Bravo
(has 3 batches)
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Brown Ale - Imperial Special Out of Production|
Score
7.70
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The first beer brewed for the barrel aging program and has been brewed every year since. Originally named after an experimental variety of hops but now brewed with US grown Fuggles which are earthy and resinous. A lean, simple barley wine brewed to showcase barrel flavors with massive bourbon barrel notes that morph as the beer warms in the glass.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle thanks to Chow. Pours a dark copper with small beige head that lasts. The aroma is roast, cocoa, oak, bourbon, vanilla. Slick body, similar flavors to nose, nice booze, barrel, very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Apr 2017
at 20:00
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Shared 12 oz. bottle. Pours amber with a beige head. Aroma of malt, bourbon, oak and caramel. Taste follows nose and has additional flavors of butterscotch, toffee, and chocolate notes. Finish is malty, sweet and boozy. A bit too boozy for my tastes, but some aging might improve the end result.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Apr 2017
at 23:41
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
12 oz bottle. 2017 vintage. Pours a clear red/brown with moderate fizzy head that disappears quickly. Aromas of toasted malts, nuts, dry brown sugar, and woody bourbon. Flavors of brown sugar, strong bourbon/alcohol, trail mix, and sweet toasted malts. Very much a light bodied barley wine. Unfortunately very noticeable alcohol which makes it less enjoyable. Maybe worth holding but not sure it will improve... Overrated.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Apr 2017
at 22:28
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tasting at Matt’s; vintage 2017
Amber color, clean, with no head. Sweet buttery nuts. Strong bourbon notes over a caramelly malt bomb, with very strong alcohol presence. Abrasive.
Very good.
Amber color, clean, with no head. Sweet buttery nuts. Strong bourbon notes over a caramelly malt bomb, with very strong alcohol presence. Abrasive.
Very good.
Tried
on 20 Mar 2017
at 18:07
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
355ml bottle from Elizabeth Station with George. Vintage 2017. Pours a dark amber with a weak tan head. Aroma and taste are very rich and complex are bourbon, candied fruits, caramel. Slightly boozy. Very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Mar 2017
at 23:13
9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9
Poured into a snifter, the appearance was a semi-transparent ruddy dark brown looking color with no head nor lace.
The aroma had a wonderful blend of sweet toasty malts - subtle bourbon/woodiness, a touch of vanilla, smooth caramel to toffee blissful malts and a touch of tobacco. Sly earthiness at the end.
The flavor melds the sweet to the earthiness in a super smooth manner encasing the woodiness to the backdrop and evenly lets it all blend on into the aftertaste to roll right into a nice semi-sticky sort of finish.
On the palate, this one sat about medium bodied with a fine sipping quality about it. Somewhat low carbonation but that just seems to allow the woodiness to dryly tame the gathering of the smoothness on my tongue.
Overall, a superb English strong ale, I say. Doesn’t seem hoppy enough to be American styled, still, I’m not arguing on this fine gem of a beer. A true late Winter’s sipper sure to please the maltheads.
The aroma had a wonderful blend of sweet toasty malts - subtle bourbon/woodiness, a touch of vanilla, smooth caramel to toffee blissful malts and a touch of tobacco. Sly earthiness at the end.
The flavor melds the sweet to the earthiness in a super smooth manner encasing the woodiness to the backdrop and evenly lets it all blend on into the aftertaste to roll right into a nice semi-sticky sort of finish.
On the palate, this one sat about medium bodied with a fine sipping quality about it. Somewhat low carbonation but that just seems to allow the woodiness to dryly tame the gathering of the smoothness on my tongue.
Overall, a superb English strong ale, I say. Doesn’t seem hoppy enough to be American styled, still, I’m not arguing on this fine gem of a beer. A true late Winter’s sipper sure to please the maltheads.
Tried
from Can
on 10 Mar 2017
at 23:21
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 oz. bottle, pours dark brown with a small off-white head. Aroma brings out bourbon barrels upfront, followed by caramel and toasted bready notes. Flavour is rich in bourbon barrels upfront, followed by a little vanilla, loads of caramel and toasted bread. Alcohol is well-situated, being barely present. Medium-bodied, but rich in flavour. Wonderfully decadent stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Mar 2017
at 00:47
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
This has a golden-brown colour but with no head. The nose is a lot of cocoa character, to me not great because it’s too much like powdered hot chocolate. On the palate, I like it a lot more...toffee, soft caramels, a hit of alcohol...complex malts.
Tried
on 10 Mar 2017
at 00:46
5.6/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
On, first things first. Putting a 12oz bottle in a fancy box to jack the rate up is a little dick. Pours a translucent, amber brown with a ring of white head that faded fast. Nose is heavy with caramel and marzipan, some cheap chocolate chews, cheap flavored whiskey, butterscotch. Flavor is all the same, flabby rootbeer/cream soda, butterscotch, Red Stag whiskey, this weird cheap candy thing. Finishes oily, full bodied. Crazy over hyped. Not worth the $13 or whatever I paid.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Mar 2017
at 10:25
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
12 ounce bottle. Pours a clear dark copper color with a small white head. A big sweet fruity vinous nose. The flavor is oak, berries, caramel, toffee, pine. Very good. Huge beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Feb 2017
at 00:40