Parabola (2024)
(Batch of Parabola)
Firestone Walker Brewing in Paso Robles, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Regular|
Score
7.60
|
|
No. 16
O.G. 32.9 p
F.G. 9.5 p
Cases 3600
Color 147
(from label)
Of all the beers in our Proprietor's Vintage Series, Parabola is the most notorious. It is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate and roast coffee--yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel and vanilla, taking the Parabola experience to new heights.
(from box)
Maturation - 12 Months in 12-year-old Elijah Craig Barrels
(from https://webstore.firestonewalker.com/products/fw-parabola-2024-12oz-individual-bottle)
Now comes the 2024 edition of Parabola—the 16th annual vintage release of this Firestone Walker icon.
Parabola was created by Brewmaster Matt Brynildson nearly 20 years ago as a component beer for our first-ever Anniversary Ale blend. However, it soon became apparent that Parabola merited its own stand-alone release. A star was born with the inaugural 2010 vintage
Parabola is known for its righteously thick textures, thanks in part to the inclusion of oats in the mash bill. On our original brewhouse, Matt likened the brewing to Parabola to “extracting liquid from an oatmeal cookie.” However, the juice was worth the squeeze: “The oats just lend this cool full-bodied texture and mouthfeel that I think pairs really well with imperial stouts,” Matt says. Much to the relief of the brewing team, brewing Parabola got much easier with the installation of our state-of-the-art brewhouse extension in 2017.
While the storied Parabola recipe remains the same from vintage to vintage, the act of aging it in different barrels each year creates a sense of progression and evolution from one vintage to the next.
This time, it was the procurement of 12-year-old Elijah Craig barrels that set the tone. “When we got our hands on these barrels, we knew that they were going to be a perfect match for Parabola,” says Vintage Barrel Master Jordan Ziegler. “They had this beautiful mature bourbon character, and we knew they could take the experience to another level
Sign up to add a tick or review
Marko (22746) reviewed Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 8 months ago
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!
Fin (18516) reviewed Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 8 months ago
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.
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.
Pinball (15991) reviewed Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 8 months ago
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.
Fergus (31537) reviewed Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 1 year ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle shared at cbj beer tasting. Many thanks. A clear reddy mahogany brown coloured pour with halo of loose tan head. Aroma is semi sweet, nutty, dried fruit, cakey malts, mellow roast,. Flavour is earthy bitter roast, liquorice, bourbon barrel, Ash, Warming alcohol, palate is medium sweet, oily, moderate carbonation.
WingmanWillis (38720) ticked Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 1 year ago
bb (18607) reviewed Parabola (2024) from Firestone Walker Brewing 1 year ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9
Bottle. Black beer with a brown head. Chocolate and vanilla aroma with bourbon. Chocolate and roast flavor with caramel, bourbon, and vanilla. Medium-plus bodied. Chocolate and light roast linger with caramel, bourbon, and vanilla.