Firestone Walker Sucaba

Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Paso Robles, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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Tap @ Bailey’s Taproom... Poured near opaque, deep brown with a light, tan head. Nose had buttercorn, molasses, toffee, and butternut squash. Decent carbonation, a little fizzy on the tongue. Full bodied, very malty and the alcohol tones played like bourbon whiskey and toasted oak. Buttery toffee (not diacetyl!), like burnt sugar and caramel. Dark fruits like figs, dates, raisins, prunes and hints of honey sweetness. A little bit floralness crept in to balance the sweetness and a big malted grain finish. As it warmed the whiskey notes really became more evident.

On tap at Bailey’s Taproom Poured into a snifter with virtually no head. Color is a dark murky brown, with some red showing when light shines through it. Aroma hits you first with caramel and toffee, then vanilla, bourbon, and a hint of prunes. On the front of the tongue this tastes like candy, then there’s chocolate further back in the mouth and cherry in the finish. This is very, very smooth and not at all cloying. It should be sipped slowly, but it’s hard not to drink it faster than an 13% beer ought to be.

Draft. Medium beige head, garnet-black body. Aroma is moderately sweet, Bourbon, some smoke, chocolate, wood. Taste is moderately sweet, Bourbon, some wood, vanilla. Sticky medium-full body.

pours a dark brown, not glass or shine to it, a little ugly, a light beige head, good retention and lacing... the aroma is decent, not as good as I as expecting, can’t really tell it was barrel-aged at all, molasses mostly, a hint of hops... again can’t really tell this is barrel-aged, a little bourbon, lots of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla, hoppy bourbon finish... good not the greatness I was expecting

12oz pours at Black Squirrel in DC. Pours a translucent, deep brown with very little off white head. Nose is boozy, bourbon, vanilla, almost like Johnnie Walker, raisins, oranges, dried fruit, coconut. Flavor is sweet, brown sugar, malty, orange, boozy, rum, whiskey, vanilla, cracker crumbs, a little cookie dough. Full bodied, boozy, sweet, hot finish. Pretty good, a touch too boozy, probably would have been better at 10% and not 12%.

Glowing caramel pour with a slight fizzy head. Aroma is fruity, very boozy, some bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, dried fruits abound. Mouth feel is slick, oily. Very hot, but loads of dried fruits and bourbon in the flavor, very refined. Tasty but very boozy, we will see what time does to this guy. Excellent

UPDATED: APR 4, 2011 Incredible barleywine with beautiful dark chocolate, cognac, pitted fruit and unpitted fruit skins, tobacco, leather, subtle bourbon (well integrated) cardamom, clove, and surprisingly dryish in the remarkably lengthy finish. Impeccable balance from sniff to aftertaste. Simply one of the most amazingly sophisticated barleywines I’ve ever tasted. In another six months when the heat has subsided, this will be a true masterpiece. Edit: After only a few days resting, the heat has almost totally vanished, the carbonation is softer, and the flavors are already more married. Kudos, Firestone!

22oz bottle, courtesy dcschiller and drowland, pours with a slight tan head. Oaky aroma, slight bit of bourbon. Very bourbon taste, a bit one dimensional. Oak and bourbon dominate. Alright, a bit overhyped.

Tap at the double windsor. Strong yet smooth with a big hoppy bourbon and oak aroma. Its combined with hints of chocolate, deep rish finish. Very complex. Vert good

Pours deep brown into a snifter. Off-white head with excellent retention recedes to hug rim. Pit fruit, vanilla and oak aromas. Sweet coconut and almonds upfront turning hot and boozy in the lasting dark caramel covered pit fruit and oak finish.