Run PNC
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

 

This one pours a very dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like milk chocolate, oak, raisin, candied cinnamon, roasted malt, and a bit of tequila spiciness.

This isn’t an improvement on the original PNC, even with the more complicated description. Cinnamon was likely unnecessary, but it definitely doesn’t overwhelm like so many beers with cinnamon do. There’s a touch of citrusy, spicy, and oaky tequila, with a bit of fruity brandy, and a small little spike of bourbon – all the barrels are there, but sort of fold into each other.

This is medium bodied, not as thick as the original PNC, but definitely not thin. There’s not a lot of booziness here.

This was quite good, but doesn’t quite live up to memory I have of the 2013 batch.

 

 

insane to have this back to back with the original, the side by side was awesome, its good to have friends! this has cinnamon added, and its not subtle, but the little bit of age on this now seems to have it nice and mellow, and i actually think i ended up preferring this one, even though that was not the consensus of the group who shared them. the cinnamon does a lot for this, and its fresher tasting to me, less oxidation than the original which leaves more of the grain character in tact, the part of this i find most compelling despite the crazy barrel complexity and in this instance the warming cozy cinnamon layer. the cinnamon is real compatible in aroma and flavor with the tequila, not a combination i would have picked to be so successful, but it works. spicy on both counts, and the hotter alcohol plays in here too accenting them both but also seemingly fusing them. its not overdone but its bold and lingers long in the finish even though this is no sweeter than the original. subtle raisin, molasses, and smoke are all real complimentary. the texture is soft but also spicy and earthy with the buckwheat and a little bitter from all the roast which works well in here. some vanilla from the bourbon coming out late too, which is also killer with the dominant cinnamon. delicious variant, strange, but also super dialed in. one of the more interesting barrel aged beers ive ever had from these guys, which is really saying something. thankful for the experience, this seemed perfect for a chilly fall night around the bonfire!

On draft, in stemmed glass

Black in color, tan colored head. Big earthy cinnamon, plus dark chocolate and complex woody barrel. Thick and smooth feel.

I am a sucker for cinnamon stouts and this is a world class one.

Black, brown foam is gone pretty quick.

Smells boozy and woody.

Cinnamon's the highlight, just about done perfect. Chocolate's very background. Can't pick out the barrels, but it's fairly boozy and barrelled. Smoke would be too much but needs some roast. Curious what buckwheat does to this.

A step up on viscosity would be good, it's unusually light.

L: Jet black pour from draft into a 3oz sample cup. Not much lacing for the pour which indicates the bourbon, maybe heaviness of the body here.
S: Getting some apricot fruity aroma here. You can definitely smell the tequila barrels here. Sweet, malty, agave, smells very interesting and feels it may be a sweet one. I don’t really smell the cinnamon to much but maybe it’s covered up very well by the barrels.
T: Big bakers chocolate up front, big dark malts, Can taste the sweetness of the barrel in between as well. Not getting to much cinnamon here. Getting some coffee as well. Very interesting and unique actually.
F: Medium to heavy bodied, easy sipper, slight carbonation.
O: This one was very unique and I actually appreciate this one because I haven’t had anything like it before. The mix of barrels definitely gives it a unique sweeter taste from the bourbon and brandy barrels and a slight maybe agave taste in there from the tequila. Definitely worth a try

Bottle pour- dark as a moonless night with short khaki head leaving a ring of foamy bubbles. Nose is tequila barrel wood forward. Taste mellows with a cinnamon influence. Finishes on the dry side with lingering barrel wood and a notable cinnamony aftertaste.