Billiard Money
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

 

Dark, reddish brown pour, looks black and opaque in the glass; thick, densely frothy head, tan colored with a a creamy textured top; thick ropes and partial rings of foam mark the glass. Earthy notes of cinnamon greet the nose; lightly spicy green chili peppers in the background; chocolate. Decent enough taste; lots of cinnamon, not so much chili pepper presence; phenolic bitterness; vegetal; bittersweet chocolate; sneaky bit of bourbon on the back end. Heavy, slippery body; oily; mild overall warmth from the barrel aging and chili peppers; lightly sticky.

Perhaps its the aging, but the chili pepper character is really hard to pickup overall, the same with the bourbon barrel aging. The cinnamon aspect presents a strong and lasting appearance throughout. I do like the beer, but in this case, the flavor is the weak point. I have a second bottle of this, so I'll see if a colder serving temperature significantly impacts any of my impressions.

ABV: 10.5%; pouring temperature: 60.7 °F; bottling info: Vintage 2023; №.01
Source: Tavour

members beer in collaboration with weldwerks, really good, and a fairly distinctive take on what has become quite common, these chili chocolate cinnamon stouts in barrels, not as novel as they used to be, but this is better than the vast majority of them, a treat to have a chance at this one! black and dense, but not as gloopy or viscous as most of the weldwerks ones in this space, more refined than that to me, less forced, lazy layer of dark tan bubbles floating on top. the nose here is not alcoholic at all but the richness of the bourbon comes right through. lots of dark roast, chocolate and coffee and pipe tobacco, with some smoke there, a warming earthy chili pepper character, more dried than fresh, light adobo or something, and then a wintery pop of fresh cinnamon, nothing overdone and still stout first, although the whiskey factor is turned way up, really layered and appealing. the flavor is awesome too, all these elements come together extremely well, less smoke than i smell, more chocolate. cigar, dark chili character so good with the roasted grain, and the cinnamon and whiskey together on the swallow are awesome, some molasses sweetness and vanilla bean too, but this is not at all diabetic, and for how big and complex it is, its not a tough drink in the least, so smooth and polished. some bitterness from the dark grain and some barrel char give this additional balance. light licorice at the end, chili and cinnamon spice both lingering just a little. wonderful beer, perfect for this time of year!

Built for beer drinkers but drawing inspiration from Mexican cuisine, Firestone Walker looks south of the boarder for a mole inspired bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout.

Jet black and building a luscious mocha foam, Billiard Money soon provides a sultry and spicy-sweet scent that revolves around the chocolate, cinnamon and chile flavors that make mole sauce so savory. With the grounding of dark roast coffee, whisky spice, toasted oak and dark sugars, the savory scent soon manifests in a deep and dark malt profile of blackstrap molasses, honey and burnt toast.

As the flavors roll onto the middle palate its the sweetness and savory flavors that intertwine into a nearly port or sherry-like taste with hints of raisin, peanut, red grape, grilled berry and cocoa. As the coffee slowly fades, those flavors are supplanted with the effects of bourbon barrel with vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and caramelization before turning bitter with those coffee-like tendencies lurking onward.

Full bodied, malty and warming, the stout finishes off-cloying with an edge of whisky spice, chile pepper and stout booziness the ride into a long, savory and spicy sweetness in aftertaste.

Black, more tan foam than I expected.

Cinnamon toast crunch.

Not in red hot cinnamon category, which is a plus, but no chocolate, which is opposite of plus. Booze is there, with the cinnamon and some bitter and spice.

Not the density I want.

 

Bottle pour into proper drinking vessel - opaque dark liquid with minuscule khaki head, leaving just a bit of random lacing. Cinnamon notes come next , along with cacao, burnt sugar and lingering spice.... Feels a bit sticky, best shared.