2017 Firestone Walker Parabola

I'm with you on that. The store I usually buy from on Long Island got four cases total. I managed to snag a bottle, but I shake my head at the distribution model when some people buy 3 cases and my entire store only gets four.

 

Which WF are you finding that at? I recently changed jobs and moved from right by the WF on 57th and 2nd which had a decent selection. Looking for another spot in the city.

 

Definitely just paid $18 for a 12oz bottle. No regrets, but well aware of how ridiculous that is.

 

WF bowery. up until last week, it had it's own beer room, and i dare say the best WF beer set-up in the city.
Now it's gone. sigh

 

By sitting on it and not drinking it.

I say this with love and as someone who has 200+ bottles in a cellar (down from 300+, mostly rotting, who's friends with dozen(s) of friends who have hundreds of bottles, and I don't think I know a single one of them who hasn't come to feel at the least slightly sheepish if not downright regretful by this point. The beer, mostly, doesn't get better, and if it does it's for a relatively short window before it starts turning south. The opportunities to drink these beers becomes less frequent over time, whether because of life circumstances or the ever-accumulation of competing beers to drink and try.

I'm not denying the fun and satisfaction of having a deep and impressive cellar (whatever that means to you or any other particular individual), just that if one were to distribute the beer optimally amongst all possible drinkers based on the total amount of joy it would bring, including drinking that beer at something close to peak, it wouldn't involve very many people having the extensive cellars we have.

 

well at this point I feel just fine about my cellar. I've already drank about 6 of them and I have some set to trade to a couple regular traders I deal with. Soon there will only be 15-20 left. Which would be like having 8-10 bombers in the old format. I see posts in the latest beer hail thread where people grab close to if not more than that number of beers. As I have said before. I feel that if this beer was not as desired no one would care. If you want some parabola please come to CA. It's sitting on shelves all over still. No limit. I saw a post a few weeks ago where I guy had got 9-12 bottles of huna @huna day. There was no hate on him in the latest haul thread. I don't see the diffeeence between myself grabbing 3 cases or just grabbing 1, and letting others grab the rest. Like I said. It's still on shelves. Be mad at the distribution. And none of this beer will go to waste.

 

FWIW I wasn't judging/commenting on the ethics of buying up the beer in the first place, or mad in any respect whatsoever. I'm curious if your perspective will be the same in a couple years. Anyway, all the best, enjoy the beer, cheers

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I guess we will see. I'm sure everyone's perspective changes at some point. I see you have been on this site for 12 years. I'm sure some of the luster has worn off. For me, I am enjoying it all. Cheers!

 

I shop at the same Total Wine store where @BWood got his multiple cases of Parabola.

And you know what???

It's the end of April. Dropped in today and was still a little surprised to see there were still around 2+ cases of Parabola left...sitting...in plain sight...on the floor at the outrageous price of $9.99 per bottle. "Turding it up" as some might say.

 

Anywhere in Philly yet?

 

I totally agree. I have accumulated far more beer than I need by simply buying more beer than I can drink.

 

Echoing some of the other folks in the thread, I feel like the 2017 Parabola is rather different from past releases when fresh. That said, I think it's changed for the better, and the one bottle I've had so far was great. I would always say that if you've got two bottles, drink one now for comparison, and let that inform how long you wait on ageing the second.

 

5 cases sitting on the shelf today. No limit still. Parabola is now a shelf turd? I would buy more but I don't want people getting upset

 

Looks like Parabola is now in NJ. Found it for $4.99/bottle in Robbinsville. A steal considering some places had Bravo at $19.99.

 

Damn...that is an amazing price!

I used to live right down the road from Robbinsville. If I still lived there I'd be all over it!

Cheers man!

 

I would buy plenty if I saw that display, but I wouldn't feel good doing it. I understand the marketing appeal of a distinctive cardboard packaging, but goodness, it's even more wasteful now that they're 12-ounce bottles. Poor trees. I was quite happy that FSW's company stores sold the Rye Double DBA without boxes.

 

It doesn't matter how many cases are left, you're a jerk for even thinking of that.

 

Thinking of which part? That it's a shelf turd or buying more?

 

Buying more (which I was saying in jest)...but of course I'm sure some people think it's jerky to say it's a shelf turd as well.

