Gold Rider
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

12oz bottle from Tavour, cellared for a few years. Inky black pour with thin beige head. Aroma introduces subtle orange peel notes before the big boozy blast. Taste is roasty, fruity, oranges and lemons and lots of sweet caramelly flavor. The cognac barrel influence is there and it blends nicely.

 

12oz bottle (vintage 2022) into a tulip. Pours a murky mahogany with a thin khaki head that hangs around.

Aroma is sweet and malty. Mostly I’m picking up brown sugar/molasses/toffee and some subtle spice notes, some warm vanilla.

Taste is mostly a blend of brown sugar and juicy Mandarin orange, some bourbon-soaked pipe tobacco. I’m getting much more orange than lemon.

Mouthfeel is medium heavy and nicely balanced.

Overall a unique strong ale with a lot of honey and citrus character. Tasty.

 

Pours a ruddy Hazel with cream colored head. No head retention and lacing

S: Lemons and Barrel rawness, green melons and Midori. Oranges shows up as this warms up. Fantastic nose!

T: Follows the nose, a touch of figs and treacle up front, the boozeyness is pronounced, but it works. More Barrel, some boozy orange/lemon and peppery woodyness as this beer warms up, some White wine aspects as well. Finishes with raw oakyness, Lemons and oranges soaked in booze, dryness as well

MF: Medium body, near zero carbonation, very warming. Needs more carbonation, did start to grab the enamel once room temperature

Interesting offering, but a sipper to be sure. Not a fan of Cognac, but this is good

Interesting beer. Dirty brown hues, lot of particulates, minimal head, transient lacing. Malty vanilla and caramel notes from the strong ale. Sweet lemon and slightly tangy orange are strong on the taste as well. Lighter to medium bodied, strong booze presence, easy sipping.

Appearance: Pours a murky tea color with a finger of ecru that fades to a collar; leggy, but not much lacing

Smell: The Cognac barrel aromatics temper the Barleywine elements of toffee, graham cracker and raisin; there are also lemon juice and orange zest tones

Taste: The lemon is more powerful than anticipated as it jutts forward and lingers through the finish; the Barleywine flavors of toffee, graham cracker and raisin emerge with the Cognac and orange zest arriving in the mid--palate; as noted, the finish is quite citrusy

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low carbonation; warmth in the gullet

Overall: I can't say that I have ever had a Side Car but I like what this beer delivers

Wow there is a lot going on here! Definitely malty. Orange flavor is predominant. Can tell quickly this is higher ABV but not in a bad way. There are a few other flavors but I'm not good enough to identify them. Regardless, they all work well together, nothing is clashing. Opaque brown color, similar to a winter warmer in many ways. Excellent!

 

 

 

I’ll buy nearly anything FW drops into a barrel, even if it sounds…odd. As this one does. But there aren’t enough cognac barrel aged beers. 12 oz. bottle.

The pour looks like a red/amber & a quick swirl at any point revives a shallow white head. Nose brings toffee, lemon, orange zest. No barrel.

Gold Rider is notable for the scarceness of the barrel. The cognac is there…if you concentrate, but it’s very faint (or very subtle if we’re using our nice words). Stirred with a slice of lemon, with a base of sweet toffee & a mild sting of lemon on the finish. Light, especially for the ABV. Half the bottle for me (half for my wife) is enough.

Not good, not bad, just uninteresting. Decent.

 

 

 

L - amber with golden highlights and a light tan head that dissipates quickly leaving behind sight lacing
S - Cognac and oak along with bright orange and lemon, hints of caramel
T - Fruity orange up front and throughout intermixed well with cognac - fruity and spicy with some vanilla, notes of oak and earth. Honey and hints of toffee. Finishes with bright lemon
F - medium leaning on full bodied with light to moderate carbonation
O - A very solid, well rounded cocktail inspired ale

Look: Caramel, rose colored. Beautiful.
Smell: Bubblegum yeast, dark fruit
Taste: Unlike any beer I've ever tasted. True to its attempt to taste like a sidecar. Fruity
Feel: Feeling thin so it feels almost like a cocktail rather than a beer
Overall: I'm not a big cognac level. Sidecars are ok, but for whatever reason this beer tastes as good or better than a sidecar. And it's a fun experience to tasted what they tried to make as a sidecar taste.

A - Deep garnet colored pour with nice clarity and dense lacing, low carbonation.

S - Honey, vanilla, some spice, toasted toffee, delicate lemon, and alcohol presence.

T - Big lemon presence on the palate (compared to the nose) with a slight bit of spice. Sweet caramel malt base is pretty buried along with the vanilla. Ends with a lingering lemon, toffee, vanilla, boozy finish.

M - Thick and silky on the palate, dry on the very back of the tongue while the rest of the mouth waters.

O - Defiunitely tastes more like a cocktail than a beer. Nicely done, FW.

 

Pours clear, copper in color with minimal head. Taste is toffee, lemon, orange, and barrel. Heavy body, sweet, low carbonation. Delicious beer. Firestone Walker are the kings of barrel Aged Imperial beers. This is so malty, English candy. Excellent sipper..Just a wow beer. I miss these guys in Massachusetts.