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Walker's Reserve - Porter
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- From:
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Porter
- ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.89 | pDev: 10.8%
- Reviews:
- 645
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 17, 2022
- Added:
- Nov 15, 2002
- Wants:
- 63
- Gots:
- 169
A singularly distinctive beer that represents our finest brewing efforts, Walker’s Reserve is a elegant dark ale featuring robust flavors of toffee, caramel and bittersweet chocolate. This brew employs five specialty malts, as well as oat and barley flakes, for added complexity and flavor.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerFMAndy:
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin
3.23/5 rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.23/5 rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
22 oz bottle split in a Bruery tulip.
5.8% ABV, no date.
A - Slivers of clear dark mahogany show through the bottom of the black tulip while mounds of tan head fade to a thin skim while leaving gorgeous lace on the glass.
S - Heavily roasted dry cocoa, this porter smells incredibly dusty with a full earthy hop nose. It reminds me of cheap wood paneling in a dingy liquor store. Not entirely pleasing.
T - The gritty, dirty flavor follows through from the aroma. Roasted malt is big but messy and thin finishing with a fairly present metallic taste. Earthy hops complete the dusty, dirty spectrum.
M - This porter feels exceptionally thin for a porter but is really medium-bodied, just high carbonated with a bite to the finish. Very, very dry.
O - I'm not a fan of this one. It's overly dusty, dry, and near the point of being cloying. This porter just doesn't live up to the caliber of the other FW brew's that I've had the pleasure of sampling.
Jul 06, 20115.8% ABV, no date.
A - Slivers of clear dark mahogany show through the bottom of the black tulip while mounds of tan head fade to a thin skim while leaving gorgeous lace on the glass.
S - Heavily roasted dry cocoa, this porter smells incredibly dusty with a full earthy hop nose. It reminds me of cheap wood paneling in a dingy liquor store. Not entirely pleasing.
T - The gritty, dirty flavor follows through from the aroma. Roasted malt is big but messy and thin finishing with a fairly present metallic taste. Earthy hops complete the dusty, dirty spectrum.
M - This porter feels exceptionally thin for a porter but is really medium-bodied, just high carbonated with a bite to the finish. Very, very dry.
O - I'm not a fan of this one. It's overly dusty, dry, and near the point of being cloying. This porter just doesn't live up to the caliber of the other FW brew's that I've had the pleasure of sampling.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California
4/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant
A: Pours dark brown with slight copper tones and a frothy khaki head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little spotty lacing.
S: Roasty, earthy, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, faint smoke, earthy herbal notes, and toffee sweetness.
T: Roasty, black coffee, a little dark chocolate, faint smoke, a little dark fruit, plum and cherry, earthy herbal notes, and toffee sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation.
O: Happy to see this one brought back in their throwback series. Really solid porter with a lot of flavor packed in a very reasonable ABV.
Dec 30, 2018A: Pours dark brown with slight copper tones and a frothy khaki head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little spotty lacing.
S: Roasty, earthy, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, faint smoke, earthy herbal notes, and toffee sweetness.
T: Roasty, black coffee, a little dark chocolate, faint smoke, a little dark fruit, plum and cherry, earthy herbal notes, and toffee sweetness.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation.
O: Happy to see this one brought back in their throwback series. Really solid porter with a lot of flavor packed in a very reasonable ABV.
Reviewed by EMH73 from New York
2.89/5 rDev -25.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.89/5 rDev -25.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
I was incredibly disappointed by this beer. It was thin and watery with very little carbonation. When the best aspect of a beer is how it looks in the glass you know you've got a problem.
Jun 20, 2016Reviewed by Bierliebhaber3 from Massachusetts
4.42/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a pitch black porter with a very thin white head. The smell is rich and of molasses, plum, and a little bit of alcohol. The flavor is of molasses, plum, toffee, chocolate, and a little coffee. It is a very rich, sweet, and heavy. It is incredibly smooth and the finish is very creamy. This is a really great dessert porter. Some people would probably complain that it’s a little too sweet, but I am actually kind of into that with porters. It is everything that their Velvet Merlin stout isn’t, which in my opinion is good. My only complaint would be that it’s only 6% alcohol and I think you could have put more into this, maybe even made it an imperial stout without having the alcohol be overwhelming with the kind of bold flavors it has going on here. I am not really a big fan of Firestone Walker, but I think this is the best beer I have ever tried of theirs hands down.
Jun 08, 2016Rated by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.8/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Reviewed in Roger Protz' "300 More Beers To Try Before You Die", a sequel to his CAMRA classic.
May 06, 2016Reviewed by tkdchampxi from New Jersey
4.3/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
I managed to happen across a few bottles on a random shelf and bought 2 for $5.99 a piece. Didn't realize how old they were without a bottle date. The cap seems to suggest it's from 2010, but it could also be the date that the beer won an World Beer Cup award.
The beer was great, btw. Aged beautifully, with just a hint of dark fruit that develops with age. Otherwise, smooth, with nice chocolate and cherry qualities. Still poured a reddish brown with a 1 cm caramel head. Very glad to have tried it.
Jan 12, 2016The beer was great, btw. Aged beautifully, with just a hint of dark fruit that develops with age. Otherwise, smooth, with nice chocolate and cherry qualities. Still poured a reddish brown with a 1 cm caramel head. Very glad to have tried it.
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.46/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Substantial deep brown pour, lighter brown head on it, mixed with some red color thrown in there. Aroma wasn't pungent, some roasted malt, a little constrained compared to a lot of their other dark brews.
Taste was good and chewy, nutty, tiny bit of chocolate malt perceptible. Hopping was up there, but the bitterness was not. A solid beer, but in the bomber format, meh, grab a sixer of velvet merkin instead.
Dec 18, 2015Taste was good and chewy, nutty, tiny bit of chocolate malt perceptible. Hopping was up there, but the bitterness was not. A solid beer, but in the bomber format, meh, grab a sixer of velvet merkin instead.
Reviewed by manfromanotherplace from New York
4.09/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
For 5 bucks a bottle this is a bargain, not up there with the very best porters ive had, but this is still a very good beer. If you are a fan of porters this is an excellent choice, great aroma and sweet choclatey flavour.very good.
Sep 17, 2015
Walker's Reserve - Porter from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
1648 ratings
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