21st Amendment / Firestone Walker / Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

12oz bottle into a Bells Tulip. Thanks to Alex for this one. Stone, please stop the collaborations, am I the only one that has not been impressed with one of these yet? Anyway a light black and watery pour, not much carbonation...The taste and aroma are the same, tons of figs, brown sugar, and its way too boozy, alcohol seeps through. The finish is a huge alcohol burn not at all appitizing...Tough to drink.

Rating #61 for this brew. $3.99 12oz. [A] Figgy licorice. Slightly smoky, charred, peppery chocolate aroma. Vanilla, coffee, and dark fruit. Astringent booze. Interesting. [A] Pours an attractive looking, thick and stouty brown, sitting black in snifter, ruby around edges. Gorgeous brown cap that immediately recedes to nothing. [F] Upfront and mid is more IPA/Black ale. Coffee/foreign stout flavors with hops. Pepper, fig and chocolatey coffee don’t exactly thrill the palate on finish. Raisins and botanicals. It is quite an odd mix. Something I don’t like here. Cloying, lingering finish isn’t really hoppy bitter, nor enjoyable. Peppery. I will admit complexity. But that’s like saying "I swallowed chewed bubblegum and whole peanuts. See if you can find them in my poop." [P] This ale and its characteristics don’t make for a drinkable brew in my book. 12 ounces is enough tonight. Kind of in-between liking it and hating it. Hops are decent. Mouth is slightly boozy. Light carbonation. Medium feel. Still not enjoying pepper or dark fruitiness together. [O] Never had a Firestone. Never had a 21st Amendment. I hear great things. But as for this Stone collabo. No. Not tonight. Maybe another time. But not tonight. I don’t think this brew was exceptional at all. Read Brynildson’s story on the back of the bottle. He was probably shxtfaced when they got together to make this brew. Moreso than I am reviewing it. That may be the best explanation for this. This brews’ complexity can’t compensate for its flaws. 3.0 on a count of A/A. Sorry guys. Ech.

I picked this up at the Binny’s in Orland Park, Illinois. It poured a deep brown body with a tall, spongey light brown head. Thick lace. The aroma was a perfumey blending of floral scents, burnt malt, and lots of licorice. The mouthfeel was soft and smooth. It tasted like burnt licorice, downtrodden prunes, bittersweet chocolate, and a nut shell bitterness. I’m not sure what was intended here, but this may have been one of those "too many cooks" situations where maybe they could have used another test batch or three before bottling and marketing this.

Pours black with a big dissipating tan head. Aroma-roasted malt, roasted vegetables, light herbal notes, rubber tires. Taste-sharp herbal flavor bitch slaps the tongue, followed by over-roasted malt, alcohol, very slight fig in the finish. Medium body. Very nutty aftertaste, which is pleasant and probably its best aspect. Weird-ass beer.

UPDATED: JUL 12, 2010 While this was well crafted (nice imperial stout taste with some floral notes), what is the end to this fad of crazy ass adjuncts? Pink peppercorns? Fennel seeds? Why not just throw some real bits of tiger meat in and call it Sex Panther. Maybe I’m a traditionalist, but all the barrel aging, crazy adjuncts - why not just make a great, simple beer. A spice here or there is okay but this has gotten out of control. Seeing "beer aged in french oak barrels" or "drinks like fine cognac" (not referring to this one here, again it’s not bad) - I’d rather just have fine cognac. I swear the creamy head on this one had some pink or red hue, although my eyesight is not what it used to be. Very strange and unpalatable aroma, when it warmed up I had to stop drinking it, and I certainly wouldn’t try it again.

A dense light brown head tops a perfectly black colored body. A sweet nose has some hints of chocolate and oranges. There is also some bread crust along with yeasty bread dough. At the beginning of the drink, dark prunes mix with milk chocolate. The finish is nasty coffee and ashtray. There is also some orange rind mixed with licorice, a really poor combination. This is a harsh burnt tasting brew. I have no idea what others are tasting, this spicing is either causing or emphasizing the ash flavors.