Firestone Walker 11 (XI Quercus Alba)

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

This particular bomber required a long drive over to the Solana Beach BevMo where I was given the choice to buy one or two. I chose two.

Pours a beautiful deep clear brown with tan head. The aroma is full and rich with a lot going on in there. The first bit of the nose is sweet vanilla, chocolate, mild roasty malts and a bit of caramel. Soon the varied wood notes take over with oak, cedar-like notes and fresh douglass fur. Then the booze character enters the nasal arena with brandy, whiskey and pure alcohol along with a faint leather like funk way off in the background. OK, time to finally take a taste. Like the nose I get a bit of roasty malts that slowly turn toward vanilla, chocolate and caramel. The oak, cedar and other fresh wood notes surface soon after but are more subtle in nature than indicated in the aroma. Beyond midway to the finish the brandy, whiskey, oak, caramel candy sweetness and mild alcohol hotness all mingle together and slowly bring the experience to a close. What a treat this beer is. Yum. I enjoyed it more than the Firestone 10 (which I think needed more age when I rated it).