PNC Imperial Buckwheat Stout
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- Stout - American Imperial
- ABV:
- 13.7%
- Score:
- 99
- Avg:
- 4.5 | pDev: 7.33%
- Reviews:
- 50
- Ratings:
- From:
- Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Avail:
- Retired (no longer brewed)
- Wants
- 269
- Gots
- 70
SCORE
99
World-Class
99
World-Class
Notes:
This bold and deliciously complex beer is an Imperial Buckwheat Stout aged in Tequila barrels for 13 months. Only a collection of pioneering, well seasoned, extensively traveled and passionate pub owners could come up with such a notion. A massive grain bill consisting of Pale, Munich and toasted Canadian Buckwheat was blended with pearled drum-kilned barley from Chile, a generous amount of Wisconsin toasted wheat and a slug of British crystal malts. A couple lumps of Mexican Turbinado sugar were added for good measure while we loaded the kettle with Styrian Golding hops. This carefully calculated collision of flavors, concocted over copious amounts of Orval well into the night, was laid down in fresh Tequila barrels wrangled over our southern border by the beautiful and gracious Meg Gill. We simply call this beer “PNC” in honor of its collaborative creators – the gothic symphony of flavors will speak for themselves.
Reviews: 50
| Ratings: 488
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Reviews by mhksuccess:
More User Reviews:
brewmastercat from California
5/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
By far the best barrel aged stout I've ever had.
It's rough, yet smooth. Spicy, yet sweet. Fruity, yet bitter. So many contrasting and complimentary flavors...a great wood character with a hint of a very fine agave.
Fruity, spicy, sweet, smooth, rough edges, chocolate, booze, delicious.
It's like Clint Eastwood in a suit.
Jun 20, 2015
5/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
By far the best barrel aged stout I've ever had.
It's rough, yet smooth. Spicy, yet sweet. Fruity, yet bitter. So many contrasting and complimentary flavors...a great wood character with a hint of a very fine agave.
Fruity, spicy, sweet, smooth, rough edges, chocolate, booze, delicious.
It's like Clint Eastwood in a suit.
Jun 20, 2015
stakem from Pennsylvania
4.13/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Many thanks to anotherjoe for surprising me with a bottle of this. Pours black in color with a rich brown cap. The aroma contains cocoa and lots of barrel with slight mineral feel. Plenty of oak and solvent alcohol blend to almost something like raisons. The solvent alcohol feel carries over from nose to flavor with plenty of roasty char appeal as well as fruity chocolate covered raisons. The barrel aging imparts oak and vanilla with some herbal hops being the last things noted. This is a very full and creamy feeling body with moderate carbonation. I cannot think of a tequilla barrel aged beer that I have enjoyed more than this. Well done.
Dec 05, 2014
4.13/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Many thanks to anotherjoe for surprising me with a bottle of this. Pours black in color with a rich brown cap. The aroma contains cocoa and lots of barrel with slight mineral feel. Plenty of oak and solvent alcohol blend to almost something like raisons. The solvent alcohol feel carries over from nose to flavor with plenty of roasty char appeal as well as fruity chocolate covered raisons. The barrel aging imparts oak and vanilla with some herbal hops being the last things noted. This is a very full and creamy feeling body with moderate carbonation. I cannot think of a tequilla barrel aged beer that I have enjoyed more than this. Well done.
Dec 05, 2014
AgentMunky from New York
4.29/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Altamont glass. Vintage 2013. Batch 001.
A: Nice off-white head fades fast and leaves nice lacing.
S: It smells...fine? Reminiscent of something. Cereal grain? Maybe that's the buckwheat. Slightly oxidised?
T/M: Huge vanillins right up front and they just last and last. A really rich, sweet, beautiful beer. I get barely (if any) tequila at all. Maybe barrel-aging? My tequila-hating friend Adam swears he can taste it right at the end, and I do suppose there's a tang right at the end. It's mostly just a big sweet stout. I don't taste the booze but my buddy,
O: Man, this is good. Skepticism aside, FW knows what's up. Incredibly delicious, highly recommended, very nice stout, Sweet, but balanced.
Feb 12, 2015
4.29/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Altamont glass. Vintage 2013. Batch 001.
A: Nice off-white head fades fast and leaves nice lacing.
S: It smells...fine? Reminiscent of something. Cereal grain? Maybe that's the buckwheat. Slightly oxidised?
T/M: Huge vanillins right up front and they just last and last. A really rich, sweet, beautiful beer. I get barely (if any) tequila at all. Maybe barrel-aging? My tequila-hating friend Adam swears he can taste it right at the end, and I do suppose there's a tang right at the end. It's mostly just a big sweet stout. I don't taste the booze but my buddy,
O: Man, this is good. Skepticism aside, FW knows what's up. Incredibly delicious, highly recommended, very nice stout, Sweet, but balanced.
Feb 12, 2015
floyd_pugman from California
4.61/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Enjoyed from the bottle at Toronado SD, 9/12/17. Poured into a house bulb. Nose is subdued barrel: vanilla, chocolate, caramel. I want to say port-soaked buckwheat too, but I never would have pinpointed that if I didn’t already know it was a buckwheat stout. Can tell it’s not a bourbon barrel beer, but wouldn’t have suspected tequila. No heat. Palate starts with vanilla and caramel, then adds chocolate, and finishes with port flavors. Very elegant beer; slightly thinner-than-expected mouthfeel at first but ultimately perfect for the flavor profile. Tequila presence there but none of the typical barrel flavors that in my mind ruin other tequila-barrel stouts. Gets even better as it warms; getting some nice nutty flavors on the finish now. Wonderfully rich without being sludgy; a must try. Get it before it goes extinct.
