Firestone 19 - Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Bottle from Albertsons, cellared. Smooth, oily black pour, tiny ring of head. Aroma, wow! Deep and rich, mildly sweet, chocolate, roast grains. Taste, even better. Smooth and slick, molasses, roast grains, fruity notes. Near perfect blend of their barrel beers.

22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours brown in color with a ruby hue popping through when held to the light, thin foamy off-white head has short retention, leaving nothing behind

S- initial aroma is very reminiscent of Parabola with notes of brownie batter, dark chocolate molasses & oak, followed by equal parts Stickee Monkey that gives dark fruit aromas of figs, dates & raisins, as well as some Belgian candy sugar. Undertones of tobacco, caramel, leather, vanilla bean, brown sugar & bourbon arise as it warms. Very nice

T- bold, malty & boozy. Opens with sweet notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, fruit cake and brown bread. Mid-palate brings out plenty of barrel, adding oak, barrel juice, vanilla & an enhancing caramel note. Chocolate brownie batter kicks in, before giving way to an array of dark fruits; booze soaked raisins & figs, dates and black cherries. The finish enhances the barrel even more, adding booze and bourbon, with a linger of caramel & chocolate

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming finish

O- a malty masterpiece, possibly my favorite Firestone Anniversary beer

This aged incredibly well.

 

Pours a deep, rich dark mahogany brown color with a little more than a finger of creamy, dark tan head that dissipated fairly quickly.

Aroma leans more towards the quad characteristics than stout. Lots of dark fruit, including raisin, plum, and date. Toasted brown bread, caramel, burnt sugar, molasses, some cocoa powder, some roasted malt, some leather, little grape, some oak, some bourbon, slight vanillin from the barrels, slight sherry from the oxidation.

Taste follows the nose well, leaning more towards the quad qualities of the blend, although there are a bit more stout characteristics as it warms. Plum, raisin, fig, molasses, caramel, slight toffee, toasted brown bread, drying oak tannin, some grape from the brandy, some bourbon, slight cocoa powder, bakers chocolate, roasted malt, some licorice, some sherry notes from the oxidation.

Medium to high medium body. Decent carbonation. Quite sticky, oily, slick, slightly creamy. It's a sweet beer, but the oak tannins and spirit qualities from the barrel dry it out nicely. Dangerously smooth for the 13.8% abv.

It probably hit it's peak a few years ago, but I feel that this has held up nicely for 6+ years. Oxidation was expected to creep in given it's age, but the sherry notes are light and aren't off-putting. They add to the complexity of the beer. As all the other anniversary beers I've had by these guys, the blend is very cohesive and complex. Not my favorite of the series, but still an outstanding beer.

 

 

22oz into a tulip. Pours a deep dark mahogany, almost black, with minimal head or lace. The liquid lies still in the glass with just a narrow collar of foam around the edge.

Aroma is expectedly complex. Figs, dates, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, toasted coconut, and vanilla,, all wrapped in smoky bourbon.

Taste is likewise rich and dessert-like. Slightly vinous with all the aromatic descriptors above. A nice boozy warming on the finish. Perfect for a rainy evening.

Mouthfeel is sticky and chewy, heavy body, befitting a beer of this complexity.

Overall another solid addition to FW's anniversary lineup. Excellent craftsmanship here.

 

 

 

 

 

Dark brown with a creamy then bubbly tan blanket.

I'm getting loads of toffee and caramel within the very woody whiskey that is present in the crisp medium-light body. The crackly carbonation even kicks up some bananas foster, but the malt has become a bit oxidized, giving off stale notes of cardboard. A mild booze brings a mature, candied nut heat before the dry finish.

Bottled 10/2/15; drank 12/10/15 @ Harvest Hop Haus.

Opaque brown/purple appearance.

Minimal tan head; no lace.

Plum, oak & booze heat notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Plum & booze heat flavors up front; super dry oak notes on the finish.

Drinkable but not particularly appealing at the 2 month mark; perhaps time will be kind?