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Opal
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- From:
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Saison
Ranked #482 - ABV:
- 7.5%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #13,428 - Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 9.64%
- Reviews:
- 231
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 30, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 29, 2008
- Wants:
- 59
- Gots:
- 297
Bringing down the Farmhouse! Our interpretation of the rustic Wallonian Saison style is a harmonious blend of rustic grains, spicy yeast and unique sauvignon blanc tones. Inviting lemon grass and gooseberry meet peppery spice and fresh grain aromas. Spicy Belgian yeast create a complex yet dry and refreshing canvas with splashes of citrus and stone fruit with a bright tropical white wine finish. Hop bitterness is assertive yet harmonious rounding out slightly tart and refreshing.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MaximalC:
Reviewed by MaximalC from Illinois
4.1/5 rDev +4.1%
4.1/5 rDev +4.1%
Pours a transparent straw color with only the slightest haze, capped by a mountain of sudsy white foam. The carbonation is through the roof, as endless streams of bubbles populate the glass before reinforcing the enduring head. The aroma smells of lemon zest, pepper, hay, and an earthy funk that sings saison.
The crisp, fresh taste matches the aroma, with lemon, white pepper, and grassy hops dressing a light, crackery malt. Highest plaudits are earned on account of the fact that the pepper and hops are highly present but not obtrusive, as I normally don’t like beers with excessive amounts of either. Rumors of the requisite barnyard character can be found in the finish, which is otherwise considerably dry. Aspects of white wine, while overlooked initially, become obvious when cued, especially after some warming. The high carbonation is acceptable for the style but so substantial as to be borderline distracting. Everything else about this saison is spot on.
Not only is this one of my favorite FW brews, but it’s probably my new benchmark for the quintessential saison. It’s crisp, light, refreshing, and has the spice and funk to match, all deftly integrated into a cohesive unit. If you’re into saisons, you can’t go wrong with this.
May 27, 2014The crisp, fresh taste matches the aroma, with lemon, white pepper, and grassy hops dressing a light, crackery malt. Highest plaudits are earned on account of the fact that the pepper and hops are highly present but not obtrusive, as I normally don’t like beers with excessive amounts of either. Rumors of the requisite barnyard character can be found in the finish, which is otherwise considerably dry. Aspects of white wine, while overlooked initially, become obvious when cued, especially after some warming. The high carbonation is acceptable for the style but so substantial as to be borderline distracting. Everything else about this saison is spot on.
Not only is this one of my favorite FW brews, but it’s probably my new benchmark for the quintessential saison. It’s crisp, light, refreshing, and has the spice and funk to match, all deftly integrated into a cohesive unit. If you’re into saisons, you can’t go wrong with this.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.99/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks like a saison, light and bubbly, initial high fluffy head. Yeasty, spicy aroma, fresh mown hay, taste is a little spicier, white pepper, flowers, wine grapes. Chalk dry, but refreshing, and light enough for a hot day.
Nov 30, 2023Reviewed by iguanodon from Utah
3.19/5 rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
3.19/5 rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
[Original rating 2015-12-12] Pours clear gold with a huge white head. Aroma of spice, white pepper, faint clove, yeast. Taste is bitter, dry, peppery. A good but not exceptional saison.
Oct 24, 2018Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England
4.06/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 650ml bottle with a bottled-on date of March 26, 2015. The label says enjoy within 120 days, however as this bottle is now 948 days old it's fair to say that it's out of date. Purchased ages ago from the Brewdog webshop. Described on the label as a dry-hopped saison; let's see how it holds up....
A: Poured into a tulip. Bottle conditioned. A bright, hazy golden hue with fine suspended sediment and good carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before slowly settling as a patchy surface layer.
S: Aroma of intense, fruity yeast esters with hints of spice, mild herbs, subtle banana, soft anise, earthiness, a touch of grain and a vague leafiness. No aromatic hops to speak of. Excellent nonetheless - yeast character is superb.
