Parabola - Double Barrel-Aged
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Parabola - Double Barrel-AgedParabola - Double Barrel-Aged
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
15.5%
Score:
97
Avg:
4.49 | pDev: 5.12%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 22, 2023
Added:
Nov 14, 2020
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
Imperial stout aged in bourbon & wheated whiskey barrels.

We doubled down on our signature Parabola to create this limited small-batch release. While Parabola is historically aged for one year in premium bourbon barrels, we transferred this edition to a separate lot of wheat whiskey barrels for another 12 months, for a total of 24 months. The result is an impossibly smooth sipping experience, offering all of the richness and intensity of Parabola with an added dimension of fudge and cereal grain-like goodness.
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Ratings by bigred89:
Photo of bigred89
Rated by bigred89 from Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oct 09, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.32 by crobinso from Colorado

Oct 22, 2023
Photo of stortore
Rated by stortore from Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
fobab 2021.
Feb 26, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.46/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2021 vintage; drank 2/12/23 @ the Hopleaf.

Black/brown appearance.

Small tan head; decent lace.

Oak, cherry, mild bourbon & faint honey notes in the nose.

Medium thick, smooth mouthfeel.

Oak, cherry, chocolate, bourbon & more oak.

A bit dry, but really tasty. I'd love to try this again!
Feb 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.63 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

Feb 05, 2023
Photo of Sandis
Rated by Sandis from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2021 version poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter at home. Slightly thicker than most renditions of this beer. Roasty and boozy. Excellent.
Oct 14, 2022
 
Rated: 4.59 by petewheeler from Maryland

Oct 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.34 by fthegiants from California

Aug 02, 2022
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Found someone willing to part with this 12 oz. bottle & pounced like it was Ricky Henderson with his back turned.

The pour is parabolic black with minimal eye-pleasing bubbles (& frankly, eye-pleasing is about ninth on my list). Nose brings mild chocolate, wild bourbon, & charred roast. Nose-pleasing.

Parabola – Double Barrel was my favorite beer at FOBAB ’21. Parabola appears: chocolate, roast, vanilla, but is quickly overwhelmed by luscious barrel. Bourbon, rye, booze, oaky nipples burst forth like a blessing from Zeus, tangling with the into a tasty, boozy big stout. Deeply sweet. Feels thicker than the base, which it’s likely not. I could pump this into my veins for as long as the supply held out. In fact, I tried at FOBAB. Great afternoon. Morning, not so much.

Not quite ready to build any temples to this brew like I was that beer-soaked afternoon in Chicago, but an excellent beer with great use of barrels.
Jun 14, 2022
 
Rated: 4.59 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Jun 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by stephenlee93 from England

Jun 05, 2022
 
Rated: 4.66 by Bruno74200 from France

May 25, 2022
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.71/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I first spotted and bought the Firestone Amburana beer in the same shop and came upon this from the same brewery there today. My my, the rating prior to mine is a thumping 97-World Class, but mine will be the first rating ex-US and IDR ever finding a beer ... essentially perfect before. Not even the legend and godly brew Westvleteren-8.

L- You know you have a beast when it pours silently. Not a glug nor a splash; nothing. Thick and inky black with a 1Cm foam cap prominently dappled between white and dark tan (some late sedimentin the pour?). Holds well for the ABV% and the cheap cordial glass I'm inflicting on this brew. ps. and it holds up for several minutes = good.
S- Holy mama, whiskey right left and centre. Then I ponder if some consider it a negative that liquor is all I get on the Smell.... hmmm...
T- I involuntarily physically shudder+head-shake on the 1st swallow. It happens sometimes but not often, usually on really unbalanced/OTT [to me!] beers where the ABV or similarly imapctful aspect instantly stuns. Boof! I suggest you need to be a whiskey/Scotch fan to be fully with this palate, it is very, very, very intensely whiskeyish. There is a clear sweet and viscous facet running afterwards too. The roast is deep - it has to be to hold up it's side of the spectrum! - but I'm not really able to divine the detail through the quite shouty (errr British understatement there; this is YELLING) ABV%
F- This is a big beast, massive, but also there is nothing subtle or understated about it (which exists but takes reeeeally clever brewing; x-ref Icelandic big-%beasts where they seem to get it). Yep, this beer is instantly absolutely right in your face solid and it lacks subtlety, charm or detail; esp. as it warms a touch.
O- To me this is more about being out there pushing boundaries, say an exhibition piece, a talking point,. I doubt I could drink this single bottle in under 30minutes it's such an OTT (to me!) slow-sipper. I've reviewed beers up over 18% and ones above this here that have managed to find the art of retaining finesse. It gets exponentially harder the higher the ABV, certainly above 10%. This one goes for the jugular. I notice that I'm dwelling in this review heavily on the whiskey and the ABV%. QED folks, that's my point, and whilst it's a heck of a statement, and a $$$ one, it's also why I don't consider it something special I'd buy again.

Bought at the '''Small Cave of Big Surprises''' aka Bacchanalia drinks shop in Cambridge/UK. 355ml bottle £12.50
May 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Mar 06, 2022
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

4.54/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance - The beer was deep black in appearance with a tan ring of bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.

Smell - The malt from the stout and the booze came out in the nose with hints of chocolate.

Taste - Thick chocolate began the taste profile before yielding to raisins and fruit leathers. It was not overly sweet, with no unnecessary ingredients. It was well balanced, having just the right amount of bourbon heat.

Mouthfeel - The body was thick with little carbonation and clinging power.

Overall - Regular Parabola was improved.
Feb 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.55 by scottyshades from Florida

Feb 01, 2022
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Rated by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

4.71/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Absolutely sublime. Parabola is fantastic, but this is even better.
Jan 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Jan 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.58 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 16, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by kevindp9 from Arizona

Jan 06, 2022
Parabola - Double Barrel-Aged from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 39 ratings