Lil' Opal
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Lil' OpalLil' Opal
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
4.3%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 9.32%
Reviews:
75
Ratings:
509
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 12, 2022
Added:
May 25, 2008
Wants:
  36
Gots:
  79
A low alcohol Belgian-style Saison session beer aged for 17 months in lightly-used medium-plus toasted American oak barrels.
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Ratings by ajchocholousek:
Photo of ajchocholousek
Reviewed by ajchocholousek from Minnesota

4.42/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottle into teku:

A vigorous pour leaves a small, weak, soapy, quickly-dissipating bright white head that has medium-large bubbles. The beer is quite effervescent overall. A beautifully vivid, moderately hazy, golden orange hue paints the body.

The nose is a luscious combination of peach, tangerine, lemon peel, and an earthy breadiness that shows a hint of vinegary acidity (the faintest) surprisingly intermingled with a luscious orange-peach marmalade sweetness.

Everything else comes along with no surprises (except a surprising amount of carb), following the previously mentioned attributes, but with perhaps with a touch of wood, and a surprisingly firm level of sourness. It's complex, it's delicate, yet intense. Notes of peach, lemon, apple, and a touch of a honey-like sweetness, yield near the end to a smoky, oaky, barrel-driven funk that finishes dry, but more woody than one might expect.

Overall, an exquisite beer. Complexity is the name of the game here. I appreciate this, considering my recent string of quite one-dimensional sours. I think this is an underrated brew.
Oct 29, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Batch #2, bottled 5/16, enjoyed 11/21.

At five years I didn’t know whether to expect a ticking geyser or a dormant bear. Upon opening, it’s definitely more of the latter. Thin foaming atop a tan-gold orange tinged beverage. Low carbonation. Light aroma, with some funky notes—bloomy cheese—and hints of peach. The souring dominates the sip.
Jan 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by santig0nzalez from Paraguay

Oct 20, 2021
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottled: 05/09/16

Notes of tart apple, white grape, pear, sweet vinegar, oak, hints of leathery funk, wine, farmhouse, fruity esters, pale bready crackery caramelized malt, mild vanilla, some spice, with floral earthy grassy hops
Jun 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

May 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by Hop_God from California

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by warrendietrich2001 from Nevada

Oct 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by seakayak from Massachusetts

Oct 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by vfgccp from New York

Aug 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by Mikexw from New York

Aug 01, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Drank 6/13/14 @ Northdown.

Dandelion murkiness.

Minimal off-white head; minimal head.

Mildly tart strawberry nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

A pleasing blend if honey & mildly tart strawberry-perfect for quaffing in the summer months.
May 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.56 by Grinky from Illinois

Mar 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.9 by Deano_53 from New York

Feb 10, 2019
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured into a delerium tulip to a pale golden yellow topped by a finger of dense white head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of orchard fruits and lemony tartness along with a slight oak, funk, and grassy note.
T: Taste is pretty tart lemon on entry with some funk, slight chalk and some slight hay notes. Strong pucker throughout the drink. Swallow is orchard fruits and grassy notes with a little lingering lemony tartness. Really surprising how quickly the tartness washes away on the finish.
M: This beer is on the lighter side of things and is flirting with being watery. Carbonation is effervescent and slightly prickly while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this is a very impressive beer. It has good flavors and some nice complexity which make it an interesting drink. Definitely more tart on the taste than the nose led on but that isn't a bad thing. Definitely happy that I picked this up and I hope to see them attempt to recreate it.
Sep 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by Beerbom from California

Jun 02, 2018
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.27/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
375ml cork & cage bottle poured into a teku
Bottles 5/9/16

A- pours a clear golden color with a two-finger creamy white head that has great retention after the pour, leaving a bit of lacing behind

S- fruity and peppery yeast aroma up front, with notes of apple, pear & stone fruit. Spicy oak adds a nice woody element & a hint of vanilla. Brett notes close it out with some earthy barnyard aromas

T- light and fruity up front with flavors of ripe pear, green apple skin and apricot. Mid-palate brings out peppery & spicy oak, which includes highlights of vanilla & oak. The finish brings out the brett earthiness with notes of dried hay and earth. Just a hint of tartness on the finish leaves you wanting more

M- medium-light body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a semi-dry, slightly tart finish

O- a solid saison that has just enough tartness to keep it light and refreshing, giving it high drinkability
Apr 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Jamison85 from Indiana

Mar 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by kell50 from North Carolina

Mar 04, 2018
Photo of bshefftz
Reviewed by bshefftz from California

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Great balance of brightness, funk, and barrel. Somehow both refreshing and subtly oakey at the same time. Less sour than many beers highlighting bruxellensis on the bottle and I think a better beer for that. Would try again.
Mar 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Feb 13, 2018
Lil' Opal from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 509 ratings