The holiday season is almost over, which means back to normalcy for most of us. The month of December has been a very busy time for me, which is good, but has really gotten in the way of me writing reviews. I have flown more times this year than any other time in my life, which might give you a glimpse into the insanity of my last few months. But, enough about that stuff...
I want to talk about a release that I look forward to every year - Firestone Walker Anniversary Ale. The blending of barreled aged beers really gets my taste buds excited, and Firestone Walker has yet to release a blend that is less than fantastic! I snagged a bottle of this at work, and waited anxiously until Christmas day to pop it open for a drink. Once opened I was far far far from disappointed, what’s the opposite of disappointed? Hmmm, I think the word I’m looking to describe this beer is - beergasmic.
As you can see from the picture above this beer pours very dark brown with red hues. There is little to no head. The slight head that does form dissipates fairly quickly. The smell is deep, dark, and warm. The chocolate, coffee, alcohol, and caramel provide a strong base aroma. Dark fruit mixes in with the base aromas, such as raisin, cherry, and figs. The overall bourbon like notes coming from this ale is quite strong as is the vanilla notes. All of which make a strong appearance in the flavor. The only thing preventing a perfect score for the smell is the strong vanilla and alcohol presence, which I thought was a bit overwhelming. Look - 5/5, Smell - 9/10.
I’ve had this beer twice now, and the initial flavors changed somewhat. The first time I tasted this beer, there was a strong smokey peat flavor with notes of caramel upfront. The second time, the smokiness wasn’t as prominent, and the overall flavors were very mellow and smooth. Regardless, there is some smokey peat flavor to this beer, but the bourbon qualities are very prominent. The vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, slightly citrus hop finish, and a good alcoholic burn create a fantastic blend of flavors. This is an incredibly malt forward beer, and very alcoholic, but everything works with each other. All of the flavors create a symphony of flavor and texture that is unmatched by most beer. This beer was good cold, and much of the flavors came through, but this beer is great cool with all of the flavors assaulting your flavor sensory. Flavor - 35/35.
I’ve mention in the past beers that you don’t want to dissect, but just want to drink and experience. For myself, this is one of those beers. As I sat trying to pick out all of the flavors and different stages (upfront, middle, the finish), I truly felt as if I was taking away from the experience of this fantastic artisan blend. This is a truly remarkable beer that lives up to all of its hype. With that in mind, the Beer Fusion rings in the New Year with a very excited rating for Firestone Walker’s 15th Anniversary Ale with a rating of...
Rating: 49/50
