Firestone Walker 11 (XI Quercus Alba)

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Had it during a 10-15 vertical on 11/20/11. Pours dark brown/black. No head. Aroma was complex with a sweet coffee smell. Warming alcohol taste with hints of sweet. Slight vanilla. Very smooth.

Pours a dark brown almost black color with red edges and a thinner dirty white head. Dried dark fruits, sweet caramel, hints of malt chocolate, notes of wood and vanilla with some bourbon and booze in the back. A fair bit of chocolate and vanilla, smore esq. with slightly burnt caramel and toffee, notes of oak and fair presence of bourbon with a semi hot finish. The body feels a little thin in the finish with a moderate carbonatin and chewy body. Well integrated, might be a touch over the hill.

651mL thanks to drowland and the Tally beer crew at Proof. The pour is the same as FW10- a clear deep maroon with no head formation. Nose is cellary/musty with maple and bourbon. Softer nose than FW10. More maple character. Taste is big umami/savoriness, mild lactic fatiness, no chalk or ash. No mint character. Much better than FW10. But then we cracked a Parabola....wow Parabola is so much better than this. Hysterical actually. Good stuff but stick to Parabola.

11/11/11. 22oz bottle courtesy daknole. Light caramel and maple aroma with a bit of grainy dustiness, a touch of alcohol, and some barrel character. Tannic, woody flavor with caramel, vanilla, a bit of chocolate, and lingering dryness. Nice!

Bottle. [thanks after4ever]
Pours dark brown with a small, film head. Aroma is roasted, chocolate, whiskey, port, raisins, plums. Medium carbonation, fine dry and fairly creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is lovely (ass-hammeringly so ;o) ). Roasted, chocolate, whiskey, light coffee, sherry sweetness, tar, liqourice. Very, very soft and elegant, even if the mouthfeel is a bit thin.

Errantnight (very nice guy BTW) generously shared this bottle with us at Woodshop - thanks! Dark, muddy brown pour with a slight ring of tan foam at the edges of the glass. Aroma is light, mellow bourbon, dark sweet malt, and a touch of oxidization. Taste is excellent! Soft bourbon, coconut, vanilla, and a soft, sweet near-barley wine malt profile. Decadent sweetness on the end of the taste which may have been the brandy. A+ sipper and perhaps one of my favorite beers on the entire event.

22 oz bottle generously shared by colonelforbin. Thanks Mike. Pours a dark brown with a small tan head that has good retention and leaves a decent amount of lacing on glass. Aroma is roastiness, caramel, bourbon, some light brandy, coconut and some vanilla. The taste follows the nose. Some light sweetness and vanilla, a bit of roastiness and some caramel. Then a bit of bourbon as well as some cherry. The finish has some light bitterness as well as some light alcohol warmth. Medium body. Relatively low carbonation. Great beer.

Brown color/ no head. Vanilla, whiskey, nutty, wood, light roast aromas. Smooth medium mouthfeel. Caramel, molasses, vanilla, pit fruit, nutty, spicy, alcohol flavors--almost good.