Firestone 16 - Anniversary Ale | Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
California, United States
firestonewalker.com
Style: American Strong Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 13.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
23% Velvet Merkin
22.5% Stickee Monkee
20.3% Double Double Barrel Ale
10.8% Parabola
8.1% PNC
5.4% Helldorado
5.4% Bravo
4.5% Wookey Jack
Added by AgentMunky on 11-15-2012
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
Ratings: 1,123 | Reviews: 168
Reviews by yoitsarch:
4.25/5 rDev -0.9%
yoitsarch, Nov 29, 2012
More User Reviews:
3.31/5 rDev -22.8%
Brown glass bottle with black papered over pry-off pressure cap and paper pull-tab purchased in SoCal years ago and served into an Odell stem-tulip in me friend's gaff in high altitude Fort Collins, CO. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I'm skeptical of this brewery's beers but the current 96 rating is interesting.
Served cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: One finger wide. Khaki colour. Nice even smooth consistency. Nicely creamy. Retention is above average - about 2.5 minutes. No lacing sticks to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Opaque dark black. Nontransparent; no yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.
Appears adequately carbonated. Far from unique or special looking for the style.
AROMA: Vanilla, bourbon, and marshmallow. Neutral barrel sugars. My broken nose can't pick up anything else; all apologies.
A pleasant aroma of mild strength.
TASTE: Has a lovely bourbon tone throughout, with some nice vanilla and oak notes. Barrel sugars bleed in. Kisses of dark fruit; they blend in so well I can't isolate them. Caramel. Sticky dark fruits. Maybe a hint of raisin. Toffee. Dark malts. Marshmallow. Treacle.
On the sweeter side, but not boozy.
The oak is lovely, as is the complementary bourbon. It's surprisingly well balanced for a Firestone Walker blend, and boasts impressive complexity as well as some limited subtlety. I like it, and it has some loose cohesion, but it isn't gestalt. Well-executed and enjoyable.
Nice depth and amplitude of flavour. Above average intensity and duration of flavour.
TEXTURE: Fairly chewy. Full-bodied. Aptly thick. Smooth and wet. Has plenty of heft and weight on the palate, but while it's a sipper, it never feels overbearing or unnecessarily heavy.
Not oily, gushed, astringent, scratchy, rough, or harsh. The alcohol is present but doesn't distract. Decently carbonated.
OVERALL: She's a sipper, but she's enjoyable. A nice blend from Firestone Walker. I'm surprisingly happy I picked this up; it isn't as disappointing as most of this brewery's highly celebrated brews. I wouldn't necessarily get it again, but I do like it. Worth trying. I think this made the top 250 list upon release; that's unwarranted, but it is indeed tasty.
As good as it is, though, is all that blending and effort really necessary? Other (i.e. superior) breweries make far better strong ales with far less tinkering. Maybe Firestone Walker should hire staff capable of blending their own good beers without requiring the input of others (and the marketing opportunities associated therewith). Ultimately, it's a bit too sweet, which holds it back.
Low B-
2,782 characters
Brown glass bottle with black papered over pry-off pressure cap and paper pull-tab purchased in SoCal years ago and served into an Odell stem-tulip in me friend's gaff in high altitude Fort Collins, CO. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I'm skeptical of this brewery's beers but the current 96 rating is interesting.
Served cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: One finger wide. Khaki colour. Nice even smooth consistency. Nicely creamy. Retention is above average - about 2.5 minutes. No lacing sticks to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
BODY: Opaque dark black. Nontransparent; no yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.
Appears adequately carbonated. Far from unique or special looking for the style.
AROMA: Vanilla, bourbon, and marshmallow. Neutral barrel sugars. My broken nose can't pick up anything else; all apologies.
A pleasant aroma of mild strength.
TASTE: Has a lovely bourbon tone throughout, with some nice vanilla and oak notes. Barrel sugars bleed in. Kisses of dark fruit; they blend in so well I can't isolate them. Caramel. Sticky dark fruits. Maybe a hint of raisin. Toffee. Dark malts. Marshmallow. Treacle.
On the sweeter side, but not boozy.
The oak is lovely, as is the complementary bourbon. It's surprisingly well balanced for a Firestone Walker blend, and boasts impressive complexity as well as some limited subtlety. I like it, and it has some loose cohesion, but it isn't gestalt. Well-executed and enjoyable.
Nice depth and amplitude of flavour. Above average intensity and duration of flavour.
TEXTURE: Fairly chewy. Full-bodied. Aptly thick. Smooth and wet. Has plenty of heft and weight on the palate, but while it's a sipper, it never feels overbearing or unnecessarily heavy.
Not oily, gushed, astringent, scratchy, rough, or harsh. The alcohol is present but doesn't distract. Decently carbonated.
OVERALL: She's a sipper, but she's enjoyable. A nice blend from Firestone Walker. I'm surprisingly happy I picked this up; it isn't as disappointing as most of this brewery's highly celebrated brews. I wouldn't necessarily get it again, but I do like it. Worth trying. I think this made the top 250 list upon release; that's unwarranted, but it is indeed tasty.
