Firestone Walker 11 (XI Quercus Alba)
11th Anniversary Ale.
A blend of imperial stout, imperial brown, porter and imperial red ales, all aged in new American oak, bourbon and brandy barrels.
A blend of imperial stout, imperial brown, porter and imperial red ales, all aged in new American oak, bourbon and brandy barrels.
4
268 reviews
Paso Robles, United States
Community reviews
Excellent use of barrels on this beer. Everything really comes together here and makes for an interesting experience. The finish has this dry bakers chocolate that makes me want to keep drinking and drinking.
Sample at Kurt’s 49th birthday party. The beer is a very dark reddish-brown color with a medium light tan head with large bubbles that evaporates steadily. Short strings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of oaky bourbon, hops and vanilla. Rich body with flavors of caramel malt, bourbon, dark chocolate and hops. The finish is oaky with a lingering burnt sugar and malt aftertaste. Another solid anniversary beer from Firestone.
Big thanks to clockworkorange for bringing this one to Stakem’s Fish Fry.
A - Pours murky brown with a small half finger tall off-white / tan head leaving very thin streaks of lace down parts of the glass.
S - Smells of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, bit of chocolate, vanilla, oak and a touch of bourbon. Some definite oxidation creeps in at the end of each sniff but that is to be expected.
T - Starts off with lots of sweetness - mostly toffee, brown sugar and caramel - slowly giving way to hints of chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits, oak and some light bourbon warmth. Little to no booze and only a marginal amount of oxidation present. Finish is a little sweet, lingering on the pallet for only a short period of time after consumption.
M - Full body with a nice mild sweet flavor and moderate carbonation. Very little, if any alcohol is left and only a marginal amount of oxidation.
O - This one has held up surprisingly well. It still had all of the flavors I was expecting and the oxidation, while present, wasn’t overpowering. Glad I finally got to try this one.
Had it during a 10-15 vertical on 11/20/11. Pours dark brown/black. No head. Aroma was complex with a sweet coffee smell. Warming alcohol taste with hints of sweet. Slight vanilla. Very smooth.
Pours a dark brown almost black color with red edges and a thinner dirty white head. Dried dark fruits, sweet caramel, hints of malt chocolate, notes of wood and vanilla with some bourbon and booze in the back. A fair bit of chocolate and vanilla, smore esq. with slightly burnt caramel and toffee, notes of oak and fair presence of bourbon with a semi hot finish. The body feels a little thin in the finish with a moderate carbonatin and chewy body. Well integrated, might be a touch over the hill.
651mL thanks to drowland and the Tally beer crew at Proof. The pour is the same as FW10- a clear deep maroon with no head formation. Nose is cellary/musty with maple and bourbon. Softer nose than FW10. More maple character. Taste is big umami/savoriness, mild lactic fatiness, no chalk or ash. No mint character. Much better than FW10. But then we cracked a Parabola....wow Parabola is so much better than this. Hysterical actually. Good stuff but stick to Parabola.
11/11/11. 22oz bottle courtesy daknole. Light caramel and maple aroma with a bit of grainy dustiness, a touch of alcohol, and some barrel character. Tannic, woody flavor with caramel, vanilla, a bit of chocolate, and lingering dryness. Nice!
Bottle. [thanks after4ever]
Pours dark brown with a small, film head. Aroma is roasted, chocolate, whiskey, port, raisins, plums. Medium carbonation, fine dry and fairly creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is lovely (ass-hammeringly so ;o) ). Roasted, chocolate, whiskey, light coffee, sherry sweetness, tar, liqourice. Very, very soft and elegant, even if the mouthfeel is a bit thin.
22 oz bottle generously shared by colonelforbin. Thanks Mike. Pours a dark brown with a small tan head that has good retention and leaves a decent amount of lacing on glass. Aroma is roastiness, caramel, bourbon, some light brandy, coconut and some vanilla. The taste follows the nose. Some light sweetness and vanilla, a bit of roastiness and some caramel. Then a bit of bourbon as well as some cherry. The finish has some light bitterness as well as some light alcohol warmth. Medium body. Relatively low carbonation. Great beer.
Brown color/ no head. Vanilla, whiskey, nutty, wood, light roast aromas. Smooth medium mouthfeel. Caramel, molasses, vanilla, pit fruit, nutty, spicy, alcohol flavors--almost good.
A very dark brown, nice sheen, looks good, a light tan watery head... Aroma is bit to light but some nice malt and molasses present, just not enough of it... Taste is super smooth but light on flavor, nutty molasses with a some smooth liquor... Wanted to love it but only like it
Sample courtesy of a fellow beer nut at Capone’s during the Hill Farmstead Ephraim tasting. Huge thanks for sharing this extremely rare, retired, brew. Pours a blackish brown shade with small tan head. Aromas are complex apple brandy with molasses, caramel, dark chocolate, oak. Taste is even more sweet then the smell with bourbon, honey, brown sugar, dark chocolate. Secondary flavors of vanilla, figs, and cinnamon. All the flavors work so well together, and seem to endlessly bounce of each other to form a completely memorable beer drinking experience. One of the best American Strongs I have tried to this date. Awesome
dark nut brown, thin ran head, large bubbled, gone fast. Oxidized nose, bit of plum and lightly underattenuated, sugar and bakers chocolate. Flavor is short finish, oxidized, light cardboard and chocolate, bit burning and sugary. Vanilla and toast. Thin, hot, aged. Meh, and it won’t get better.
