Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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Got in a trade with swingracex. 12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 2/21/2013. Pours fairly crystal clear almost opaque dark brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of milk chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, oats, toast, brown bread, light coffee, floral, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of roasted malt notes with oats and light hops. Taste of milk chocolate, cocoa, oats, roasted malt, toast, brown bread, light coffee, floral, and roasted earthiness. Slight earthy roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, oats, roasted malt, light coffee, toast, and light earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of roasted/bready malt flavors with oats and light hops; with nice robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish; moderately dry on the finish as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy, smooth, and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice oatmeal stout. All around nice flavor balance and robustness; and extremely smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

CBC. Black with a light brown head. Aroma is roasted malt, coffee and dusty. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and roasted moderate bitter finish. 040513

Flaske: Sortbrun let gennemsigtig øl med et offwhite skumhoved. Duften er brændt og klassisk amerikansk stout med vægt på en smule humle foruden den let brændte næse. Smagen sidder i skabet. I det hele taget en lækker øl.

Bottle @ home ... It pours clear black with a medium tan head....The aroma is coffee, some chocolate, some roasted malt and nuts..... The flavor is just like the nose... nice beer easy drinking.....

04.05.2013, 0,35l bottlesample @ CBC: Lett røsta og syrlig lukt med preg av mørk malt, humle, røsta korn, kaffi, laktose, mørkt sukker, sjokolade, puffaris. Frisk lett tørr smak med preg av mørk malt, humle, røsta korn, brent karamell, laktose, lakris, kaffi, gras, mørkt sukker. Litt lite fylde, middels bitterhet som set litt. Grei.

Refrigerated 12 oz. bottle from Joe poured into a shaker. Pours black with small dark brown highlights with small beige head. Little lacing, medium/thin body, medium/low carbonation, and light oat aroma. Taste is roasty, some dark chocolate, herbal hops, some coffee, and ash finish. Complex taste, but not one of my favorites. Better as it warms.

Bottle @ CBC. Very dark brown with small beige head. Aroma is roasted malts, dark fruits and chocolate. Flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruits, medium sweet and a little coffee.

12 ounce bottle. Pours a translucent brown with a khaki colored head of foam. Aroma is sweet and roasty with some chocolate. A little ashy, but overall still, it is pretty nice.

Bottle at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2013. Poured a dark chesnut brown colour with a thin tan head. The aroma is malty, but somewhat weak. The flavour is medium bitter, but rather metallic and a little lifeless. Tastes like an Irish Red. Not my style really.

Bottle to oversized snifter. Looks good; a with light beige lacing. Smells and tastes solid; caramel malt. Average on the palate. Good beer!