Fourth Meal At Graceland
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

 

 

this is way way way up there for me in the top echelon of peanut butter beers, and dang is there a lot of them out there these days, but this one has a real high degree of authenticity, is well supported by the other elements, the base stout is fire, and it really is well dosed, a treat to drink on! this is also brewed with marshmallow and what they call torched banana, neat. good rye and bourbon barrels on this one too, lots of nice whiskey character coming through in aroma and flavor, warming alcohol and luscious vanilla. the pour is near black on this one, but its nowhere near as viscous as some of theirs have been, and it holds some carbonation and head which serve to make this somewhat more texturally easy, despite the sweetness and the strength, a nice design element really. the nose is awesome lots of roast and barrel char, the base stout can handle all this flavor, cooked banana for sure, real ripe and honest in this, a cocoa layer from the grain too, obvious peanut, oily and fatty and earthy and roasted, love how forward that is, and of course its wonderful with both the banana and the whiskey. marshmallow is less relevant to me here, more just sweetness, but there i8s a sort of campfire aspect to the whole thing. honey and light cinnamon maybe from the whiskey barrels, lots going on but very cohesive and the quality ingredients are very apparent. the flavor is peanut first, actual peanut butter, smooth and silky, love that the texture is even right for this, and it doesnt smell or taste like the dehydrated stuff that everyone is using in these either, its awesome. the banana is more prominent than expected too, this can be a tough beer ingredient but they have it dialed in here, lots of good whiskey the whole way too, a nice layer for sure, more booze than oak, but it works. i suppose there is a general marshmallow sweetness to the whole thing, but the base stout kind of works in the same direction, and i think it all comes together very very well, peanut late, some nice roasty bitterness and dark chocolate character to offset some finishing sugar, there is alcohol but its not over the top, and the barrel treatment is excellent, as is pretty much always the case with these guys. really great concept and execution, very impressive offering, among the best uses of peanut butter i have known in any beer...

(12 oz bottle, purchased at the Paso Robles brewery in mid-September... shared with my brother in stemless wine glasses... review taken from basic recollections)

One of the more surprising bottles from the big haul. Delicate hints of each adjunct on the nose. The marshmallow seemed to stand out most on the palate (banana second, peanut butter barely) and it added some dimension and complexity to the underlying fruited, caramely, burnt sugars... Arguable if overt banana flavor expressed. In fact, the banana may have contributed to a subtle Belgian dark ale note... Peanut meat giving a chunkier nut angle to the base malts?... Sort of a lot going on, but it came down to the adjuncts adding more angles, layers, colors while the base stout held a firm foundation... Wish I would've grabbed another one of these. NOT an imperial stout - more of a dark pastry liquor. (2459)

 

 

12 oz bottle into westvleteren glass.

Low viscosity for the style, nose is somewhat muted, with notes of banana and phenols

Banana at the front of the sip, along with oaky BA stout notes. Marshmallows blend in with its malty sweetness, which is quite prominent. Finishes long a sweet.

Not terrible to drink, but too sweet and didn’t really capture the flavor profile of Elvis’ favorite sandwich.

Super dark black with tan head. Nose is fairly soft, banana and cinnamon. Taste is equally as soft with both banana and cinnamon but also a bourbon warmth.