Poured side-by-side with 12 and 13. Reviewed from notes.
Pours a dark brown color with a bit of a thin tan head. A few legs though not much retention or lacing, as must be the case (or at least I assume--never really looked for legs in the midst of ringy lacing). Nose brings forward really nice characteristics with some oak, vanilla, roast, chocolate, bourbon, and slight caramel.
Taste is just as complex and isn’t nearly headed downhill, at least as far as I can tell from never having had it before. Either way, this was the best of the bunch for me that day. Mouthfeel is fairly thick and a bit dry with a very mild tannic presence. Drinks incredibly well and I’m looking forward to getting the 11-14 together at once, as I’ve pretty much lost all hope of having the 10.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 11-10-2010
Firestone Walker almost always does a good job with these BA beers, and this one was no exception. Caramel sweetness, some vanilla, oak, a bit of chocolate, warming. Pretty darn good blended strong ale thing.
Bottle generously shared during AZRBWG by Smokepot23. Bottle pours dark brown with a khaki head. Aroma shows notes of toffee, bourbon, tons of oak, slightly tart fruit and some roast. Flavor shows the same with additional notes of caramel, vanilla, and some nutty qualities. Seems to be holding up extremely well, though it really may be near it’s peak.
enjoyed the weekend of RBWG 2011pours dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is semi tart barrel elements, the brandy lends a nice sweet nose. Flavor is solid toast and toffee malt character with tons of wood, vanilla, oak, birch. Ends with a nice smooth mix of brandy and bourbon, this is so mellow and has stood the test of time.
Bottle at the Saturday night hotel tasting after EBF. Pours a clear amber brown. Long chocolate, roast and vanilla, coffee notes and sweet bourbon. Smooth coffee and roast. Chocolate, roast, cocoa, vanilla and warm wood notes. Long chocolate, roast and cocoa on a warm boozy finish.
Bottle shared by Smokepot23 at RBWG 2011, thanks
Appearance: Dark brown with a small off-white head and some light lacing
Aroma: Roasted malts, bourbon and vanilla
Taste: Roasted malts, woody, vanilla
Nice
(22oz bottle). Pours dark brown. Aroma of bourbon. Flavor shows the same. Nice beerr.
[750ml bottle courtesy of cgarvieuk] Dark red colour on the pour, strong brandyish alcohol aromas. Really smooth on the palate and a bit nutty – reminds me slightly of cheap easter egg chocolate (and I mean that as a compliment). Sweet aftertaste with more sherry notes. Very complex, but mild and really well balanced for an 11% beer. Really quite nice indeed [28012010]
Bottled @ tasting cgarvieuk. Dark brown colour, tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, chocolate, bourbon, booze. Flavour is deep roasted malts, booze, bourbon, oak and hazelnut. Rich flavoured. Very well done.
Dark ruby colour
Soft nose. Kind of sweet chalky chocolate and nice raisin and oak background.
Pretty good. Tastes kind of like a cross b/w ovaltine and . . . actually, mainly like some king of powdered chocolate milk flavour.
very rich but i think it needs something to balance it. Far too rich to drink much of.
Bottle at home ... dark black ... big soft toffee malt ... rich toffee malt ... heavy roast ... toffee malt ... heavy dark roast ... loads fo malt ... little charcoal ... little toffee ...
24th March 2009
The stated aim of achieving a complex beer with no particular element dominating is thoroughly acheived in this marvelous beer! Very dark brown - just about translucent. Low carbonation. Immediate soft vanilla oak that is woodt but not dry. Soft brandy and subtle chocolate follow with a licorice that starts to bloom. Subtle cherry notes ride alongside. A little mellow coffee in there as well. This isn’t a WOW beer, instead it seduces with it’s subtle charms and complexities.
bomber thanks to bleeng or TexasJeep. Shared at the January Houston Tasting. Pours dark brown into black with no head. Nose is of oak, bourbon and chocolate. Taste is of bourbon, chocolate and roast malt. Tasty. Mouthfeel is medium with some alcohol. Best of the three Fiestone anniv brews we tasted.
Rating #100! Another tasty brew from a vertical at Ratman’s Firestone Walker tasting party tonight. Pours a dark brown with thin tan head with light lacing. Nose is an aroma of vanilla and brown sugar, with a rich amount of sweet baker’s chocolate and caramel. Tastes of dark fruit and rich malts, overlaid with brandy and toasted hops. Changes nicely as it warms up. Crazy complex flavors of brown sugar and vanilla notes throughout. Sweet on the finish. A very nice brew from Firestone. Thanks again Don! Glad to have tried - I enjoyed this one alot!
Bottle courtesy of northernbrews. Poured deep brown, almost black with a thin tan head. Roasty aroma with hints of coffee, and sweet chocolate. Flavor was roasty with coffee and chocolate as well, but was very smooth. Nice, rich creamy mouthfeel. Would never guess its 11% abv
Courtesy of northernbrews. Dark brown, minimal head. Bourbon, vanilla, mollasses in aroma, sort of an old ale/bw. Flavor much the same, nice balance of bourbon, vanilla, mollasses, caramel. malt bomb but not bad. Mouthfeel is sticky sweet.
Courtesy of northernbrews
Bottle: The aroma has lots of caramel, bourbon, light chocolate, and faint vanilla. It pours a dark brown with some orange highlights and a minimal soapy ring for a head. The flavor starts with a quick dose of sweet caramel. The finish has bourbon, maple syrup, coconut, and a touch of oak. Medium-full bodied with minimal carbonation.