Firestone Walker to release §ucaba (Sucaba) on January 17

Discussion in 'Beer Releases' started by Todd, Jan 8, 2015.

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  1. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,518) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    STAFF Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    Brewmaster Spills Secrets on Barrel-Aged Tongue Twister

    Paso Robles, CA—Firestone Walker Brewing Company is set to release its first Proprietor’s Vintage Series beer of 2015 with the return of §ucaba—and Brewmaster Matt Brynildson is now spilling a few secrets on the tongue-twisting, barrel-aged barleywine that has been a brewery staple since 2006.

    “We’ve never talked about it, but §ucaba is actually a blend of two separate beers,” Brynildson said. “The base beer is what you would call §ucaba, but each year the final blend also includes around 10 percent of another barrel-aged beer, which gives it this chocolaty, dark cherry dimension.”

    Brynildson wouldn’t reveal the identity of the other component beer, but he did share some insights into the name §ucaba.

    “Back in my early brewing days at Goose Island, I had this massive handheld calculator,” Brynildson said. “I would break it out when we were doing brewing calculations, and the guys would laugh at me and say, ‘Uh, oh, Brynildson’s firing up his abacus again.’ I always liked the word, and finally got to use it as a name for this beer.”

    Alas, that original name was later undone by a legal challenge, and so the brewing team simply reversed it to §ucaba as a defiant yet virtually unpronounceable way to maintain the beer’s lineage.

    So what’s the official pronunciation? “There is none,” Brynildson said. “SUC-a-buh, SOO-cah-ba, SOO-cab-uh, you hear it all, so it’s kind of fun. But in the brewhouse, we still call it by its original name.”

    2015 §ucaba Lowdown
    • Release Date: January 17, 2015
    • ABV: 13.5% IBU: 42 Color: 36 (Dark Ruby)
    • Malts: Pale Ale Malt, Maris Otter, Munich, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate
    • Hops: Magnum (bittering), East Kent and Styrian Golding (late kettle)
    • Aging: Barrel-aged for one year on average in retired Bourbon barrels
    • Production: 3,500 cases (22-ounce bottles)
    • Retail: $16.99 (22-ounce bottle). Available while supplies last in select markets across the United States.
    Tasting Notes
    Big, boozy bourbon and American oak aromas combine with soft chocolate malty undertones. Complex malt flavors are framed in oak with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coconut and just a touch of dark cherry.

    Cellaring
    §ucaba is built to last and will reward careful cellaring (ideal aging temperature: 45F) for years to come. We recommend counting the years with an abacus.

    http://www.firestonebeer.com

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  2. floridadrift

    floridadrift Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2014 Florida

  3. The_Beer_Shark

    The_Beer_Shark Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2014 Illinois

  4. Foyle

    Foyle Maven (1,481) Sep 29, 2007 North Carolina

    Don't know if I will find it near me, but sounds great.
     
  5. beernuts

    beernuts Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2014 Virginia

    Wow, as many times as I've seen the name of this beer, I just now reading that realized that its not "Sucuba", AND that its "Abacus" spelled backwards. Brilliant!
     
  6. Iron79Head

    Iron79Head Initiate (0) Nov 27, 2014 Ohio

    Would love to land one of these
     
  7. rongcsc

    rongcsc Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2012 South Carolina
    Trader

    ISO!!!
     
    Telly13 likes this.
  8. KevSal

    KevSal Pooh-Bah (2,940) Oct 17, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    there you have it, the beer is still called abacus. sucaba has an awful ring to it.

    i plan to be there! best yearly release by FW for sure!
     
  9. Rawbster

    Rawbster Initiate (0) Jul 25, 2014 North Carolina

    I have a 2011 abacus in my cellar. Waiting for the right day to crack it!
     
    Jmitchell3 likes this.
  10. JAntony345

    JAntony345 Initiate (0) May 1, 2010 New York

    Same here, I'm wondering if I should follow the 5 year rule
     
    Jmitchell3 likes this.
  11. Mshea805

    Mshea805 Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2014 California

    Love this beer, I cant believe its one of the only ones that stays available at barrelworks year round! I just stocked up on 2014 bottles before the price jumps.
     
    KevSal likes this.
  12. Brolo75

    Brolo75 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,134) Aug 10, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah

    I love Firestone's barrel aged beers, Parabola, Double DBA and Sucaba.
     
  13. Plasmafunk

    Plasmafunk Initiate (0) Jan 9, 2015 California

    I am drooling.....
     
  14. indian_pale_ale

    indian_pale_ale Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2013 Utah

    Anyone had older bottles? Curious how B1 or B2 are drinking. I would imagine incredibly sweet.
     
    floridadrift likes this.
  15. everyman

    everyman Initiate (0) Apr 30, 2014 California

    And I was getting worried. Website said '14- no word on '15.

    Now, I'll be prowling the Nugget and Bevmo daily - just don't tell my wife :wink:
     
  16. indian_pale_ale

    indian_pale_ale Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2013 Utah

    Was told to expect in stock early next week for southern CA
     
  17. TraumaRN

    TraumaRN Initiate (0) Mar 5, 2014 California

    Thanks for the SoCal heads up!
     
  18. Stagga_Lee

    Stagga_Lee Initiate (0) Jul 22, 2014 Massachusetts

    I can't wait to cop a few of these. It was around but out of my price range last year.
     
  19. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (5,025) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    One of my top 5 beers of all time!
     
    M-14 likes this.
  20. AndyEdgar

    AndyEdgar Initiate (0) Feb 2, 2014 Illinois

    Releasing at the brewery on the 17th? so we should see it hit local distro in a week or two?
     
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