29 (XXIX) Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale - American Series|
Score
7.80
|
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Blended Barrel-Aged Ale celebrating 29 years of Firestone Walker
Each late summer, we team up with local winemakers to craft a one-of-a-kind Anniversary Ale through a friendly blending competition.
This year’s blend brings together seven barrel-aged beers—Parabola, Velvet Merkin, Frau Gruber Stout Blend, Helldorado, DDBA, Stickee Monkee, and Bravo—pouring deep black walnut with wine-like legs.
Aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, crème brûlée, and oak lead into layers of cocoa, vanilla, caramel candy, and sweet cherry, finishing with marshmallow, graham cracker, tobacco, and molasses, all wrapped in a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel.
Drink now, or age in a dark, cool place and enjoy for years to come.
Each late summer, we team up with local winemakers to craft a one-of-a-kind Anniversary Ale through a friendly blending competition.
This year’s blend brings together seven barrel-aged beers—Parabola, Velvet Merkin, Frau Gruber Stout Blend, Helldorado, DDBA, Stickee Monkee, and Bravo—pouring deep black walnut with wine-like legs.
Aromas of chocolate-covered cherry, crème brûlée, and oak lead into layers of cocoa, vanilla, caramel candy, and sweet cherry, finishing with marshmallow, graham cracker, tobacco, and molasses, all wrapped in a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel.
Drink now, or age in a dark, cool place and enjoy for years to come.
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8.1/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 9
Overall 8
Bottle from Total Wine & More, W. Hollywood. Opaque black with nice viscosity, thin head with poor retention and no lacing. Aroma is strong earthy, peaty roasted malt, lesser bourbon. Taste is earthy, peaty malt, mellow bourbon, crème brûlée, leather/tobacco. Smooth, silky texture, medium bodied, soft carbonation, finish as taste. Bourbon is fairly restrained, allowing other elements to shine. Wonderful texture. Nice beer.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Total Wine & More - W. Hollywood
on 13 Mar 2026
at 05:38
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Dark brown. Sticky brown sugar, along with deep dark fruits and some nice barrel. The palate is rich stout, big barrel, alcohol, dates, dried plums, tobacco, vanilla…complexity for days. For a blend heavy on the stout, the barley wine comes through quite a bit. Fucking excellent.
Tried
on 02 Mar 2026
at 15:51
8.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 9.5
Bottle. Black beer with no head. Bourbon and vanilla aroma with chocolate. Bourbon and toffee flavor with vanilla and chocolate. Medium-plus bodied. Bourbon and chocolate linger with vanilla and creme caramel.
Tried
on 23 Feb 2026
at 21:09
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
12 oz bottle. Dark brownish black with quick fading light tan head. Aroma has whiskey, caramel/toffee, oak, bit of dark fruit. Taste includes whiskey, caramel/toffee, roasty notes, dark fruits, oak. Full body. Tasty blend.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Dominion Wine and Beer
on 01 Feb 2026
at 04:39
7.4/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Oak and caramel. Tangerine peel. Dark brown/maroon pour without much head. In the mouth some booze, hazelnut. Tap at Dominion.
Tried
from Draft
at
Dominion Wine and Beer
on 11 Jan 2026
at 02:43
8/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle. Pours clear hazel, medium beige head, good lacing. Aroma is dark sugars, bourbon, oak, vanilla. Flavor ie medium sweet, light plus bitter. Medium body. Solid.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Jan 2026
at 23:38
8.4/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
12 oz boxed bottle. Aroma is chocolaty, crème brûlée, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, tobacco, overripe dark fruit, wet stone. Pours very dark brown to black with an immediately collapsing beige head. Taste is bittersweet with chocolaty, bourbon barrel kissed toffee tinged deliciousness.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Pilgrim's Market
on 03 Jan 2026
at 03:52
8.5/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 9
Overall 8
12 oz. bottle, pours black with a small tan head—looks like a stout, which makes sense given that ⅔ of the blend is stout. Nose is elegant and complex, with tons of bourbon barrel depth, plenty of oakiness, some vanillin, a little chocolate, and plenty of roast. Flavour is delicately balanced, revealing plenty of bourbon barrel, vanillin, oak, low-to-moderate roast, some dark chocolate, a touch of dark dried fruits, and toffee. Close to stout-like but a little softer, showcasing the barrels really well. Palate is very oily/silky, with well-suited low carbonation. Another wonderful anniversary blend.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Elizabeth Station
on 02 Jan 2026
at 04:02