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Double Barrel Ale (DBA)
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- From:
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- English Pale Ale
Ranked #49 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #24,007 - Avg:
- 3.67 | pDev: 11.44%
- Reviews:
- 809
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 17, 2024
- Added:
- Aug 24, 2002
- Wants:
- 111
- Gots:
- 508
DBA—a.k.a. Double Barrel Ale—is the trailblazing flagship beer that started it all for us back in 1996. Partially fermented in our patented Firestone Union oak-‐barrel brewing system, DBA quickly took the Central Coast by storm and set the pace for future beers to come. Today, DBA is regarded as a California classic, and stands as an iconic tribute to traditional cask-‐fermented English ales. Pale malts create a smooth middle with ribbons of caramel, English toffee and toasted oak.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by veinless:
Reviewed by veinless from Ohio
3.63/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.63/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a deep sap orange with brown and red hints. Head is white and coarse, and dissapted very quickly, leaving not much lace.
Smell is very sweet and malty, with the hops taking a backseat in this one. Some citrus hints of lemon and orange here, but its mostly grain to the nose.
Taste is blend of citrus evident in the aroma with grainy malt. A little bit watery in the taste, but the flavors that are there are very pronounced and nice. Aftertaste has some malt/fruit sweetness that is not very in tune with the rest of the beer, but a welcome change of pace.
Mouthfeel is watery as mentioned earlier, but decent overall. Drinkability is average for a pale ale, as there are others that offer enticing finishes and aftertastes. This offers neither, but is good in its own right.
Feb 06, 2011Smell is very sweet and malty, with the hops taking a backseat in this one. Some citrus hints of lemon and orange here, but its mostly grain to the nose.
Taste is blend of citrus evident in the aroma with grainy malt. A little bit watery in the taste, but the flavors that are there are very pronounced and nice. Aftertaste has some malt/fruit sweetness that is not very in tune with the rest of the beer, but a welcome change of pace.
Mouthfeel is watery as mentioned earlier, but decent overall. Drinkability is average for a pale ale, as there are others that offer enticing finishes and aftertastes. This offers neither, but is good in its own right.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by laketang from Arizona
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours out a lovely copper tone.
Nice malty notes of caramelized sugar.
A good mildly sweet beer, and there is some hop notes as well.
I also taste some toffee too.
Chewy medium feel with good carbonation.
I can see what they are going for with this ale.
Jul 21, 2023Nice malty notes of caramelized sugar.
A good mildly sweet beer, and there is some hop notes as well.
I also taste some toffee too.
Chewy medium feel with good carbonation.
I can see what they are going for with this ale.
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York
3.94/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light amber with a 1" light tan head, which fades to a wisp.
Aroma is caramel, malty.
Taste is caramel, malty, light toffee, oaky.
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Semidry finish.
Another nice beer from Firestone Walker.
Sep 05, 2022Aroma is caramel, malty.
Taste is caramel, malty, light toffee, oaky.
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Semidry finish.
Another nice beer from Firestone Walker.
Reviewed by DVMin98 from North Carolina
3.79/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2013 bomber opened with friends. Carmel color. Murk as it gets to the bottom. Carmel and malts on nose. Flavor is the same. No oxidation! Some sweetness. Medium mouth feel. Aged gracefully.
Apr 05, 2022Rated by evanwoertz from California
4.26/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.26/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
really solid english pale. nutty and wooden. bitter but not harsh, almost buttery even.
Nov 22, 2021Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon
3.9/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: A beautiful copper-red on the pour and sporting a silky-looking off-white head that lids up, leaving nice lacing behind
Aroma: Freshly baked bread, caramel, light earthy notes, raw bread dough, and some fruity esters as well
Taste: Caramel, bready malt, and earthiness combine forces to start it off and soon after, fruity esters start trickling in – Red Delicious apple & some quince. Dough and bread maintain their hold and the earthy hops keep it all in balance until the finish
Mouthfeel: Full, very smooth throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a soft and smooth finish
Overall: I’m digging this. I haven’t had this beer in several years and didn’t respect or understand its lure when I first had it many years ago as my palate was still very much a work in progress but now, this is definitely a winner. A great take on a British Pale Ale and checks all the right boxes for me; caramel, fruity esters, and rich malt. Yes please, I’ll take more
Nov 20, 2021Aroma: Freshly baked bread, caramel, light earthy notes, raw bread dough, and some fruity esters as well
Taste: Caramel, bready malt, and earthiness combine forces to start it off and soon after, fruity esters start trickling in – Red Delicious apple & some quince. Dough and bread maintain their hold and the earthy hops keep it all in balance until the finish
Mouthfeel: Full, very smooth throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a soft and smooth finish
Overall: I’m digging this. I haven’t had this beer in several years and didn’t respect or understand its lure when I first had it many years ago as my palate was still very much a work in progress but now, this is definitely a winner. A great take on a British Pale Ale and checks all the right boxes for me; caramel, fruity esters, and rich malt. Yes please, I’ll take more
Double Barrel Ale (DBA) from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
2874 ratings
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