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

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On tap at the 2007 GABF: Pours a transparent mahogany with a thin, wispy-lacing light tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and smooth bourbon oak. Body starts with nice sticky caramel sweetness lots of oaky bourbon with a touch of warmth toward the finish and some milk chocolate. Well-balanced and enjoyable.

UPDATED: JUL 21, 2008 Rerate thanks to Pantanap. Hazy dark brown with small beige head. Dough, barrel, dark fruit, some nut. Dirty barrel nuttiness, dark fruit, alc, some roast. Medium body and watery. Okay but not as good as I remember.

On tap at FoBAB ’07. Red dark brown with beige head.3 Bourbon aroma with dark malt, some fruit.8 Flavor is bourbon, cherry, vanilla, red fruit, good balance.8 Medium to full body with good carb.3 Enjoyable.16 =3.8

On tap at FoBAB 5. Poured clear reddish-brown with a medium creamy cap of deep beige head. The aroma picked up a lot of oak and various boozes (which upon further review was intentional).. bourbon, vanilla, and vinous notes at first with chocolate, caramel, brandy, and white pepper behind.. there was way too much going on here, but I still enjoyed how it was presented. The flavor had more pepper in the nose (white pepper and some peppery alcohol) with lots of bourbon and brandy accents.. deep caramel, vinous notes, and chocolate were firmly rooted at the core with lots of warmth and a light-to-moderate roast to it.. again a whole lot going on, but solidly presented. Heavier-bodied on the palate and a bit of oak graininess to it.. complex and ultimately enjoyable.

FoBAB Chicago, 2007. Looks like the place to rate "XI Quercus Alba." A big head that smells like a hefe quality, then somehow resolves to a cotton candy smell. Sweeter than most extreme beers, but not overly so. Taste mellows down to that of a well-kept barley wine, but with a very smooth blond ale texture.

UPDATED: NOV 6, 2007 FoBAB 2007 (Quercus Alba): Deep brown with coppery highlights and fading head. The aroma has notes of caramel, toast, brown sugar, bourbon, hint of tannic oak vapours. The taste is a discombobulated mix of sweet malts, bourbon, oak, raisin, and walnut. Nothing shines above the rest and I left thinking it is okay but I am confused with what is going on here. The mouth feel is sticky sweet and warming. Just missed the mark but worth a try I guess.

UPDATED: MAY 26, 2008 on tap at FoBAB V: pours dark brown with no head. nose of sweet, caramel, and bourbon. flavor is caramelly, roast, harsh wood, chocolate, good stuff, but too sweet.3.7.

22oz bottle. thanks to holdenn for sharing! pours dark brown with small off white head. nose caramel, bourbon, oak, and vanilla. flavors of charred oak, bourbon, caramel, dark fruit. pretty good but subtle and not that fun to drink.7/3/7/3/15=3.5.

GABF 2007: Named Quercius Alba. Poured a clear deep chestnut color with an off-white head. Light bourbon aroma with vanilla and some sweet roasted malt mixed in. The flavor was roasty and malty sweet. Nice chocolate and bourbon add to it. Good warmth and a medium body.

UPDATED: FEB 4, 2008 Name: XI
Date: 10/11/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, GABF

muddy brown, frothy beige head, sweet chocolate and vanilla aroma with a hint of oak, sweet bourbon and chocolate flavor, lots of vanilla sweetness, light oak adds a touch of bitterness, dark chocolate, fruity raison,
-------- /> Name: XI
Date: 02/02/2008
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting

a bit lighter in the bottle without the depth of character,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

(Draught) Pours a dark brown body with a moderate beige head. Aroma of wood, toffee, bourbon, and baked molasses. Similar characteristics are pulled in to flavor: bourbon, wood, toffee, and nuts. Tasty!

UPDATED: APR 21, 2009 Draft @ GABF 2007. Another AWESOME offering from Firestone. These guys really know what they are doing and are bringing craft beer to the next level with their barrel-aged blends. Dark amber hue w/ good retention of a small, white head. Bourbon, honey, and brown sugar in the nose and on the palate. An extremely complex brew w/ a full mouthfeel. Maybe not as complex @ this point in the age of the beer as 10 was @ last sampling.