Tag Archives: usa

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus Adversus

Leave a comment

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 8.2%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Unfiltered Double India Pale Ale. 55 IBUs. Malts – Pilsner Malt, Wheat Malt, Flaked Oats and Dextrose Sugar. Hops – (Kettle) Citra, Mandarina, Simcoe and Cascade, (Dry Hops) Ekuanot, Mandarina, Azacca and Citra

Brewer Description: (from website) Prodigiously hopped yet nimbly brewed with pilsner malts, Adversus ultimately achieves the improbable: a big, bold IPA made for summertime sipping. A hard-charging blend of Pacific Northwest hops leads the way, loading the nose with notes of stone fruit, pineapple, mango and earthy pine resin. Meanwhile, the use of traditional pilsner malts adds levity and dryness to the palate, allowing for a refreshing texture through the finish. The result is a double IPA that is high on hop aromas, balanced in bitterness and perfect for the long, warm days of summer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 12 oz pour into a Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus craft master one glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head, decent retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Mango, peach and nectarines with hints of honey and vanilla.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with mango, peach and nectarines, plus some citrus orange peel, biscuit malt and light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Firestone Walker Parabola

Leave a comment

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 14.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 69 IBUs. Malts – Crisp Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Carafa, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate, Oats and Roasted Barley. Hops – (Bittering) Zeus and (Late Kettle) Hallertau

Brewer Description: (from 2017 vintage box) The 2017 Parabola comes with a twist, as you may have noticed that this label bears the mark of “Kansas City, Missouri” in addition to our hometown of Paso Robles, California. Indeed, this iteration was brewed, barrel-aged and bottled by our friends at Boulevard Brewing under my close supervision. The recipe, ingredients, barrel selection and duration of aging were all the same as previous vintages of Parabola, but perhaps this vintage’s unique provenance will somehow reveal itself in the glass to you. So what is the story behind this one-time collaboration? Last year, we unexpectedly exceeded our brewing capacity in Paso Robles, and so rather than deny you a Parabola in 2017, we turned to our trusted friends for help while we worked on expanding our own brewhouse. As anticipated, they did Parabola proud. May you enjoy this rare occasion!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 6 oz pour into a Firestone Walker tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a black to dark dark brown in colour with a one finger creamy tanned head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet bourbon barrels, nutty chocolate, vanilla, banana cake, pretty much like dessert.
Taste: Like the aroma, there was bitter dark chocolate, cherry, vanilla, banana, nutty, sweet bourbon, oak and booze.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: A little bit too boozy and on the sweet side, but this doesn’t put me off, and it was still very nice. Great for late night sipping.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Firestone Walker Bretta Rosé

Leave a comment

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5.3%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 18-24 months maturation time in 100% French Oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Thirty miles north of Barrelworks lies the fertile Santa Maria Valley. It’s warm days and cool marine layer-fed evenings allow for a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables to grow in its rich soil. One such offering is fresh locally grown raspberries, which we carefully select for Bretta Rosé. Bretta Weisse, fermented and matured in French oak barrels, serves as the foundation for this gem. Add an abundance of fresh raspberries, allow a secondary wild fermentation and further maturation, and voila! The result is a crisp effervescent concoction bursting with raspberry perfume and flavor, bracing acidity, underlying funk, and a clean refreshing finish. A santé!

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.65
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 9 oz pour into a Firestone Barrelworks teku glass.
Appearance: It was a nice looking candy cherry red colour with minimal white head, but nice lacing.
Aroma: Very nice Lifesaver candy cherry and raspberries.
Taste: Tastes similar to the aroma with lots of cherry and raspberries. It is also lightly sour and tart with only hints of oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Really good, just like sour candy. I could easily drink this all day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker Lil’ Opal

Leave a comment

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.1%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: (from website) Our first 2013 blend from masterblender Jim Crooks! Lil’ Opal is a cunning blend of two-year-old American oak and eight-month-old French oak saisons. Both go through a secondary fermentation and maturation in barrels. This traditional Belgian farmhouse saison has notes of citrus and tropical fruit, a smooth mouthfeel, and tangy crisp finish. Round this all out with a little earthy funk and we have one refreshingly complex offering.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 3oz taster pour into a mini snifter.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, tangy, citrus orange, tropical peach and apricot.
Taste: Taste is similar to the aroma with tart, tangy, citrus and tropical fruit and a hint of funk.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Refreshing and crisp. Very easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Holy Mountain Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Holy Mountain Phosphene

Leave a comment

Brewery: Holy Mountain Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Batch 2, 2017. Ale aged in oak barrels on apricots

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Phosphene was fermented in oak barrels using one of our captured native wild cultures. It was then transferred into oak puncheons and aged on apricots for a number of months. Refermented in the bottle with brettanomyces.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle at Holy Mountain Brewing, Batch 2, 2017 vintage. Poured into a mini snifter.
Appearance: A cloudy golden orange colour with a thin white head that dissipates quickly and leaves sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Apricot, peach, canned peach juice and light tartness.
Taste: Tart, sour peach and apricot, with hints of oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice and refreshing tart sour ale with nice peach and apricot fruitiness.