Firestone Walkers Reserve (Robust Porter)

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

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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We luckily stumbled upon a keg of FW Reserve at Tavern liquor in the San Fernando Valley. Very good porter. Fine, distinctive flavor. Another great effort by Firestone.

Bottle. Brown-black with a beige head. Aroma of chocolate and coffee with roasted malts. Roasted malt flavor with chocolate but also with a background sourness that I just couldn’t get past. Thinner body.

Lovely aroma of milk chocolate with hints of vanilla and coffee. Large light brown rocky head with moderate lacing. Medium body on the palate with a snappy dry finish.

UPDATED: OCT 21, 2005 Rating #2 Bottle (7 3 7 4 16). A dark brown color with a foamy brown head. A nice chocoatey bouquet in the nose and a full bodied robust chocolate, caramel and malt flavor. Very smooth and rich. Rating #1 Tap @ Toronado (6 3 6 3 15). Black color with a diminished tan head. Earthy smoked flavors and nose that is complimented by chocolate and toasted malts.

Thanks to my Santa for this bottle. Black with a thin tan head. Oily roasted malt nose - some cocoa. The most understated oak aged beer I’ve tasted. The same kind of thing is happening here as happened w. Oaked Bastard. Flavors are softer than I imagine they would be without the oak. Chocolate, milk, sweet malt. The finish is quite sweet but nice. Pity this isn’t a bit more complex.

UPDATED: SEP 10, 2007 Bottled Bomber. Brown/black color with quickly dissipating tan head. Malty smell. Medium to thin body with minimal carbonation. quickly dissipating aftertaste. I was dissipaointed with the thin mouthfeel and minimal taste. Not a very good porter

Bottle. Deep brown in color, tan head that laced my glass. Earthy aroma, kind of smoky with some oak. Deep chocolate malt flavor, offset by a good amount of smoky flavor, and the oak really comes through in the finish and complements the chocolate malt, just the right amount of bitterness in there too. One of the most balanced porters that I’ve had, I’m a fan.

UPDATED: OCT 18, 2004 i had no idea this was a porter when i bought it,but hot damn im glad it is. i dumped this one into a pint glass and it gave off a very nice head.pretty dark with hints amber trying to sneak through when held up to sunlight. the first sip gave off a bit of spice in the beginning,and then the smokey porter flavor came afterwards.i bet this is near perfect on tap.

(22 oz bottle, $4) Unexpectedly flavorful and robust porter featuring a strong dark roasted and fairly dry maltiness with a moderate bitterness which along with a late-evolving oat flavor and a mild smokiness becomes more dominant in the long-lasting finish; Full bodied, smooth, and very dry on the palate; The nose consists of a moderately dark roasted aroma and a very strong and dominating yeastiness; Opaque and very dark brown in color; Large, creamy light tan head shows solid retention; The clumping head can't seem to stick to the glass initially, but eventually is able to leave small splotches of lace here and there; Some sediment remains behind in bottle

This brew pours with a black body topped by a medium thick head with some lacing. The aroma is sweet, roasty and malty with a little note of coffee. The flavor is sweet, creamy and malty with a little roasted coffee. Full bodied, smooth and a little dry.