Sep 12, 2017
4.61/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Enjoyed from the bottle at Toronado SD, 9/12/17. Poured into a house bulb. Nose is subdued barrel: vanilla, chocolate, caramel. I want to say port-soaked buckwheat too, but I never would have pinpointed that if I didn’t already know it was a buckwheat stout. Can tell it’s not a bourbon barrel beer, but wouldn’t have suspected tequila. No heat. Palate starts with vanilla and caramel, then adds chocolate, and finishes with port flavors. Very elegant beer; slightly thinner-than-expected mouthfeel at first but ultimately perfect for the flavor profile. Tequila presence there but none of the typical barrel flavors that in my mind ruin other tequila-barrel stouts. Gets even better as it warms; getting some nice nutty flavors on the finish now. Wonderfully rich without being sludgy; a must try. Get it before it goes extinct.
Sep 12, 2017
DIPAFAN from New Jersey
4.4/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
May 07, 2015
4.4/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
May 07, 2015
chugalug06 from Colorado
4.89/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pitch black body, thick viscosity. Burnt caramel head grows 1 1/2 finger. No lacing
Amazing aroma. Deep toasty chocolate aroma grows the more you sniff. Caramel, no smoke.
Smooth as could be. Amazing. Word cannot describe this brew. Deep dark 90% chocolate, mild sweetness with elegant lingering agave vanilla bitterness. Booze is subtle with mellow kick at the dry end that shoots up the nose.
Clean, crisp, amazingly unique, beyond recommended. So glad I took the time to ask and listen about this brew. Thanks Chris.
Sep 05, 2013
4.89/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pitch black body, thick viscosity. Burnt caramel head grows 1 1/2 finger. No lacing
Amazing aroma. Deep toasty chocolate aroma grows the more you sniff. Caramel, no smoke.
Smooth as could be. Amazing. Word cannot describe this brew. Deep dark 90% chocolate, mild sweetness with elegant lingering agave vanilla bitterness. Booze is subtle with mellow kick at the dry end that shoots up the nose.
Clean, crisp, amazingly unique, beyond recommended. So glad I took the time to ask and listen about this brew. Thanks Chris.
Sep 05, 2013
jakecattleco from California
4.73/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Pour at 2015 Craft Beer Summit from FW tent. REALLY like this offering, all the flavors are subtle enough to pick them out individually. A great beer, that hides a very potent punch well.
Sep 13, 2015
4.73/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Pour at 2015 Craft Beer Summit from FW tent. REALLY like this offering, all the flavors are subtle enough to pick them out individually. A great beer, that hides a very potent punch well.
Sep 13, 2015
NickThePyro from Washington
5/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Feb 17, 2017
5/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Feb 17, 2017
cbutova from Massachusetts
4.44/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Reviewed from notes taken at Toronado, San Diego.
A- Pitch black oil thick brew from the taps into a small flute. Dark mocha colored head forms on top of it. A nice size and good retention. Nice ring remains as well as some islands and lace is patchy.
S- Rich chocolate and roast malts lead the way like Parabola but there is a distinct difference with the barrel feel, semi-tequila hint.
T -Super rich roast chocolate malts with some vanilla and tequila character, that hard to describe flavor in only tequila, just a hint of it. Oak vanilla, pepper, spice and some fruit feel. Barrel feel is quite nice.
MF- Super thick and chewy with smooth, moderately high carbonation. Finishes with a substantial but nice warmth.
Reminds me a lot of Parabola in the base beer but the barrel feel is substantially different enough to make this have its own character. Would love to try again but don't see that happening.
Nov 13, 2013
4.44/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Reviewed from notes taken at Toronado, San Diego.
A- Pitch black oil thick brew from the taps into a small flute. Dark mocha colored head forms on top of it. A nice size and good retention. Nice ring remains as well as some islands and lace is patchy.
S- Rich chocolate and roast malts lead the way like Parabola but there is a distinct difference with the barrel feel, semi-tequila hint.
T -Super rich roast chocolate malts with some vanilla and tequila character, that hard to describe flavor in only tequila, just a hint of it. Oak vanilla, pepper, spice and some fruit feel. Barrel feel is quite nice.
MF- Super thick and chewy with smooth, moderately high carbonation. Finishes with a substantial but nice warmth.
Reminds me a lot of Parabola in the base beer but the barrel feel is substantially different enough to make this have its own character. Would love to try again but don't see that happening.
Nov 13, 2013
StoutSnob40 from California
4.37/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Nov 16, 2013
4.37/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Nov 16, 2013
robwestcott from Indiana
4.64/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Cold and black from the tap at Monks in Philadelphia, to a 10oz fluted goblet with a 2 finger long lasting mocha head with a full sheet of lace.
Big aroma of smoky chocolate and bourbon. A big beer.
Barrel forward, smoky, cocoa, bourbon, dark cherries, creamy smooth. Medium carbonation, big bodied.
Great beer.
Oct 12, 2013
4.64/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Cold and black from the tap at Monks in Philadelphia, to a 10oz fluted goblet with a 2 finger long lasting mocha head with a full sheet of lace.
Big aroma of smoky chocolate and bourbon. A big beer.
Barrel forward, smoky, cocoa, bourbon, dark cherries, creamy smooth. Medium carbonation, big bodied.
Great beer.
Oct 12, 2013
PNC Imperial Buckwheat Stout from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
99 out of
100 with
488 ratings
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