25 (XXV) Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Series Out of Production|
Score
7.97
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About the Blending
Every late summer, right before the wine harvest gets rolling, we invite our local winemaker friends to the brewery to help blend our annual Anniversary Ale. Winemakers are practicing experts in the art of blending, and we realized early on that they could provide invaluable input for creating a seamless beer out of numerous barrel-aged component ales. The winemakers come for both the challenge and the camaraderie. They split up into small teams and create their own preferred blends from the provided components. Each of the resulting trials is then blind tasted by the entire group, and votes are cast for the winning blend. The victorious team walks away with bragging rights—and with a set of coveted cardboard crowns.
Final Blend
Parabola (14.0% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (41%)
Russian Imperial Stout
OG=34P FG=10.5P IBU=55 Color=Black
Massive amounts of Roast Barley, hopped with Styrian Goldin and Hallertau Tradition
Stickee Monkee (12.3% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (10%)
Central Coastal Quad
OG=30P FG=9P IBU=29 Color=Deep Brown
Round and full bodied Quad brewed with Belgian Candi Sugar and Mexican Brown Sugar
Tequila Barrel Merkin (7.0% ABV) Aged in Tequila Barrels (28%)
Milk Stout
OG=20P FG=7P IBU=15 Color=Black
Brewed with Oats and Milk Sugar, hopped with 100% US grown Fuggle
Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (13.8% ABV) Aged in Brandy Barrels (13%)
Blonde Barley Wine
OG=31P FG=7P IBU=20 Color=Deep Gold
Lean and focused to express barrel character, hopped with Styrian Golding
Whiskey Barrel Wheat Wine (11.7% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (8%)
Strong Golden Wheat Wine
OG=25P FG=3.5P IBU=17 Color=Blonde
Strong golden ale, co-fermented with white wine grape juice and hopped with Hallertau Tradition. A true beer-wine hybrid.
The Blend
"25" pours dark and rich with a creamy tan foam. After a few swirls the beer blossoms with beautiful spirits barrel aromas of bourbon-soaked coconut and brandy-filled chocolates. There is a touch of roasted pecans peeking out as well as some tequila barrel spice. Tasting the beer reveals more dark chocolate and black cherry with a light touch of grape-derived acidity and fruit. The experience is smooth with vanilla and caramel notes throughout. A blend of rich stout and refined barley wines, this is an absolutely beautiful beer that rises to the occasion of our 25th anniversary.
I will let you pour and discover the rest. This beer is unfiltered and unfined, so there can be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. “25” is best enjoyed when poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Swirl and allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass, the true complexity of this blend is revealed, so take your time. If you want to wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. Like our other Anniversary offerings, this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. I truly hope you enjoy our 16th oak-aged blend!
(from insert)
In the fall of 2006, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson asked a handful of his winemaker friends for their input on blending a diverse stash of barrel-aged strong ales. Together, they came up with “10” – a trailblazing beer commemorating out 10th anniversary. And so began an annual autumn rite that now continues into our 25th year.
This year was different, however. When our brewers convened with their winemaker friends on July 15, 2021, it marked a return to in-person blending after conducting it all remotely the previous year. The significance of this moment was not lost on anyone, and it was made all the more special by the occasion of our 25th anniversary.
The beer you are holding in your hands – 25 – was created on that day. It is a work of talent and togetherness that we are now privileged to share with you. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we conclude this milestone year for Firestone Walker.
(from box)
Color 78
(from https://www.firestonebeer.com/beer/25th-anniversary-ale)
For the first time, the winemakers were joined by two members of Firestone Walker’s Brewmaster’s Collective beer club, who won the chance to participate in the blending session. Russell From of Herman Story Wines and Taylor Mathiesen of Booker Vineyard, along with Brewmaster’s Collective club member Paul Rios (with guest Christian Smith), created the winning blend that became “25.”
(from https://www.firestonebeer.com/25th-anniversary-ale-blended-to-perfection)
Every late summer, right before the wine harvest gets rolling, we invite our local winemaker friends to the brewery to help blend our annual Anniversary Ale. Winemakers are practicing experts in the art of blending, and we realized early on that they could provide invaluable input for creating a seamless beer out of numerous barrel-aged component ales. The winemakers come for both the challenge and the camaraderie. They split up into small teams and create their own preferred blends from the provided components. Each of the resulting trials is then blind tasted by the entire group, and votes are cast for the winning blend. The victorious team walks away with bragging rights—and with a set of coveted cardboard crowns.
Final Blend
Parabola (14.0% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (41%)
Russian Imperial Stout
OG=34P FG=10.5P IBU=55 Color=Black
Massive amounts of Roast Barley, hopped with Styrian Goldin and Hallertau Tradition
Stickee Monkee (12.3% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (10%)
Central Coastal Quad
OG=30P FG=9P IBU=29 Color=Deep Brown
Round and full bodied Quad brewed with Belgian Candi Sugar and Mexican Brown Sugar
Tequila Barrel Merkin (7.0% ABV) Aged in Tequila Barrels (28%)
Milk Stout
OG=20P FG=7P IBU=15 Color=Black
Brewed with Oats and Milk Sugar, hopped with 100% US grown Fuggle
Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (13.8% ABV) Aged in Brandy Barrels (13%)
Blonde Barley Wine
OG=31P FG=7P IBU=20 Color=Deep Gold
Lean and focused to express barrel character, hopped with Styrian Golding
Whiskey Barrel Wheat Wine (11.7% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels (8%)
Strong Golden Wheat Wine
OG=25P FG=3.5P IBU=17 Color=Blonde
Strong golden ale, co-fermented with white wine grape juice and hopped with Hallertau Tradition. A true beer-wine hybrid.
