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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Bottle shared at a Portland BA/RB tasting held at Bailey’s Taproom... Poured dark, clear, amberish/ruby. Light carbonation with flavors of oak, dark fruits, malts and even still a little hot after a couple of years on it.

Big thanks to clockworkorange for bringing this one to Stakem’s Fish Fry. A - Pours murky brown with a small half finger tall off-white / tan head leaving very thin streaks of lace down parts of the glass. S - Smells of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, bit of chocolate, vanilla, oak and a touch of bourbon. Some definite oxidation creeps in at the end of each sniff but that is to be expected. T - Starts off with lots of sweetness - mostly toffee, brown sugar and caramel - slowly giving way to hints of chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits, oak and some light bourbon warmth. Little to no booze and only a marginal amount of oxidation present. Finish is a little sweet, lingering on the pallet for only a short period of time after consumption. M - Full body with a nice mild sweet flavor and moderate carbonation. Very little, if any alcohol is left and only a marginal amount of oxidation. O - This one has held up surprisingly well. It still had all of the flavors I was expecting and the oxidation, while present, wasn’t overpowering. Glad I finally got to try this one.

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.

A very dark brown, nice sheen, looks good, a light tan watery head... Aroma is bit to light but some nice malt and molasses present, just not enough of it... Taste is super smooth but light on flavor, nutty molasses with a some smooth liquor... Wanted to love it but only like it