What's the Difference? Share your side-by-side (2023)

Ok, seems like longer than the 10 days between my last post and this, though the past ten years of time on this site has seemed a bit longer. Learned of this site from the GF, who found our various beer ticking apps/sites over time, and progressed through a bunch of knowledge gained, fun had, and threads ideas hijacked. Today, I am comparing two Firestone Walker anniversary beers given to me by a friend I join for beer tastings over times.

FW's Double Jack was one of my first highly rated beers on this site, and their 18th Anniversary beer is still one of my highest rated (no review, 18 months into my time on this site, coincidentally). Obviously, Firestone Walker's Anniversary series is from their generally well-curated batches of barrel-aged beers, and it's also a cuvée of mostly, if not all, barrel-aged beers... different each year.

So the specs for these two beers, 25th and 26th anniversary from 2021 and 2022, respectively are:

• Firestone XXV
  
• Parabola (41%)
• Tequila barrel Merkin (28%)
• Barley Wine brandy BA (13%)
• Stickee Monkee BBA quad (10%)
• Wheat Wine whiskey BA (8%)

and...

• Firestone XXVI
• Parabola (32%)
• Velvet Merkin (32%)
• Bravo BBA brown ale (24%)
• Heavy Things brandy BA barley wine (6%)
• Helldorado BBA blonde barley wine (4%)
• Wheat Wine BBA (2%)

So, both heavily lean on Parabola, but the 25th Anniversary relies more on different barrels than the 26th Anniversary. I vaguely recall getting minor to no Tequila barrel from the 25th Anniversary brew, and want to say the 26th was a rare (if relative) "disappointment" version, but I'm not confident in that recollection. Let's get at it with all after all that write up.

They're both quite good. Thank you, good night!


Ok, you know that's not it.

For what it's worth, I am pretty sure my friend kept these in a wine cooler for most of their lives. The younger beer had a more volume as well as more tan than khaki color in its head. Both hold a decent ring after some time typing up so much above. There is more bourbon chocolate bonbon note in the 26th anniversary. Comparatively, the 25th is a bit lighter in force and makeup of aroma overall. That said, I think the different barrels and somewhat medium to lighter malts that make up the beers in it comes through.

On the taste, the 26th Anniversary beer is a bit more what we expect from a [mostly] BBA stout. It's got some dark chocolate, some chocolate babka, and a little bit of coconut with an overall slightly sweet lean.

The sweetness of the 25th Anniversary is a little more sneaky, late and integrated. It comes more as a medium-colored honey than the sweetened flaked coconut sweetness I get from the 26th. The beer does also seem to be a bit more of deep toasted malt than the charred malt of the 26th. The barrel notes are a bit more mixed, and come across initially as a generic spirit heat; but knowing the beer's makeup helps me understand what I am tasting and adds to the appreciation.

Both the GF and I ended up enjoying the 25th Anniversary a bit more. I am a tad surprised by her choice. Guessing before a quick check, and I'd think these were closely rated with the 26th being a tad higher, and...

they have exactly the same rating here. Of course

It was nice to taste these together, because I generally forget year after year what they taste like. It always seems they are fairly similar, and I do believe Parabola is often a high percentage of the makeup, but nuance is lost over 365 days or so. This may also be a comparison of years with fairly different makeups, but I still didn't expect as much a difference as I found. Cheers!

 

Ok, I was feeling the need to do a side-by-side after returning from vacation, and decided to do a blind tasting of Pilsners I had in the fridge leftover from the Pilsner Tasting thread (that I didn't participate in as much as I intended). Today's combatants, as it were, are Paulaner Pils and Port City German-style Pilsner - which I had in the tasting - along with two Sierra Nevada beers, Nooner and Summerfest.


All four maintained a nice cap, though #2 and #3 were thicker. I'd immediately guess these were Paulaner and Nooner for varied reasons, without any idea on which is which. Cup #2 was more meringue-like with the other beers being similarly foamy. The darkest body was #4, followed by #3, with #1 and #2 being similarly yellow relative to the more golden brews.

