Firestone Walker 11

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Sampled on 9/2/2012 during an FW 11-15 vertical. This American Strong Ale pours a dark brown color from a 22oz bottle. Small to no head. The aroma is caramel, fruity, sweet and woody. A full bodied American Strong Ale. The malts are fruity, sweet, boozy and woody. The hops are earthy and floral. Nice balance. Slight touch of oxidation, but mostly wood and bourbon. Very smooth. Nice sipping beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet. An interesting tasting. The group consensus was that the was not a whole lot of difference between the 11, 12 and 14, but that the 13 was thin and tasted so different from the others we wondered if they changed the recipe.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

A friend and I were fortunate to be able to sit down for an evening and enjoy our way from 11 through 14 capped off by a bottle of Abacus....but more on that later. Humongous thanks to Garrett for supplying me with the 11, which I thought may have been the best out of all we sampled. Wonderfully blended and smooth with a myriad of mellowed flavors. No harsh edges and subtle notes of bran, tobacco, chocolate, raisins, and a touch of cherry.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

..by the power of grey skull..... lots of oak and other sweetness.. . $200 hooker! .. . a good bit of alcohol and toffee, some tar .. . soo soo tasty and complex .. . i like a little bit of nibble in the evening .. . delicious and full ..

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Bottle shared Bottle shared by Robert at SL in a special, super duper, pre-holiday secret tasting. Pour was dark brown, thin choco-colored head. Aroma was of chocolate syrup, vanilla, bourbon. The flavor followed the aroma, a somewhat cloying Hershey-syrup character to the chocolate, firm bourbon presence (yet not overly done like many), and oak/wood accents in each sip too. The nose was better than the flavor, but this was a fun one anyway. Thanks, Bert!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

A slightly hard pour produces an initially two-finger thick, light chocolate stained, tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer sits in my glass a near black color with deep brown hues; when held up to the light it shows a brilliantly clear, deep ruby color. Wow, what an interesting mix of flavors. I have never gotten such a distinctive note of coconut from a barrel influenced beer before; it is really quite nice and you would swear there was actual coconut added to this brew. There is lots of other things here as well though; aromas of vanilla, light cherry, brandy soaked dried fruit, hints of clove, bourbon-soaked vanilla beans, toffee malt, light chocolate, a backdrop of toasted grain / bread crust notes. Despite being so influenced by the various barrels, this beer is quite mellow and smooth for a barrel aged beer; it is really well integrated and a true sign of the blender's art.

Quite a bit sweeter and fuller tasting than the aroma might have suggested, but still quite in line with what I was expecting of this beer before I opened it. The barrel spirits are a touch more noticeable in the flavor than they were in the nose with the various whisky components being most noticeable, but also some fruity brandy notes towards the late middle, before some more spicy bourbon notes kick in for the lingering finish. A bit of alcohol warming is found in the finish as well. Coconut flavors play a role here as well, though not quite as distinctly as in the aroma. The coconut mixes with rich toffee flavors, distinct & rich vanilla flavors and a dark, concentrated fruitiness; this last reminds me of bourbon soaked dried fruit, the types one might use in a dense fruit-cake (though the fruit plays a soft, supporting role here).

The carbonation is not overly heavy here, but does provide a nice, persistent texture to this beer that just scrubs the tongue as it flows past, though not enough to really compete with the reasonably viscous body of this brew. Speaking of which, this beer is definitely not heavy for a beer of this strength, though it is most definitely a sipping brew. At times the finish takes on some bitter cocoa notes, though in a good way; just before this though can often be found a rich chocolate-cream character. As the beer warms up it really starts to pick us some interesting spiciness in both the aroma and flavor. It is hard for me to pick out individual components, but if I had to describe it I would say it is a mix of cinnamon, fenugreek, mace and allspice; these notes are all fairly subtle, but compliment nicely the mix of vanilla, molasses and fruit notes that are found in this beer. The sweet, light roasted chocolate notes really start to come to the forefront as the beer warms too.

A tasty beer, a bit more integrated than the 10, but only just barely. Still seems to be lacking in an intenseness, a richness and even a complexity that would be necessary to make this world class. Still it is an incredibly tasty brew, that really helps to showcase what can be accomplished with blending.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours with a dark brown body topped by a thin to medium thick head with some lacing. It’s sweet and malty with a note of vanilla, oak and raisin, as well as, a little roast. Full bodied, smooth yet warming.