Paraboloid
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Look - perfect, black thick fantastic tan head rimming lacing
Smell - rich dark chocolate, dark red fruit, caramel woody and molasses
Taste - about the same as the smell but with some booze and more barrel
Feel - full body medium light carb, slight creamy
Overall - outstanding

 

12oz bottle from the Extreme Stout Box poured into a taster glass shows a lightless black body supporting a thin cap of tiny chestnut brown bubbles and leaves the glass clean.

Aromas of chocolate and stone fruits dominate, with notes of wet oak and even some spice.

Flavors open up as it warms with chocolate, rye, bourbon, cherry, plum, vanilla, leather, and char all melding together.

Mouthfeel is thinner, more sharp, than expected with carbonation present, yet leaving a slight grit and sticky residue.

Overall a prime example of blending, a FW expertise.

 

Firestone Walker keeps pumping out 12 oz. Reserve bottles. I keep buying them. Already had this a few times so I know what’s coming.

Black. Low bubble count. Unlike it’s little cousin one can smell the booze on the breeze, along with hefty barrel & chocolate. Malts are somewhat subdued by the aggressive barrel.

Paraboloid is no Parabola, but what is? What it is, is delicious. Like the nose the barrel is aggressive, with both bourbon & spicy rye coming through strongly & distinctly; the spiciness really gets up into the sinuses. I don’t really want to delve further, because it’s beautiful. Sweet espresso, vanilla, moderate heat, with a drying oak finish. But this is really about the skillful barrel aging. I’d be happy with a year’s supply of this.

It’s been over 13 years since my first bottle of Paraboloid’s divine cousin, Parabola, entered my life. This isn’t quite as good…which isn’t saying much. An elite beer & a master lesson in the use of barrels.

 

 

Excellent appearance, especially given the ABV and two years spent barrel aging.

Aroma is rich and powerful, showing off the bourbon and rye whiskey along with the huge malt base in approximately equal amounts. Honeycomb, chocolate, molasses, cherry, red grape, whiskey, brown sugar, toast, caramel, prune, leather, and a rather noticeable (but not aggressive) boozy bite. I'm trying to think of ways this aroma could be improved, and the answer is ... I'm not quite sure.

Flavor is much more bitter and woody than the nose, with a solid amount of char. This is in keeping with OG Parabola, honestly. The slightly more neutral grain of the rye whiskey likely plays into this bitterness, as well (contrasted against the sweeter bourbon influence). Tasting notes include cherry, chocolate, oak, char, coffee, brown sugar, vanilla, syrup, molasses, red grape, prune.

This is a fantastic and worthy amplified expression of a classic and world class BA imperial stout. I'm not certain it's better than the original, but I wouldn't argue against opinions to the contrary; it's unquestionably excellent. For my tastes, I'd prefer a bit more depth and richness to the sweetness, but I have the same opinion of OG Parabola. It's not a flaw in the beer by any means; it's personal preference.

Look: Uber dark, nice mocha head on the pour.
Smell: richness popping. Velvety smooth dark chocolate, cherry, vanilla.
Taste: much like the nose, but the rye spice asserts here, nice spicy finish.

Tangy yeast and experimental Parabola.

Pours a dark cola brown and settles as black in the glass with a sudsy dark tan head that sticks around for a bit and then rings the glass as you enjoy the beer. The nose is an impressive mix of dark chocolate, dark cherry, spicy rye, and oak from the barrels. Wow.

The taste has all the aforementioned characteristics featured on the nose, but it’s the combination of the dark chocolate, dark cherry, and spicy rye that makes this world class beer for me, especially with the barrel providing a very nice warming note at the back of palate without slamming a boozy hammer upside your head.

The mouthfeel is very full and approaches creamy. This is an amazing BA imperial stout, IMHO, one I’d gladly revisit again and again.

12 ounce bottle into a snifter. 2022 version, had 2/19/23.

Pours a dark cola color, opaque, with a half inch foamy head and some light foamy cling. Aromas of bourbon, roasted malt, oak, rye whiskey, some cherry and chocolate, light leather and char. Has a spicy aroma. Flavors of bourbon, rye whiskey, roasted malt, oak, chocolate, some cherry and leather, light vanilla and char. Has a spicy rye flavor. Smooth with a dry finish, a solid full body, well carbonated.

This is quite a beer. Robust and expressive aromas and flavors, a strong barrel presence including lots of spicy rye from the Sazerac barrels. Just delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thin head that disappears quickly. Smells like dark chocolate and dark fruit. Deep molasses-like boozy sweetness, hints of bourbon. Delicious! Definitely my favorite of the Extreme Beer Box brews.

#161, good stuff!