Firestone Walker 10

Formerly brewed at Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Paso Robles, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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Bomber, courtesy CheeseMan at RBWG in March 2010. The pour gives a hazy, dark, reddish-brown to sienna colored body wrought with chunky yeast floaties. Just a thin swirl of khaki foam sits at the head. There is no lace, though some soft sheeting does show on the glass. The aroma is pretty damn awesome, showing a well balanced blend of nougat, stewed raisins, slightly oxidized caramel, and butterscotch candy. Hops have all but disappeared, but the aforementioned oxidation works beautifully here, drying things out a bit and keeping the nose from being overly saccharine. Rich, warming bourbon is pervasive, and a bold vanilla contingent comes through in a big way. Flavors are similar, showing a caramel, nougat, and rum raisin base, fortified by smooth bourbon and teeming with woody vanilla. Hazelnuts make an appearance, as does some semi-dry cocoa, bringing in a hint of rich, oxidized roastiness to back up the sweeter caramel-toffee malt. The palate seems a bit thinned with time, perhaps also having lost some carbonation as the current levels are quite low. The result is a somewhat lacking, syrupy mouthfeel. Overall, I’d say that this probably isn’t as great as it once was, but it is still damn tasty and very nice for some slow porch sipping. What struck me most, having sampled the first four FW anniversary beers in the order of 11-12-13-10, is that this one is entirely different than the others. It’s far more barleywine driven that the latter, stout driven releases. Very cool brew.

@HallingHansen tasting, thanks for sharing. Pours cloudy brown with a small beige head. Aroma is caramel, raisin, plum, oak, vanilla and alcohol. Flavour is is caramel, alcohol, raisin, plum, vanilla and oak.

At HallingHansen Grand Tasting, thanks for sharing. Pours an unclear and dark brown beer with a weak beige head. The aroma is malt, fruit, dried fruit, sweetness, vanilla and wood. The flavor follows the nose with additional alcohol. The palate is sweetness and alcoholwarmth. Overall a really good beer.

Near black with ruby highlights, small off-white head. Malty aroma with a bit of caramel, notable oak and bourbon, and a touch of fruitiness. Sweet malty flavour with a complex oak character, and quite a bit of alcohol

Bottle @ Hallinghansens US Tasting, Odense. Pours murky dark brown with a small off white head. Sweet nose and flavor of oak, caramel, prune and a slight oxidation. Sweet and vinous. A bit of warmth. A sipper!

Bottle. Mud brown body with a tiny offwhite head. Aroma is raisins, dark fruit, alcohol notes, roasted malt, bourbon and vanilla. Flavor is dark fruit, alcohol, raisins, chocolate notes, vanilla, bourbon. Tha alcohol thickles in the mouth. Great beer.

Bottle at hallinghansen grand tasting. It pours dark brown with some floasties. It has a medium off white head. Loads of bourbon notes in the aroma. Sweet toasted caramel, vanilla, booze, light chocolate and tobacco. The flavour is vanilla, toasted caramel, booze, light roast and fainted hops. Nice and smooth. Long sweet dark dried fruity finish. Thanks hallinghansen for sharing!

Thanks to Mike Dash G!! Appearance: pours a dark brown with no head and no bubbles.

Aroma: Dark fruit: fig, raisin date. Apricot. Not any booze.

Taste. Dark chocolate alcohol cardboard, hazelnut, coconut.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied modest carbonation. Overall: Nothing like it was 6 years ago, obviously. I would suggest doing your "vertical" now.

Had during a 10-15 vertical on 11/20/11. Slightly cloudy, dark brown. Hardly any head at all. Sweet chocolate coffee smell. Really complex aroma. Tasks slightly sweet and very smooth. You can taste the alcohol come through almost like a bourbon. May be past its prime. But was still incredibly enjoyable.

Pour is a deep dark coppery brown with little gray head. Smell is deep molasses light figs and butter resin. Taste is brown sugar buttered caramel popcorn vanilla great smooth silky mouthfeel. thanks drowland.

651mL thanks to drowland and the Tally beer crew at Proof for sharing this rarity!. The pour is a clear, deep maroon with bubbles. No head formation. Nose is starchy, red fruits, tart berries, umami soy character, quite savory with saving graces of bourbon and maple. Taste is spicy, decent alcohol heat, mild ash and chalkiness. Big kick of alcohol in the mid. Chalk and mint in the finale. Big oxidized/minty quality. Not bad...probably not worth cellaring any longer.