D(DB)²A
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale - American Series Out of Production|
Score
7.73
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D(DB)2A is an ultra-limited beer club exclusive aged for more than a year in 29-year Evan Williams Blue Label Barrels. The base beer is Double DBA Batch 10k which was selected for this enhanced treatment after we acquired 12 of these remarkable Evan Williams casks.
“This is about as rare as it gets, and as special of a barrel as we could find,” Matt says. “These barrels are older than the DBA recipe itself, and even older than some of the brewers who put the beer through the brewhouse.” Adds Vintage Barrel Manager Jordan Ziegler, “This beer is just so clean and smooth even though it clocks in at 15% ABV. You get this intense hit of bourbon, but it’s super balanced and approachable with flavors of leather, tobacco and chocolate-covered cherries. There’s a roundness that you could only get from barrels like this.”
“This is about as rare as it gets, and as special of a barrel as we could find,” Matt says. “These barrels are older than the DBA recipe itself, and even older than some of the brewers who put the beer through the brewhouse.” Adds Vintage Barrel Manager Jordan Ziegler, “This beer is just so clean and smooth even though it clocks in at 15% ABV. You get this intense hit of bourbon, but it’s super balanced and approachable with flavors of leather, tobacco and chocolate-covered cherries. There’s a roundness that you could only get from barrels like this.”
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8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
2023 bottle drunk 2/22/26.
Rich, rich, round and well-developed, extremely aromatic, whiskey character that you do indeed only get from the older barrels. Soft sweetness, silky and elegant with zero sign of alcohol. Even the malt is elegant here, with no big fudge or overt intensity. Just light chocolate mixed in with honey and caramel to support the elegant barrel character.
Chocolatey malts show just enough depth without getting too chewy or syrupy. The barrel is round and shows earth and dry wood, as the whiskey adds gentle, even spiciness but great overall intensity and a lingering spirit character with pepper and cherry-vanilla. No alcohol, very low warming, but excellent spirit character with gentle oak and a good earthiness. Great depth of malt and attenuation.
Rich, rich, round and well-developed, extremely aromatic, whiskey character that you do indeed only get from the older barrels. Soft sweetness, silky and elegant with zero sign of alcohol. Even the malt is elegant here, with no big fudge or overt intensity. Just light chocolate mixed in with honey and caramel to support the elegant barrel character.
Chocolatey malts show just enough depth without getting too chewy or syrupy. The barrel is round and shows earth and dry wood, as the whiskey adds gentle, even spiciness but great overall intensity and a lingering spirit character with pepper and cherry-vanilla. No alcohol, very low warming, but excellent spirit character with gentle oak and a good earthiness. Great depth of malt and attenuation.
Tried
from Bottle
from Tavour
on 22 Feb 2026
at 15:30
8.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Pours clear hazel, small beige head, good lacing. Aroma has an interesting cola note, bourbon, oak, vanilla, toffee. Flavor is light plus sweet, light plus bitter, really smooth, quite boozy, dark sugars. Merlin body. Lovely
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 May 2023
at 22:23
9.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Capped 355 from the brewery. Pours clear dark brown with a slight, transient tan head. Aroma of medium toffee and bourbon. Arguably full bodied. Flavor starts very bourbon, moves to medium toffee and wood notes/astringency. Not dry, but pretty bitter - possibly an effect of heat. It savors like a really good whiskey. This is excellent ale.
Tried
on 17 May 2023
at 02:53