Parabola
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Regular|
Score
8.32
|
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One of our most aggressive and sought-after offerings. Bold bourbon, tobacco and espresso aromas and a hint of American oak greet the nose. Rich, chewy roasted malts, charred oak and bourbon-like vanilla fill the palate and create a seamless finish. A remarkably complex brew that offers a transcendental drinking experience – enjoy with good company.
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8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Oct 2025
at 20:52
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, maybe some notes from bourbon. something resembling honey. The aroma is super well composed and blended and it is very hard to pick up the individual details. Aroma is very good.
flavor is salty, woody, charred woody, alcohol bite, roasted malts, hard roasted malts, almost but not quite a burnt caramel note. flavor is a lot less rounded than aroma, and have this dark caramelly/ burnt caramelly note that i don't like at all in my imp stouts. apart from that, the imp stout is fantastic and perhaps the burnt caramel will go away after a few years, i'm having this very fresh - vintage 2025 in sep 2025.
flavor is salty, woody, charred woody, alcohol bite, roasted malts, hard roasted malts, almost but not quite a burnt caramel note. flavor is a lot less rounded than aroma, and have this dark caramelly/ burnt caramelly note that i don't like at all in my imp stouts. apart from that, the imp stout is fantastic and perhaps the burnt caramel will go away after a few years, i'm having this very fresh - vintage 2025 in sep 2025.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Kihoskh
on 15 Sep 2025
at 21:52
7.9/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle, enormous thanks F&L, Mangled Ham tasting. Blackish body, no notable head. Some orange liqueur, some minerally notes, raisins, dried fruit in general, cocoa, light vanilla. Hooh, this is fun. Medium, sweet body, layers of caramel, dried fruit, light vanilla and pierced by a solid roasty kick, while the alcohol warmth is constant, if never overwhelming. Bit nutty, bitter towards the finish, wood, vague orange notes, biscuity. Can't say I was completely enchanted, but this is one very good beer!
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jul 2025
at 22:40
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle that I picked up from Beyond Beer or Beer Republic? Consumed in the company of Ursula and Marko Saturday 19th July 2025 at the Mangled Ham tasting. Haven't looked at my standard review but this is just a quick run through of this 2024 edition. It's a huge stout, uncompromising, lots of treacle, bitter, roasty, really in yer face bourbon all over this but it doesn't overstay its welcome. Really nice softness, super boozy, a lovely huge stout.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jul 2025
at 22:37
7.3/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle, thanks Fin! Shared with Marko, Fin and Loz after a sunny day. Dark brown. Roasted, deep, raisins, sweetness, salty, molasses, cherry, chalky dusty. Taste is surprisingly bitter, cutting, front heavy, sour fruity, leather, salmiak, roasted, broad steps, warmth, wood, ash. A tad too boozy.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Jul 2025
at 22:35
7.9/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
dark brown pour, settles black. smooth brown to light brown head.
sweet rounded bourbon aroma, mostly bourbon, also some roasted malts, chocolate and lots of othe very fine nuances, but nothing distracting from the roasted malty bourbon sensation. great aroma.
flavor is really really good, booze(bourbon) roasted malts, coffee, no bitter caramel, licorice, heavy roasted notes - coffee and malts, brown sugar. the end is quite bitter and long lasting from coffe and roasted malts. Really good flavor.
sweet rounded bourbon aroma, mostly bourbon, also some roasted malts, chocolate and lots of othe very fine nuances, but nothing distracting from the roasted malty bourbon sensation. great aroma.
flavor is really really good, booze(bourbon) roasted malts, coffee, no bitter caramel, licorice, heavy roasted notes - coffee and malts, brown sugar. the end is quite bitter and long lasting from coffe and roasted malts. Really good flavor.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Kihoskh
on 17 Jul 2025
at 13:00
8/10
Magus, mõru, vanilje, kuiv, röst, kohv, alks on päris tugev. Hea.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Jul 2025
at 19:11
8.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 9
Overall 9
Well stored bottle tasted June 2025. Pitch black body under a dense beige head. Nice aroma of dark, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, wood, some Bourbon, vanilla and dry fruit. Taste is medium sweet smooth, strong dark roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, dry fruit, Bourbon, wood, vanilla and balanced bitterness. Full bodied with a long, long lasting, warming aftertaste. So nice and so smooth. Delicious.
Tried
on 09 Jun 2025
at 17:20
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jun 2025
at 23:13
8/10
Has aged surprisingly well. Roasty, sweetish and slightly earthy with some prunes, figs, coffee and oaky barrel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jun 2025
at 22:57