The Blend
"25" pours dark and rich with a creamy tan foam. After a few swirls the beer blossoms with beautiful spirits barrel aromas of bourbon-soaked coconut and brandy-filled chocolates. There is a touch of roasted pecans peeking out as well as some tequila barrel spice. Tasting the beer reveals more dark chocolate and black cherry with a light touch of grape-derived acidity and fruit. The experience is smooth with vanilla and caramel notes throughout. A blend of rich stout and refined barley wines, this is an absolutely beautiful beer that rises to the occasion of our 25th anniversary.
I will let you pour and discover the rest. This beer is unfiltered and unfined, so there can be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. “25” is best enjoyed when poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Swirl and allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass, the true complexity of this blend is revealed, so take your time. If you want to wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. Like our other Anniversary offerings, this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. I truly hope you enjoy our 16th oak-aged blend!
(from insert)
In the fall of 2006, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson asked a handful of his winemaker friends for their input on blending a diverse stash of barrel-aged strong ales. Together, they came up with “10” – a trailblazing beer commemorating out 10th anniversary. And so began an annual autumn rite that now continues into our 25th year.
This year was different, however. When our brewers convened with their winemaker friends on July 15, 2021, it marked a return to in-person blending after conducting it all remotely the previous year. The significance of this moment was not lost on anyone, and it was made all the more special by the occasion of our 25th anniversary.
The beer you are holding in your hands – 25 – was created on that day. It is a work of talent and togetherness that we are now privileged to share with you. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we conclude this milestone year for Firestone Walker.
(from box)
Color 78
(from https://www.firestonebeer.com/beer/25th-anniversary-ale)
For the first time, the winemakers were joined by two members of Firestone Walker’s Brewmaster’s Collective beer club, who won the chance to participate in the blending session. Russell From of Herman Story Wines and Taylor Mathiesen of Booker Vineyard, along with Brewmaster’s Collective club member Paul Rios (with guest Christian Smith), created the winning blend that became “25.”
(from https://www.firestonebeer.com/25th-anniversary-ale-blended-to-perfection)
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8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
12oz bottle from Brewers Haven. Black pour, thin ring of beige head. Sweet aroma, malty, boozy. Taste is malty, sweet, raisins, chocolate. Creamy, slick, warm. As usual, perfect blending.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Apr 2022
at 03:02
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12oz bottle pours with a dark mahogany colored body that supports a tiny ring of light tan bubbles. The aroma offers up molasses, brown sugar, a snippet of bourbon to go along with a whiff of vanilla and booze. The taste is pretty slick and sweet and rich as the sweet molasses and brown sugar hit first followed by a dash of plum and date like sweet dark fruity esters. To midway the booze and bourbon surface to sting the palate and create some balance to the sweetness. Another sip reveals the sweet maltiness and a sense of chocolate. Solid sipping experience.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Feb 2022
at 03:37
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12oz @ Matt's. Appearance: almost black with a tan head. Aroma: mostly tequila and molasses, some bourbon. Taste: along the same lines, more on the thin side compared to the most of anniversary beers I've had. Overall: well, this is still a good beer, but it's the worst Anniversary FW beer I've had so far. Not sure what happened to the blenders at FW this year, maybe they had been affected by COVID, but this is the worst beer of the series so far.
Tried
on 24 Dec 2021
at 07:27
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 oz. bottle, pours black with a small beige head. Nose is complex, with gentle tequila, bourbon, some liqueur, and dark fruits. Flavour is full of dark dried fruits upfront, followed by brandy, bourbon, and a hint of tequila. The carbonation is on the higher side, and maybe the blend isn't as elegant as their past anniversary beers, but it's still very good. Largely harnessing the dark fruits and liqueur-like notes. Excellent for sure, but not at the heights of past instalments.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Dec 2021
at 06:44
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Dark mahogany beer with a tan head. Chocolate and bourbon aroma with marshmallow and light brandy. Brandy and red wine flavor with chocolate. Medium bodied. Brandy and red wine linger with chocolate and light spice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2021
at 18:16
7.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 oz bottle. Pour black with no head. Aromas of caramel, soft oak, soft bourbon and dark fruit. Rich, sweet flavors follow same. A little alcohol and heat in the finish. Well done.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2021
at 00:59
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle. Pours clear mahogany, medium tan head, good lacing. Aroma is malty, cocoa, molasses, hint of anise, bourbon, earth. Perhaps tequila now that I am reading that. Flavor is medium sweet, light plus bitter. Full body. Good, but not really up to expectations for this classic beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Nov 2021
at 03:08
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz bottle from Firestone online. Nose is woody bourbon, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, and tequila. Almost opaque very dark brown with a medium, lightly lacing, tan head. Flavor is moderately sweet, spicy, bourbon, and vanilla.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Nov 2021
at 20:16
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle from the brewery. Pours dark brn/blk with a slight transient tan head. Aroma of bourbon, tequila, burnt malt, chocolate, vanilla and toffee. Full bodied. Flavor of tequila, bourbon, chocolate, burnt malt, treacle/toffee. Could be some dark fruits. Quite tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Nov 2021
at 01:41
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 oz boxed, from Growler Guys CDA. Aroma has notes of caramel, Milk Duds, vanilla, toffee, raisin, sherry, coconut, bourbon, cashew brittle. Pours very dark brown with a one finger beige head that falls into a ring somewhat quickly. Taste is moderately sweet with nearly zero bitterness and faint tartness that must be from the grape juice included in the Wheat Wine portion of the blend. Although an impressive and tasty drink, I can't help but think that either my tastes are changing, or this is the least impressive Firestone Anniversary beer I've had so far (possibly both?), and I've had every one since 14. Still, a masterclass in brewing and blending.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Nov 2021
at 19:07