Walker's Reserve - Porter
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Walker's Reserve - PorterWalker's Reserve - Porter
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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:
1,648
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.
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Ratings by Pelican5:
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Rated by Pelican5 from California

4/5  rDev +2.8%

Nov 29, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.24 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Jan 17, 2022
Photo of RyanK252
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California

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, 2018
 
Rated: 3.67 by Heftklammer from Massachusetts

Dec 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 31, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by SierraFlight from Virginia

Nov 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.14 by socon67 from New York

Apr 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.23 by Thirstygoat from Illinois

Feb 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by PA-Michigander from Pennsylvania

Jan 22, 2017
Photo of EMH73
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
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, 2016
Photo of Bierliebhaber3
Reviewed 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
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, 2016
Photo of Beginner2
Rated by Beginner2 from Illinois

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, 2016
 
Rated: 4.91 by thedemise from California

Mar 30, 2016
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Reviewed 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
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, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Dec 24, 2015
Photo of rodbeermunch
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
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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by Antc2382 from New Jersey

Nov 28, 2015
Photo of manfromanotherplace
Reviewed by manfromanotherplace from New York

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
 
Rated: 4 by Magister_Beav from Vermont

Sep 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.34 by Hopstout from Minnesota

Sep 02, 2015
Walker's Reserve - Porter from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 1648 ratings