Double DBA
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale - English Special Out of Production|
Score
7.78
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The 2014 Double DBA imperial special bitter is Firestone Walker’s flagship DBA brewed at double strength, using twice the amount of malts and hops. As with the regular DBA, the 2014 Double DBA was partially fermented in a union of new American oak barrels. After fermentation, the beer was racked and returned to the union barrels as well as bourbon barrels, where it aged for one year. The barrel mix for the 2014 Double DBA included vessels from Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig and Four Roses.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Bert’s Pours a touch hazy reddish amber color with a decent sized tightly bubbled tan head that shows moderate retention. Aromas of caramel, brown and caramelized sugar with lots of juicy pitted fruit. Vanilla with a hint of woodiness. The flavor is sweet sugary malt with hints of oak and vanilla and a somewhat overly present alcohol heat. Hints of pitted fruits and a light smoked toffee round the flavor out. Thick body light carbonation, sticky syrupy with an alcohol burn. Very flavorful but shows all of the12% abv. could use a bit of time to mellow but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another given half a chance.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Nov 2014
at 14:46
8.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle, 2012. Pours cloudy hazel with some big floaties, small creamy tan head that slowly dissipates leaving nice lacing. Aroma is a wonderful blend of toffee, vanilla, bourbon, malted milk powder, dark fruits. Flavor is medium sweet and medium bitter, lots of barrel, oakiness, vanilla, toffee, dark breads. Full body, creamy mouthfeel. A touch hot and some astringency.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Oct 2014
at 21:50
8.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
Sampled @ Finest Spirits and Beer Convention Bochum 2014: Trübes rötlichoranges Bier, fast kein Schaum. Geruch sehr kräftig malzig, reifes Obst, mild. Geschmack nach sehr reifem Dörrobst, Vanille, leicht holzig, Karamell, leicht alkoholisch.
Tried
on 19 Oct 2014
at 07:38
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draft pour at Special brews. Pours a dark reddish color. Has a sweet brown sugar like aroma. Super smooth and sweet barley wine here with a ton of raisin bread like flavors and some cinnamon like spice. Finishes sweet. Super drinkable barley wine here. Really enjoyed this.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 Oct 2014
at 12:48
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Poured a clear amber color with a small off-white head. Aroma was sweet malts, vanilla, woody notes. Toffee. Booze. Flavor was warming booze-filled notes, sweet toffee malt. Powerful.
Tried
on 25 Sep 2014
at 13:43
9.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
4 oz draft pour at ChurchKey, 2014 release. Clear ruby with off-white head. Aromas of big toasted coconut, caramel, vanilla, dark fruit. Tastes of huge toasted coconut, caramel, dark fruit, light booze. Medium body with a dry finish. Syrupy mouthfeel. One of my favorites of Firestone Walker’s barrel aged offerings with all the coconut, too bad it’s being retired.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Sep 2014
at 19:06
8.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 5.5
Poured from a bottle it is a cloudy amber color with no head. The aroma is bourbon and the taste is a wonderful bourbon taste that lingers on the palate.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Aug 2014
at 17:21
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
2012 vintage. Took me 2 hours to drink it but NOT becuase it was hard to drink. Simply becuase of the ABV. Aroma of raisin, figs, thick syrupy toffee, light roasted nuts. The flavor is on the mild side of oxidation and right were I want it for the style. Flavor is right with the aroma and has a sweet finish that would never be cloying. Earthy dirty English feel in the caramel. Weak oak note. The mouthfeel has smoothed out with the age and no alcohol can be detected. Just enough time sitting in the cellar.
Tried
from Can
on 22 Aug 2014
at 00:42
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 9
On tap at Cottonwood. Pours a cloudy copper amber with beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong candy sugar and wood. Medium mouthfeel with sweet caramel and candy sugar, light wood, and booze. Very good.
Tried
from Draft
on 14 Aug 2014
at 19:31
9.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
Imported from my RateBeer account as Firestone Walker Double DBA (by Firestone Walker Brewing (Duvel-Moortgat)):
Aroma: 9/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 10/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 19/20, MyTotalScore: 4.6/5
1/VIII/14 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ Belgo-Swedish Crazy Summer Trade Tasting - BB: n/a, 2013 vintage (2014-868) Thanks to hackobock for sharing the bottle!
Little hazy dark red brown beer, creamy irregular beige head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: sweet, caramel, lots of vanilla, dried fruits, bourbon, some alcohol, milk chocolate. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: sweet start, alcohol, lots of caramel, milk chocolate, bit sugary, alcohol. Aftertaste: caramel, sweet, lots of vanilla, chocolate.
Aroma: 9/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 10/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 19/20, MyTotalScore: 4.6/5
1/VIII/14 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ Belgo-Swedish Crazy Summer Trade Tasting - BB: n/a, 2013 vintage (2014-868) Thanks to hackobock for sharing the bottle!
Little hazy dark red brown beer, creamy irregular beige head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: sweet, caramel, lots of vanilla, dried fruits, bourbon, some alcohol, milk chocolate. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: sweet start, alcohol, lots of caramel, milk chocolate, bit sugary, alcohol. Aftertaste: caramel, sweet, lots of vanilla, chocolate.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Aug 2014
at 12:14