 

Bought one at WF Devon last Friday.

 

Yeah, but they will still all be gone in a few weeks or a month even if there was a 1 or box limit at that store. BA stouts are never shelf turds, they are either gone quickly or lucky finds with some age on them. Dusty bottles give them extra "character"!.

 

To follow up on raynmoon's impressions: Based on my 3 year vertical at FW Paso I found this years to be very bourbon forward. 16 was more barrel forward with lots of oak, vanilla, and coconut. 15 was the most mellow and balanced. Made we want to wait a year to open any of my four 17 bottles.

 

Were those all in the same night?

 

Mysteries of the universe. I get more roasted nuts and charred oak than previous years. This was fun but it won't happen again.

 

I ended up grabbing 3 bottles of this.

Drank one and enjoyed it. Will spread the final 2 out over the upcoming months....hopefully. Having some KBS on hand should help with not finishing them too quickly.

 

We really enjoy Parabola, buying three to five bottles per year. This Kansas City batch is not as tasty as the normal stuff from California. It's good but it's not stellar like Parabola usually is. After reading the back of the box I'm guessing the new ownership is why this was brewed at Boulevard. Bummer.

 

Five bucks is a mistake. Snatch it up while you can.

 

nb, I read @bulletrain76's comment above to mean that this was a one-off thing, so next year should see things return to normal.

 

Went by total wine today. Still had about 3 cases out. BevMo had 3 cases on the floor and 3 more up top behind the shelf the manager said.

 

Found some while on vacation in ocean City for $13.25 a bottle. Thought about it for a while but decided to pass. I did buy a bottle each of DFH 120 and WWS so that kinda makes up for it

 

Seems like the Monmouth and Ocean county areas got the shaft again this year? Places I went looking for it had it come and go quickly and only got a case each.

 

Found it in a Foodery in Philly a couple days ago. $13 for a 12oz bottle. The price is ridiculous. This was the first year I've tried this beer - I've always strayed away due to scarcity and price. I rarely chase shelf beers. I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed by the actual beer. Some nice bourbon flavors but the mouthfeel was way too thin for me and the booze is pretty in your face.

 

Having Parabola 2017 on tap in SF

Full disclosure, never had Parabola until 2016 version, which I had on tap a couple times and via a few 2016 bottles I purchased. I thought it was fantastic and better than KBS and BCBS.

I bought 4 bottles of 2017, but haven't opened. On tap... This is pretty meh.

It has the barrel notes that FW is known for: bourbon, vanilla, coconut. But it's so overwhelmed by the bourbon notes that it's boring. Gone is the interplay between roasty stout beer and the barrel aging. This is now just a generic BBA beer. I'm hoping some time will improve it, but right now I'm rather disappointed.

 

Cannot agree more. I had Parabola for the first time this year and it was just meh, average. Good to know that it's usually better than that.

 

Crazy how far behind distribution is in Texas. This just hit this week at my local spots.

 

I bought two 2017 bottles this year. I had my first one right when they hit Colorado around easter. The first bottle tasted a bit "hot" and alcohol -forward, and the flavors weren't melding well. Not to say that it was bad by any means, just not the Parabola I am used to or have loved. I opened my second bottle last night and it was a night/day difference- It was well balanced, complex, the alcohol was integrated, and the barrel character was amazing!

my wife didn't end up drinking her half so I stashed the second half in the fridge over night. The next evening I figured I'd still try the second half. It was still great! even a little bit flat it was still amazing, and doesnt' need a lot of carbonation to pull it off in the first place. Well done Firestone!

 

Couldn't agree more. I had my first parabola this year but it was a 2015 bottle and it BLEW my mind. One of the best ba stouts I've ever had. I missed out on 2016, and grabbed 2 bottles this year and drank one, and it was so bland compared to the 2015. not a lot of barrel character and there was a weird after taste that was really unpleasant.

Hopefully they can pull it together next year, or maybe they just need to age for a year or two....

 

Brandon,

Just let me know when they put them on clearance... and be sure to leave me a few.

I opened one a week ago BTW. It was a lot of heat and bourbon and not much nuance. I love drinking bourbon, but when I want a BA beer, it shouldn't taste like a boilermaker. I hope time will resolve it. Not bad....but not as great as it has been.