On the nose #4 seemed the most "beer-like" and my mind went to my AAL tasting much too quickly considering the beers involved. So #4 and #1 had the most aroma (in less-than ideal full cups), and none really jumped out with classic pilsner aromas.

Tasting:

1. A little watery in first sip, improving with subsequent sips. Above average, grassy bitterness in back with a little minerality.
   
2. Soft feel with the malt coming through better, filling out taste through the middle, where a drier grass and slightly earthy bitterness builds into the finish.
3. Also fairly soft, and quite similar to #2. This has a slight salinity to it relative to #2, and I can imagine the difference in water might have something to do with it (my imagination is often not to be trusted, though).
4. A little bolder bread note paralleling its darker color, a tad sweeter on the open with more of a flower stem bitterness in back.

Ok, this blind tasting is one that I have very little idea which beer is which at this point. I have some guesses given recent experience with all f them, but have no confidence. Currently: Nooner (switched from my look guess), Paulaner, Port City, Summerfest. Going to sip a little more and will see if anything changes.
---
After sipping more, I am leaning towards #3 being a little more bitter than I originally perceived. Combine that with my memory of the look, I am thinking I might switch Nooner back to #3 and have Port City be #1. The only option I have the slightest bit of confidence in is that #4 is Summerfest.

The reveal:

1. Paulaner - surprised the bitterness stood strong, should've considered nose more
   
2. Port City - surprised by the head, but knew it looked similar to Paulaner
   
3. Nooner - eventually the most bitter, similar color and opening flavors as #4
   
4. Summerfest - just the most different, specifically in bitterness

 

Looks like your assessment of 60 Minute here is consistent with the description in your comparison against Sculpin previously. If life were perfectly consistent, it appears Sculpin would fair worse than Lagunitas if you were to compare those to beers aside each other. Though there's only one way to tell

 

Ok, time for an a month early I guess is close enough to start the Oktoberfest comparisons. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from one of the two beers today, since I hadn't sampled Great Divide's Hoss in quite a while. I had one of Sierra Nevada's new Oktoberfest earlier this week and have some general mental notes still intact.


I actually thought Hoss might be considerably more amber/brown than the SN beer, but they aren't too far off. The Great Divide offering does have a darker, more rusty hue versus the more golden SN Oktoberfest, and just a little less active collection of bubbles atop it.

Cold, Sierra Nevada's beer has a more malt-forward nose, with a honey sweetness, and a bit of a mix of grass, spice, and mineral notes. Hoss is relatively more grainy - a bit more like brew day than bottling day. There's some fleeting fruit notes that I get inconsistently in the beer from Colorado.

First sip, Hoss is a little lighter than expected, but the sweeter malt notes step up where the nose seemed to be lacking them. The grain impression isn't completely gone, but they wait for the somewhat spicy hops to join the party to step forward for a dance.

First sip of this year's SN Oktoberfest does the reverse... the malt of the nose steps back a tad to pair with the neutral to spicy notes from the hops. There's a little bit of a more classic PNW bitterness late in these first few sips.

With some warmth, Sierra Nevada's beer showcases its spicy side a bit more and Hoss's nose starts to match its colder tasting notes. Both have a more pleasant malt opening as they warm, with the spicy hops weaving in more easily. The malt sweetness of Sierra Nevada is like that of a lighter sugar than Great Divide's darker, more raw sugar sweetness. GD's Hoss also has a little bit of a tea-like middle that SN doesn't. In the end, Hoss have the spices that play into the malt in more of a spiced breakfast bread loaf than SN' Oktoberfest, which has a more of an American pale bitterness (but not at all as bold as that statement may lead one to imagine).

I think the crux of my review of Hoss from 2016 holds up - the baking spice impression is a little too strong, though far from unenjoyable. SN's beer is pretty nicely structured, with an American edge with which I don't have too much of an issue. I think I'd enjoy GD's Hoss later in the evening, perhaps after dinner and SN's Oktoberfest during the day.