California

Feb 10, 2019
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Batch 3 2017 vintage tasted in a Rastal Teku from a bottle on December 31, 2018. Notes of musty blankets, stinky aged cheese, oak, guava, passion fruit, pineapple and tart cherry notes. Feel is crisp, clean and a little acidic.
Feb 05, 2019
Sour Opal from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 322 ratings