Firestone Walker - Velvet Merkin

It was about 2 weeks ago. They were having a huge event for a local "pop-up" sandwich shop and happened to have it.

 

just chiming in that it was fucking awesome. grab a bottle if you can.

 

Did it side by side with parabola. I like Parabola better think its a bit more complex, but my girlfriend enjoy Merkin better thought the softer barrel because of the oats made it more drinkable.

 

I just googled 'merkin'.

If I ever get to try this beer, I'll tell people it's called 'Velvet American'...

 

I had it there around the same time and I'm *fairly* sure it wasn't the BBA version - just the normal Merlin.

That being said, it doesn't mean they didn't have the BBA version at some point recently and I just missed it.

 

To any of y'all looking for Velvet Merkin, I've got a bottle of 2013 in my cellar that I'm open to trading.

 

Hence the upside down triangle on the label.

 

Still bottles on the shelves in Washington ... which seems crazy.

 

I've always thought that barrel aged beers lost something on draft. From my experience there is a lot more barrel or spirit character from the bottle but I'm not exactly sure as to why that is. Maybe someone here could fill in the blanks.

 

Velvet 'Merican

 

It's a lot colder in a typical keg cooler than a basement, and people seem to drink stuff much faster at bars than at home (where even coming out of the fridge you can leave it and come back to it an hour later). I'm pretty undecided on the smells of the bar factor, some might think that's a factor. I prefer clean bars, at least when I'm trying to sip BA beers.

I had bcbbw out of a growler a few weeks ago and I thought it was more 'barrel-y' than the 12oz form. I also nursed it out of a big wine glass throughout the evening, with the growler left on the counter between pours.

 

growler of bcbbw?

just want to make sure i heard that right

 

I'll take one off your hands for you!

 

I had the Merlin at the Birch bar a month ago. They never had the Barrel Aged Merkin. I am a regular there. The Merlin was underwhelming. No body, little flavor, no head, probably the worst Firestone beer out there. I have not had the BBA Merkin and I won't bother, as the base beer is not good.

 

It's the definition of thin. One of the weakest stouts ever. That merlin should have never seen a barrel, let alone then deserve its own box. Really don't know what they were thinking on that one.

 

You can't compare it to barrel aged imperial stouts, abv and intensity make it a different ball game. Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout is a good comparison, and Merkin easily wins IMO.