Agrestic #004
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

It pours a somewhat murky orange red with a scant tan head that vanishes without a trace.

The smell is woody and fruity with just a bit of funk and a surprising touch of sweetness. Red berries - raspberry and a little cherry. There's a floral note floating on top. There's a bit of bread in the background. As it warms, I get some apple, grape must, and tea.

The taste opens fairly tart, but the oak really softens that substantially. The oak is very smooth. I reckon the age might have something to do with that as well. Very mild Brett funk. Raspberry and cherry plus grape must. The grape gives it a slightly wine-like character. There's just a bit of caramel sweetness, a mere touch of lemon, and a grassy/herbal/floral taste. Bready malt rides in the background. Just as things calm down some there is a taste of Earl Grey tea...where bergamot came from is beyond me. There's a little bitter tea-like hit right after the swallow.

The feel is medium. The acidity is sharp but brief and nicely balanced by the other microbial mayhem going on here. Dry on the finish with just a little phenolic slickness.

Ok...so it's 8 years old and it's delicious. Although it starts out sour that all mellows out with all the other flavors going on. Microbiological playground in oak barrels - this is good stuff.

Bottled 7/25/17, Opened 6/13/2021

Dark copper to slight ruby with very thin white head. Nose is slightly funky cherries, with some acid, and strong oak characters. Opens with tart cherries, that folds into oak, and then a smother oak with hints of vanilla, and ends with more puckering cherries in the end. Body is medium with light to medium carbonation. End with a mix of oak and pucker. Overall a solid American sour, but nothing crazy. A great sale find for $6.

Bottled 7/25/17

I've only had one beer from Firestone Walker as of now, Violet Underground, and I absolutely loved it. I'm now making it a point to pick up their wild ales when I see them, as that one alone has convinced me that they have a quality output. Let's dive into this one

Pours a a hazy orange brown with a finger of off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves nice lacing

The tartness on this one is accompanied by a wonderful softness from the oak and the malt, a great balance here. I'm picking up on aromas of soft oak, vanilla, black cherry, rose, a touch of funky leather, and red grape

In flavor, this definitely picks up the tartness significantly, but it is still in good balance with funk and wood. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting tart cherry, lemon peel, bready malt, and light pepper. The swallow brings notes of sour lemon, raspberry, old leather, sharp oak, and hay

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, leading to a very crisp and tart beer. Finishes mostly dry but leaves a slight film in the mouth

Another awesome brew from these guys. I wish they were more widely available in my area, but I'll take what I can get

 

Poured from a 375 ml bottle into the test glass.
A - Red cedar colored backdrop, steady carbonation feeds an off white tightly gathered cap.
S - Red currant, overripe cherries, barrel tannin, mixed culture thread includes some grape must, mixed with dirt floor basement.
T - Woody fruit, cherry skin, oak tannin again, a bit of caramel, and then back to the fruits with some lemon zest, and white grape skin.
F - Spritzy on the palate, tart in the best way, with a nice spicy dry element that keeps it all together
O - A very well executed offering from talented brewer/blender, the dry body with just the right level of tart is a treat.
Flavors are complex, with a beautiful aromatic element.

 

4/2/19 (Chicago): 12.7 oz bottle purchased 11/24/17, batch 9 bottled 7/25/17 poured into snifter. Generous off white head leaves thick lacing. Bright red orange pour. Acidic cherry aroma, backed by oak and grape, very nice balance. Taste mirrors aroma, tart cherry predominant, Slightly sweet yet tart mouth feel, crisp clean, carbonation holds, very easy drinking. Overall outstanding pour, will seek these out in the future!

Pours a brownish orange with fine, soft head.

Smell is tart and citrusy with a slight metallic tinge leading into notes of nectarine, plums and blood orange.

Taste is tart with a distinct oakiness covering notes of citrus, cherries, plums, a hint of vanilla and some dry white wine. Slight bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is thin to medium with sparkling carbonation.

Overall, a very nice sour, well balanced with nice barrel traces.

 

 

Orange with intermittent bubbles though out from carbonation. Smell features acidic and candied cherry, tons of rustic oak, lemon and slight light hearted funk. Taste has more of a sour oak presence, with the cherry and lemon bringing in some more friends: raspberry, grape and rose. Funk is present but not a protagonist. Feel is slightly acidic, bright and sour. Nice medium to light body with the french oak yet again making its mark in the smoothness

 

 

 

 

 

$ 12.20 (Including tax)/375 mL cork and cage bottle ($ 0.961/oz) at State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD.
On label “Bottled: 07/25/17”. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 47 degrees in a hand-washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.25.
Body – Dark orange, slight haze.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.8 cm, controlled center pour), off-white, low density, short-lived, diminishing to an irregular two to five mm ring and a thin partial layer.
Lacing – Essentially none – several

Great wild ale from an incredible barrel program; FW consistently puts out barrel-aged beers that are complex, nuanced, unique and damn tasty, and this is no exception.

Hard to describe the color - orange-reddish? Maybe a raspberry-red hue with a thin head that fades quickly. Crimson? Straight-up-kind-of-brown? What's the matter with me?

Aroma fills the senses with wood and microflora - must attic, freshly shaved oak, lemony tartness, cherry twang, toasted malt and grape skins. Awesome. Just awesome.

Taste is a slightly sweet and earthy malt - light caramel and toasted grains - followed by a tart citrus bite that calls forth cherries, raspberries and green apple - and a light vanilla kicker by way of the oak. Wonderful cascade of flavors.

Dry as the day is long, slightly tart but nowhere near puckering. Exemplar of the style.