T: Tastes of fruity Belgian yeast with notes of spice, light herbs, faint banana, earthiness, subtle grainy malt and stewed hops. Dry, with a delicate bitterness upon swallowing. No aroma hop character.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with lively carbonation and great body. Slightly astringent. Aftertaste of earthy yeast, mild fruity esters, subtle stewed hops and faint grain.
O: A quality saison which has held up well despite its age. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour are a solid blend of fruity yeast esters, spice, subtle herbs and earthiness. Nice body; smooth and textured. The loss of aromatic hops is unsurprising, however this still goes down a treat. A fantastic brew that is certainly worth sampling.
Oct 29, 2017A: Poured into a tulip. Bottle conditioned. A bright, hazy golden hue with fine suspended sediment and good carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before slowly settling as a patchy surface layer.
S: Aroma of intense, fruity yeast esters with hints of spice, mild herbs, subtle banana, soft anise, earthiness, a touch of grain and a vague leafiness. No aromatic hops to speak of. Excellent nonetheless - yeast character is superb.
T: Tastes of fruity Belgian yeast with notes of spice, light herbs, faint banana, earthiness, subtle grainy malt and stewed hops. Dry, with a delicate bitterness upon swallowing. No aroma hop character.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with lively carbonation and great body. Slightly astringent. Aftertaste of earthy yeast, mild fruity esters, subtle stewed hops and faint grain.
O: A quality saison which has held up well despite its age. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour are a solid blend of fruity yeast esters, spice, subtle herbs and earthiness. Nice body; smooth and textured. The loss of aromatic hops is unsurprising, however this still goes down a treat. A fantastic brew that is certainly worth sampling.
Reviewed by andrewh995 from Arizona
4.34/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a perfect and hazy yellowish gold with a finger of white head. Smells of spices, yeast, light malt, and fruit. Tastes of belgian yeast, grains, non-bitter hops, spices, and some slightly sweet fruits. Medium in body and medium-low in carbonation. Wait, this is a 7% beer? I swear you wouldn't even think it was close to that. Anyways this is an incredible example of a Saison. My bottle is about 1 year aged as that's how I found it at the store. Are you supposed to age Saisons? I don't know but it's still damn good.
Sep 21, 2017Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
4/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a semi-hazy crisp burnt colored yellow. Rimmed finger’s worth of lacing appears after the head dissipates. The smell starts off with Belgian sweet yeasty to some light Belgian sugars. Sweet grass, light citrus, white pepper and some black pepper. Runs together into the aftertaste and gives off a semi-dry finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sessionable feel to it. Carbonation runs fairly light. Some yeasty stickiness hits but isn’t cloying. Overall, an absolutely wonderful saison, boom!
Jun 25, 2017Reviewed by hoptheology from California
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A beautifully sandy opaque color with a 2 finger puffy head with lots of lace left behind. A great appearance.
Nose - Clove and pepper notes, with some orange pith and lemon. Slight banana.
Taste - Starts pretty peppery, with a nice soft fruity explosion in the middle, full of banana, pineapple, and lemon. It fades off to what I'd imagine sticky notes tasting like. Kind of papery, adhesive-like.
Feel is effervescent and carbonated, pretty creamy from the left over head. A slight dryness on the finish.
Overall a pretty decent Saison. I'd give it another try.
Apr 25, 2017Nose - Clove and pepper notes, with some orange pith and lemon. Slight banana.
Taste - Starts pretty peppery, with a nice soft fruity explosion in the middle, full of banana, pineapple, and lemon. It fades off to what I'd imagine sticky notes tasting like. Kind of papery, adhesive-like.
Feel is effervescent and carbonated, pretty creamy from the left over head. A slight dryness on the finish.
Overall a pretty decent Saison. I'd give it another try.
Rated by fx20736 from New York
4.2/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.2/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
nice and solid
Apr 23, 2017
Opal from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
1472 ratings
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