Firestone 21 - Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

The solid dark mahogany brown, almost black, beer pours out into a snifter glass with a 1/4” medium brown head that slowly recedes to a small ring around the glass and some thin islands of foam while leaving some small legs and patches of lacing on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates a couple of slender arches and several small patches of lacing.

The aromas are mostly about the rich malt, with some chocolate, caramel, hints of dark fruits and a bit of dark roast. There’s also some rum, vanilla and spice.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose but the vanilla seems more forward. The malt sweetness is present but does not cloy. there’s also a bit of alcohol showing in the sweetness but it is well integrated with the other flavors and does not burn or overpower.

The mouthfeel is on the full side of medium bodied and fairly smooth with just a bit of lightly prickly carbonation. The finish begins as most of the various malt flavors start to fade into a long dry ending that seems woody, spicy and slightly bitter and with lots of vanilla in the background.

Overall this is enjoyable and very sippable in that as each sip finally fades away in the back of the palate I’m ready for another. The aromas/flavors are very complex and definitely change in their prominence as the beer warms. Recommended if you like lots of complexity among many different flavors.

 

 

12oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a mahogany brown with a thin khaki head.

Aroma is sweet and sticky—molasses, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla. Dark stone fruits (black cherry dominant) and booze.

Taste is similarly complex. Brown sugar, figs, dates, vanilla, toffee. A nice boozy heat on the back end. It’s not all sweetness though—there’s a counterbalance of bitterness that helps keep things on track.

Mouthfeel is chewy and full bodied.

Overall a tasty supper of a dessert beer and a worthy addition to the FW anniversary series.

Amber on the pour but much darker in the glass. Small amount of short-lived head. Somewhat unremarkable, unlike the aroma, which I'm totally digging. Despite the fact that Helldorado only makes up 9% of the blend, this smells like a Barley Wine, but with the oatmeal stout (Velvet Merken - 42%) and other malts from the Parabola (stout - 18%) and Stickee Monkee (Quad - 17%) clearly there behind the initial sweetness. The only thing I'm not picking up is any Bravo (Imperial Brown Ale - 14%). Regardless, even after 6+ years of storage, this beer smells great.

Taste is also wonderfully unique. Roasted malts (which I'll attribute to the Parabola) right up front, then some very clear Quad malts. I don't get the Barley Wine sweetness that I got on the nose, but there are hints of it on the finish. Very pleasant alcohol warming.

Overall, really enjoying this.

Draft at Bar Gernika. Black pour, small ring of brown head. Inviting aroma, boozy, vanilla, whiskey barrel. Taste is sweet, vanilla, chocolate, alcohol heat. Super smooth, rich. This is excellent.

 

 

 

 

Pours a finger's worth of deep tan to light brown foam, full mix of bubble sizes dot the surface. The liquid falls just short of full black, brown edges, clear enough to see some bubbles within. Nose of vanilla bean, German chocolate cake, molasses, figs and dates, maraschino cherry, no alcoholic burn, comes across as if a few years of bottle age has mellowed it. Medium-bodied, the carbonation is steady and manages to relieve some of the beer's natural density. More smoky than sweet here, some barrel char like notes, cocoa powder, dark chocolate. Light grilled nuttiness. Tends to leave a dry impression on the palate. Fresher cherry to plum fruit. Almost mentholated finish. Quite a smooth drinker and as with the nose handles the relatively high ABV very well. (Bottled 10/20/2017)

 

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a teku

A- pours deep brown in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that has great retention before settling into a thin film on top

S- complex aroma, staring with chocolate and oaky bourbon up front. Beyond that, undertones of Stickee Monkey is found, with aromas of figs, raisins and Belgian candi sugar. Brown nutty malts, caramel, toffee, tobacco, brown sugar and brownie batter pop through. There's a hint of fruitiness and rum that you barely pick up on the close

T- rich, sweet and malty up front, with notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar and chocolate cream. Mid-palate brings out a bright fruity note that I'm guessing comes from the Rum BA Heldorado. Dark fruit notes of raisin and fig, along with some nutty malts on the finish. Lingers of oaky bourbon, caramel and nutty malt

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a creamy and silky mouthfeel, that continues into a velvety, slightly warming finish

O- another fantastic blend, this series doesn't disappoint

 

 

 

L: Odd amber black color.
S: Strong syrup notes.
T: A bit of malt and syrup but nothing else.
F: Nothing?
O: A quirky beer that is over hyped and under delivered.