Collective Choice (2022)
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Winter Out of Production|
Score
7.61
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We start the year off with our first-ever collaboration with our club members. 2021 members voted and ranked their favorite adjuncts from a provided list, resulting in a blend of two barrel-aged beers, including Vanilla, Cocoa, Cardamom & Sea Salt. From your lips to our ears, and right into the barrel. The whole experience is akin to sticking a candy cane into a mug of Mexican hot chocolate.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle drunk 8/24/25.
Dark, clear. Small, light tan head.
Holy cardamom, batman! How is there this much cardamom after 3 years?! That said, it smells lovely and it's not quite dominating any more, though it's very prominent still. Thankfully there's a rich, barrel aged stout next to it that has moderate fudge and crunchy, earthy cacao. Spicy bourbon and hints of cinnamon-like spice.
Soft, very malty, with excellent attenuation. Chewy chocolate-caramel-fudge with light vanilla and lightly spicy bourbon. Cardamom not as strong in flavor, leaving the stout to really do its thing. But there's an undercurrent of it. This is a really malty, well-attenuated stout with exellent fudgy, deep malts. Wish they would have gone a bit less crazy on the cardamom, but I love spice and herb so I'm still ok with it.
Dark, clear. Small, light tan head.
Holy cardamom, batman! How is there this much cardamom after 3 years?! That said, it smells lovely and it's not quite dominating any more, though it's very prominent still. Thankfully there's a rich, barrel aged stout next to it that has moderate fudge and crunchy, earthy cacao. Spicy bourbon and hints of cinnamon-like spice.
Soft, very malty, with excellent attenuation. Chewy chocolate-caramel-fudge with light vanilla and lightly spicy bourbon. Cardamom not as strong in flavor, leaving the stout to really do its thing. But there's an undercurrent of it. This is a really malty, well-attenuated stout with exellent fudgy, deep malts. Wish they would have gone a bit less crazy on the cardamom, but I love spice and herb so I'm still ok with it.
Tried
from Bottle
from Tavour
on 24 Aug 2025
at 17:43
7/10
Uss tahtis pudelist välja ronida... Kakaod on siia palju pandud, mõru, magus, šokolaad, röst, alks, linnased. Ok, nightcapiks sobib.
Tried
on 28 Dec 2024
at 03:15
8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
355ml bottle. Jet black colour with small to average, frothy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, tan head. Roasty, chocolately, dark malty and spicy aroma, notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, mint, After Eight, cardamom, mildly woody BA support with hints of vanilla, Bourbon, a touch of cedarwood, tobacco. Taste is roasty, chocolately, dark malty, spicy and slightly woody, notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, mint, cardamom, a touch of cedarwood, tobacco, some Bourbon, vanilla, a weak touch of caramel, salty interludes; well hidden alcohol. Minimally oily, watery texture, minimally dry palate, medium, dense, mildly prickly carbonation. Very nice composition, balanced and harmonious, full of subtleties, surprisingly light and nearly quaffable - delicious.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Sep 2024
at 18:35
8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
This beer was eager to get out of the bottle, but not much harm was done (just a little loss of beer). Pours a black body and a relatively small (given the gushing) brown head with little retention. Aroma's: very sweet, vanilla, chocolate, some spice, but I don't actually recognize cardamom. Retronasal it's less sweet, but there's still vanilla and chocolate, plus light spice and some roast and wood. Flavour is moderate sweet and light moderate roasty bitter, with dark chocolate and some spices. Warming alcohol.. Medium bodied. Finishes with spice and moderate bitterness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 May 2024
at 19:13
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
A black beer, a head is medium and yellowish beige. Aroma has great dark chocolate, sweet berries, some spicyness of cardamom. Taste has dark chocolate, cardamom, some bitterness, not too sweet. Full bodied. Surprisingly spicy, but very nice, dark chocolate is brilliant.
Tried
on 09 Apr 2024
at 16:22
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Beer Republic, webshop Breda Netherlands and consumed at home Saturday 27th January 2024 after a lovely loop hike from Bishofmais to Teufeltisch and back. We're listening to Gruff Rhys - Sadness Sets Me Free, and now The National - Laugh Track. We had Chicken, Pistachio and Black Pepper Curry with a Lime and Coriander Rice. On opening you feel that it's going to be totally flat and yet it provides a wonderful foamy light tan head. The bourbon is rather greedily hogging the limelight with the aroma to the detriment of the rest of the gang, chocolate and a little vanilla shyly nod in agreement. Nice, smooth, rich chocolate, but vanilla and to a lesser extent a touch of spice (the cardamom maybe?) does show up albeit late. Wonderful, rich impy stout.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jan 2024
at 01:59
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Pours clear mahogany, small beige head, good lacing. Aroma is vanilla, cocoa, bourbon, touch of molasses. Flavor is medium sweet, medium bitter, touch of salted caramel. Medium body. Nice as it warms. 4,8,8,5 17
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Feb 2022
at 22:17
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle from the brewery. Pours dark brn/blk with a decent tan head. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla and dark roast malt with a whiskey note. Arguably full bodied. Flavor suggests salted chocolate fudge with some bourbon. It seems a bit salty. Heat is barely noticeable. There's a peppermint note in the finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Feb 2022
at 02:04