4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Firestone Walker Krieky Bones

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5.9%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Wild Ale fermented with sour cherries. 100% French oak foeder

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What began as a birthday gift took on a life of its own. Proprietor David Walker cornered us one day and requested a sour cherry fermented beer for his 50th birthday. A handful was sold at a release and our customers demanded more. Behold Krieky Bones! This beer begins its life as a Flanders Red inspired beer aged over a year in French oak foeders. Sour Montmorency cherries are added and allowed a secondary fermentation. The aroma is of cherry pie complete with flavours of pie crust, spice and an underlying funk. Vienna malt notes give way to an assertive acidity and a bright carbonation. A sante!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. Batch No. 003, bottled on 26th September 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear reddish dark copper colour with a big two finger white head that had great retention while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sweet and sour, cherry with only hints of funk and vinegar.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, cherry, oak and vanilla with hints of almond.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with nice high carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and easy to drink with good cherry flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Firestone Walker Agrestic

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Wild Red Ale. 82% French oak & 18% American oak

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Fittingly, Agrestic Ale begins its journey as DBA; the foundational beer first offered when Firestone Walker opened its doors in 1996. Oak barrels along with our proprietary collection of microflora act like a chrysalis process, transforming DBA into Agrestic Ale over the course of several months. The result is a synergistic blend of beer matured in French and American oak with signature flavors and aromas: wood-derived toast, lemon pith, and rosewood swirl on the nose and palate, followed by an amazing harmony of vanilla, coconut and Earl Grey tea. Dark cherries, caramel malt and spice round out its complexity and drinkability. The finish is crisp with a mouthwatering acidity and chewy tannins. A sante!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.18
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. Batch No. 003, bottled on 5th July 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear amber copper colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated slowly while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, lemon, oak, vanilla and coconut.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, lemon, cherry, oak and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Nice, enjoyable and great to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

Almanac Coffee Barbary Coast

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, chili peppers, sea salt and oak. Brewed with coffee roasted by Sightglass and cacao nibs from Dandelion Small Batch Chocolate

Brewer Description: (from can) Every great city has its wild side, and in 19th century boomtown San Francisco, that was The Barbary Coast. All manner of debauchery ran unchecked here for decades. But from this chaotic cauldron emerged San Francisco’s vibrant jazz culture and a rich legacy of poets, artists, writers and entertainers. Inspired by this creative tradition, this decadent imperial stout was brewed with oak staves, sea salt, a hint of spicy chili, Dandelion Chocolate’s cacao nibs and Sightglass Coffee. Pair with rich chocolate cake and a flair for the adventure!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 16 fl oz can, canned on 13th December 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin brown head that dissipated quickly and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Light dark fruit followed by milk chocolate, roasty coffee and vanilla with perhaps some light spice.
Taste: Milk chocolate, cacao and coffee with a hint of chili pepper spiciness and salt.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Very nice flavours of chocolate and coffee which was well balanced with chili and salt.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, England, Stout - Russian Imperial, The Wild Beer Co.

Wild Beer Wildebeest

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Brewery: The Wild Beer Co.
Country: England
ABV: 11%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Chocolate + Crushed Espresso + Vanilla

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We believe exceptional brewing stems from imagination and passion, it’s not just a process. Never average, every Wild brew is a result of Wild minds conceiving, creating and crafting beers that explore the boundaries of your palate. Brewing doesn’t need to be confined by rules, tradition or ingredients; by adding a Wild 5th ingredient or process to our beers we want to give you a truly memorable drinking experience, altering your perceptions and thrilling your taste buds. Drink Wildly Different.
Beer is not just meant for refreshment. Some beers can be ideal for contemplation and speculation, the liquid equivalent of the lotus position. Such a beer is Wildebeest, our Imperial Espresso Chocolate Vanilla Stout, a judicious selection of pale and dark malts to which is added highest quality Valrhona cocoa nibs, vanilla pods and freshly roasted coffee beans hand selected by Andy Tucker at Clifton Coffee Roasters. This helps to produce a rich, elegant, creamy, soothing confection of aromas and flavours that can only improve with time. We would describe it as a dessert in a glass.
Warning: Wildebeest is best enjoyed sipped from your favourite brandy snifter, whilst sitting comfortably in a plush armchair. Preferably next to a roaring fire while the weather does its worse outside.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date that is not legible anymore but is sometime in 2018. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish milk chocolate, coffee, cocoa and vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, light dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, espresso. coffee, cream and hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice and easy to drink. Doesn’t feel like 11% abv at all.

Beer Reviews, USA, 3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Belgian Strong Pale Ale, AleSmith Brewing Company

AleSmith Decadence 2015

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Belgian-style Amber

Brewer Description: (from bottle) AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. Each year since, our brewers have commemorated our anniversary with a special beer of a new style. Now, ten years after brewing our first beer of the Decadence Series, we’re proud to present another hand-forged addition, AleSmith Decadence 2015. In the spirit of traditional Belgian brewing we’ve departed from style-constraints to bring you a fresh take on the popular European style, the Belgian Amber. This big, complex, amber-hued ale was brewed with a substantial amount of Belgian and European malts that complement the spiciness imparted by Belgian Abbey yeast. The result is a perfect balance between rich, toasty maltiness, Belgian candi sugar and the light floral profile of European hops. Enjoy this hearty Belgian inspired brew now or age at a cool temperature to increase it’s complexities.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl oz foiled bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber colour with a one finger off white head with an orange tinge that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Malty, candi sugar, caramel, brown sugar and toffee, with a hint of clove, banana and apple juice.
Taste: Toasted, lightly sweet, caramel with hints of clove, banana, alcohol and apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Quite nice and easy to drink.

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