RateBeer

Firestone Walker 15 (XV)

 (RETIRED)
Score
100100
OVERALLStyle
Serve in Snifter, Tulip

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution

Add Distribution Data
RATINGS: 315   WEIGHTED AVG: 4.04   SEASONAL: Special   EST. CALORIES: 375   ABV: 12.5%
Share this beer with friends!
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
As a finished beer, XV is alive with amazing complexity and yet it is quite possibly the most integrated and seamless blend yet. Looking at a blend of 8 beers on paper at first looks chaotic and potentially disjointed; however, a closer look reveals and interesting theme: 76% Barley Wine style beers, 19% Stout and 5% Imperial IPA. XV introduces our new blonde barley wine Helldorado with flavors of lavender honey liqueur. The well established DDBA delivers its signature American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. 2010 vintage Sticky Monkey folds in brown sugar, maple, cinnamon, ginger and ripe figs. Parabola brings the familiar flavors of roasted dark coco, and chocolate covered cherries. Velvet Merkin carries silky milk chocolate, toasted coconut and creamy textures. Good Foot and Bravo add assertive barley wine warmth and lush barrel derived vanilla bean notes. The game changer this year is the addition of Double Jack to the blend. At just 5% its massive dry hop character brings citrus zest, tangerine and mango aromas making this a completely new beer. The beer is unfiltered and unfined, so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. XV is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass, a richer, orange zested, chocolate dusted, vanilla custard character is reveled, so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. It was an absolute pleasure in the making and I truly hope you enjoy our Sixth oak-aged blend! Our journey continues and it’s just as fun and exciting now as it was back in 1996.


fidelis83's rating

4.2
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
fidelis83 (1585) - Clinton, Iowa, USA - FEB 9, 2013
Cloudy dark, dark brown with a thin, beige head. Lots of vanilla and bourbon in the nose, chocolate, roast, some pine and citrus, nice caramel and toffee. Flavor is great smooth bourbon, nutty notes, toast, caramel and toffee right away, then some chocolate, light roast, booziness, nice buttery oak and hints of dried fruit. Medium to heavy body with a slightly syrupy, somewhat creamy, entry and boozy, slightly astringent finish, with a medium carbonation. Goddamn tasty.


most recent ratings

3.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
gEUS (573) - Linden, BELGIUM - MAY 17, 2013
Bottle at DL Vertical Tasting in the cellars of Chez Moeder Lambic Saint-Gilles. Thanks to BelgBeerGeek! Pours clear dark brown with small head. Aroma of caramel, flowery honey notes; vanilla and some plum/date fruitiness. Nice. Medium body, quite balanced, medium carbonation. Taste is honey, vanilla wood burn.

4.5
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20
Emeister84 (432) - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA - APR 13, 2013
Aromas of cocoa, toffee, vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar, molasses, some smoke, citrus fruits, fig, and subtle maple. Dark brown with a fully fading, light tan head. Deep, dark, fruity, nutty, and smoothed by hints of vanilla throughout. Medium-full bodied with low carbonation, perceptible strength without being boozy, very smooth, and finishes with a complex concoction of flavors clinging to the tongue. Absolutely awesome!

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
jmgreenuk (1271) - The Hague, NETHERLANDS - APR 12, 2013
Bottle at the John=Jim Den Haag tasting, Den Haag. Poured a dark brown.colour with a thin tan head. The aroma is hugely rich and bitter. The flavour is big bitter with loads of liqourice and dark chocolate. A superb beer for sure.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
dEnk (2632) - Den Haag, NETHERLANDS - APR 12, 2013
Bottle @ jim is jon tasting. Aroma is bourbon, wood, big caramel, some molasses. Flavour is huge caramel, big bourbon, vanilla and wood, touch of liquorice. A tad too sweet for me but still a great beer.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
kermis (2461) - The Hague, NETHERLANDS - APR 12, 2013
Bottle shared thanks to Deanso. Pours clear brown with no real head. Aroma of caramel, dark fruit, raisins, malt, prunes. Flavour is moderate sweet and bitter, very well balanced, with more bitterness coming out in the finish. Full bodied with soft carbonation. Lovely.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
deanso (3185) - the Hague, NETHERLANDS - APR 12, 2013
66cl bottle as a birthday present thanks to JMGreenUK. Thin tan head. Clear deep burgundy pour. An awesome brew!

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Vaiz (2680) - Den Haag, NETHERLANDS - APR 12, 2013
Bottle @ ABC Beers Jim=John tasting. Clear dark brown pour, no head. Aroma is ripe fruits, floral hops, aged malts, alcohol, leather, licorice and bourbon. Flavor is alcoholic, fruity, sweet and bitter in a nice balance and very full bodied. Great brew.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
GMCC2181 (1424) - Newark, Delaware, USA - APR 2, 2013
Bottle via SL... Ruby red in color, small head. Poured in to a snifter, drank on the warmer side.... 60 F. Aroma is a booze hound....malty, sweet caramel, raisons and some dark fruit. Taste is boozy but not an alcohol burn. Fruity, sweetness, caramel malts..... for 12.5 percent this is drinkable. Medium body... Overall: Good stuff

4.1
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
DocJitsu (304) - California, USA - MAR 30, 2013
Pours into my Samuel Smith tulip glass a dark amber with a coffee foam head. The head attenuates quickly to a thin cap with no lacing on the glass. Bountiful aromas of bourbon, chocolate, and coconut with a an alcohol tinge that begins to appear the longer it is inhaled into the olfactory. Despite an uncharacteristic fizziness as the beer is poured, the mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy. The aroma of this beer creates an expectation that, frankly, gets frustrated by the first pull into the mouth. A bourbon/chocolate liqueur cocktail, perhaps. It finishes with a nuttiness that competes with the alcohol warmth. Not FW’s best effort. I was really excited about this beer, given my affection for 14. Perhaps it’s been to soon since my last Abacus (a FW barleywine) to give this beer an objective appraisal. To be fair, it is a quality brew, just not what I expected.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Iphonephan (1193) - Virginia, USA - MAR 25, 2013
On draft at ChurchKey DC during the Craft Brewers Conference. Pours a clear cola brown with an off white head. Aroma of raisins and plums. Flavors of caramel with some fig notes. Mighty tasty.


We Want To Hear From You



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

Join Us »




View Page
1 2 3 4 » 32


Tick this beer

for your profile
  • Currently 0/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5


tags




Copyright © 2000-2013,
RateBeer LLC. All rights
reserved.
about us
About RateBeer
FAQ
Contact/Feedback
New Beers
add
Advanced Search
Add A Beer
Add A Brewer
Add A Place
Events
membership
Log In
Edit Personal Info
Buy Premium Membership
Your Messages
the best
RateBeer Best
100 Beer Club
The Top 50