Firestone Walker 10

Bottle acquired in a trade with IrishBoy. Richard you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you so much sharing this treasure. The pour was brown with an almost ethereal glow of copper and garnet on the edges. The head was maybe one finger tall, off-white and quickly collapsed into a galaxy swirl that only offered up bits of lacing. The aroma was chocolate, pine hops, floral hops, oak, bourbon, vanilla all taking turns, none being too dominant. The flavor was thin chocolate, plenty of hoppiness, some caramel, woody bourbon that wasn’t overdone or at all hot. The mouthfeel was possibly a bit oily or slick but overall it was so heavy that you thought you were drinking an IS. A unique effort that succeeded in blending styles without one trampling all the rest or falling apart and becoming a giant mess. A great experience.

Bottle at the Freakin Frog (per the Bar Tender, their last bottle!). Poured a deeper brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, and dark fruits. Tastes of roast, chocolate, dark fruits, and some coffee. Alcohol content well hidden.

Bottle generously shared by mreusch. Pours jet black with a thin, creamy, beige head. The nose...I think I’m in love: big chocolaty rum cake, dark fruit, coffee, vanilla bean, light oak and just a touch of resinous hops in the background. Medium to full-bodied and oily-slick with a warm modestly bitter finish. The flavor is of chocolate, dark fruit, alcohol, light vanilla and wood. It starts like a foreign or imperial stout and transitions to a barley wine character with a dry, hoppy finish. To quote my friend Hopscotch, "THIS BEER ROCKS!" It just sucks that I’m not likely to get another chance to enjoy this amazing beer again. Thanks a ton for sharing this once-in-a-lifetime brew with me, Matt!

22oz. bomber, with another huge thank you to Enniskillen for this very rare opportunity! Pours a lighter brown color with a minimal tan head that reduces to a thin but complete covering. Aroma is fanfreakingtastic! So much going on its overwhelming, with charred oak, light bourbon, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, espresso, ripe dark fruits, and on and on, all in near perfect harmony to provide a rich and decadent aromatic experience. Flavor follows equally as well, with more of the same, further blending and melding everything together in a fantastic concoction. I agree with YourDarkLord below that each sip opens up new and exciting combinations of flavors in an incredible way. Wow, consider me VERY impressed by this one! Thanks again Chris!

The description of this beer intrigued me and I wasn’t disappointed. Who would have guessed that a blend of those styles would have produced such an elixir. Deep chestnut with a small tan head. The aroma had lots going on, with notes of roasted malt, molasses, hops, anise, dried fruit, brown sugar, coffee, chocolate. The more you sniffed, the more you found. Good body with a robust feel in the mouth. The flavor captured the elements of the aroma and, as with the aroma, each sip revealed something new and different. Nice way to celebrate a tenth anniversary.