As good as it is, though, is all that blending and effort really necessary? Other (i.e. superior) breweries make far better strong ales with far less tinkering. Maybe Firestone Walker should hire staff capable of blending their own good beers without requiring the input of others (and the marketing opportunities associated therewith). Ultimately, it's a bit too sweet, which holds it back.
Low B-
2,782 characters
4.11/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to Jeff for sharing this one with us! Pours a dark-ass brown color, very nearly black with a tan head, small and unobtrusive but lasting for at least half of the pour. The smell is very commanding and powerful, hitting first with a big vanilla-bourbon combination. Oaky, sweet, and full of spicy alcohol. Right from the nose, you know that this beer means serious business. If I had to guess, it smells more powerful than 13% ABV, although 13% is still nothing to scoff at. Nice balance of sweetness and booziness overall.
Wow, the taste is as robust and strong as they come. Thick and syrupy bourbon and whiskey right out of the gate. This one definitely tastes a bit higher than 13% ABV, it's pretty hot, but still remains drinkable given it's sheer power. Sweet brown sugar, sugar coated figs and dates. Very, very boozy vanilla and lots of oak and wood flavors. Moderate amounts of cocoa and toasted caramel in the finish, although the bourbon is still the most prominent thing in this brew. Slightly on the thicker side for the body, mild carbonation.
Whoa, this one will put you on your ass if you don't look out! Very strong and very powerful, yet deceivingly sweet and drinkable at the same time. A nicely crafted brew that I'm glad I got the chance to try. I'd like to see this one with a few years on it and see if the alcohol mellows out a bit, just a touch too hot right now.
1,396 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to Jeff for sharing this one with us! Pours a dark-ass brown color, very nearly black with a tan head, small and unobtrusive but lasting for at least half of the pour. The smell is very commanding and powerful, hitting first with a big vanilla-bourbon combination. Oaky, sweet, and full of spicy alcohol. Right from the nose, you know that this beer means serious business. If I had to guess, it smells more powerful than 13% ABV, although 13% is still nothing to scoff at. Nice balance of sweetness and booziness overall.
Wow, the taste is as robust and strong as they come. Thick and syrupy bourbon and whiskey right out of the gate. This one definitely tastes a bit higher than 13% ABV, it's pretty hot, but still remains drinkable given it's sheer power. Sweet brown sugar, sugar coated figs and dates. Very, very boozy vanilla and lots of oak and wood flavors. Moderate amounts of cocoa and toasted caramel in the finish, although the bourbon is still the most prominent thing in this brew. Slightly on the thicker side for the body, mild carbonation.
Whoa, this one will put you on your ass if you don't look out! Very strong and very powerful, yet deceivingly sweet and drinkable at the same time. A nicely crafted brew that I'm glad I got the chance to try. I'd like to see this one with a few years on it and see if the alcohol mellows out a bit, just a touch too hot right now.
1,396 characters
4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.55/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.56/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Served from a bottle given out at the anniversary release party at FW in a stone barley wine glass.
A: dark rich color with excellent head retention.
S: vanilla malt.
T: smooth and complex vanilla, whiskey, and caramel that rolls over the tongue with exceptional ease. Surprised with very little alcohol taste considering the ABV.
M: thick and rich, amazing aftertaste of vanilla
O: amazing amazing amazing
411 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Served from a bottle given out at the anniversary release party at FW in a stone barley wine glass.
A: dark rich color with excellent head retention.
S: vanilla malt.
T: smooth and complex vanilla, whiskey, and caramel that rolls over the tongue with exceptional ease. Surprised with very little alcohol taste considering the ABV.
M: thick and rich, amazing aftertaste of vanilla
O: amazing amazing amazing
411 characters
4.49/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle
A: Very dark brown/almost pitch black with a thin white head.
S: Starts of very roasty with some coffee aroma and dark chocolate. Followed by vanilla, bourbon, oak and dark fruits.
T: Not as much coffee as the nose, but there is still some roastiness in there. Tastes a lot like dark fruits (plum) mixed with chocolate and vanilla. Tastes more chocolately than the nose would suggest, almost like a chocolate doughnut. Bourbon and oak blend in very well at the end of this.
M: Medium/thick bodied with light carbonation. Works well with the style.
O: Firestone Walker does not disappoint. This beer is extremely well blended to showcase all of the elements. Dangerously drinkable.
697 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22oz bottle
A: Very dark brown/almost pitch black with a thin white head.
S: Starts of very roasty with some coffee aroma and dark chocolate. Followed by vanilla, bourbon, oak and dark fruits.
T: Not as much coffee as the nose, but there is still some roastiness in there. Tastes a lot like dark fruits (plum) mixed with chocolate and vanilla. Tastes more chocolately than the nose would suggest, almost like a chocolate doughnut. Bourbon and oak blend in very well at the end of this.
M: Medium/thick bodied with light carbonation. Works well with the style.
O: Firestone Walker does not disappoint. This beer is extremely well blended to showcase all of the elements. Dangerously drinkable.
697 characters
4.24/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Firestone 16 - Anniversary Ale from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
4.29
out of 5
based on 1,123 ratings.