Firestone Walker 14
As a finished beer, 14 is brimming with amazing flavors and textures. DDBA leads the blend lending American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. Newcomer, Sticky Monkey, folds in the taste of brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and ripe figs. Parabola brings the familiar flavors of bitter dark chocolate and cherry pit. Velvet Merkin carries silky bourbon soaked chocolate cake goodness to the party while a touch of Black Xantus teases coffee and tobacco. Last, but not least, Good Foot brings the hops... hints of citrus zest and tangerine, which adds a pop to the aroma and nice finish to this big, sexy brew. 14 is best enjoyed in a half filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. If left in a cool dark place, I suspect this beer will age well. It was an absolute pleasure making it and I truly hope you enjoy our fifth oak–aged blend! The journey continues.
4
417 reviews
Paso Robles, United States
Community reviews
December 18, 2015. Bottle at home.
Dark brown with a small dense, quickly dissipating, tan head.
Aroma is sweet malty, toasted oak and warming alcohol with caramel, sweet licorice, figs, raisins, plum, nuts, hints of cocoa and vanilla, bourbon. Taste is sweet malty with soft roasted bitterness and warming alcohol. Finish is sweet and sticky with caramel, figs, raisins, licorice, warming bourbon alcohol, bitter roasted and some dry woody notes. Medium to full bodied, slight sticky texture leading to a drier woody finish, soft, almost flat carbonation.
This one has aged gracefully, the finish is slightly dry, woody and bitter which balance out the sweetness and makes it easier to drink.
Bottle. It poured a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma was of roasted notes, dark fruits, cocoa and boozy notes. The taste was similar to the aroma with more roasted dark chocolate, cocoa, oak, dark fruits and brown sugar. Just awesome.
From backlog.
Pour dark brown, with a small tan head.
Aroma is all packed with deliciousness. Plenty of wet barrel, bourbon, vanilla, caramel and some bourbon soaked dark fruits. So malty and sticky.. Great stuff right here, and it drinks almost as a stout.
Taste is pretty sweet, with some subdued bitter notes. Average bodied, with a surprisingly lively carb compared to the aroma - still pretty chill for sure.
Bottle via and shared with oakbluff. Near black in colour with moderate to low carbonation. Huge aromas of tobacco, dark chocolate, bourbon, heavy pale malt, and a bit of stewed fruit. Strong but mellow in the mouth with chocolate, toffee, brandied cherry, and oak notes. A bit of iron on the finish, as I think it’s just a touch oxidized. Big and boozy, but still quite complex. Definitely a sipper, and not something I’d want to drink often, but still fun to try.
On tap @ Brouwer’s. Pours thick opaque dark brown, slightly ruddy undertone, thin creamy mocha head that laces quickly. Aroma is dry cocoa powder, molasses, bourbon, aged baking chocolate, espresso - huge. Taste is similar - dry aged dark chocolate, figs, rich creamy molasses again, coffee, lighter caramel and vanilla notes. Tons of smooth rich barrel-aged notes. The boozy heat so evident in these beers has smoothed out considerably after 5+ years. Amazing beer, and simply incredible to find on tap after being cellared this long.
Draft pour at Brouwer’s Firestone anniversary vertical, dark brown almost black pour, a lot of these are going to sound the same will try a and keep it different as best as I can(other then this part) awesome Bourbon aroma, chocolate coffee carmal taste assuming this will be the most mild blended of the years. Absolutely amazing. I have tried all of them before posting this.
Bottle at home. Pours deep dark brown with an intense dark amber hue, small light greyish beige head. When opened just from the fridge, there was a huge peach melba flavour - very agreeable. When warmin up, raisins and oak vanilla get the overhand. The body is quite thin, with loads of sweetness and alcohol. Taste is coffee, mocca, vanilla, some liquorice and chocolate.
Bottle gift from SJ trade. Aroma is absolutely amazing. Vanilla, wood, Earth, and Molasses. Flavor matches aroma , but add chocolate, bourbon and dark fruit. Amazing.
Bottle to glass. Pours a deep brown color. Aroma and flavor are bourbon, chocolate, dark fruits, molasses, everything nice. Extraordinary beer, as are all of the anniversary ales.
At bottleshare in Seattle. An old bottle of mine, glad to finally crack it with friends. Huge raisin and fig. Cream, rich body. Soft tannic, soft tobacco. Creamy caramel, sharp alc note still a bit present. Tannic malt. Raisins, primarily. Pretty tasty. Heavy malty brown, lingering tan foam.
Ok I’ve had this beer a few times and never rated it. This is one of the beers that catalyzed my inner beer geek. Shared a bottle of this last night at Blue Palms with my brother. Dark brown pour with just a slight head. Massive toffee, caramel and vanilla in the nose. Rich, complex taste with bourbon, oak, caramel and toffee all in spades. Just a wonderful beer.
Downhill a bit now. Poured a lighter brown with a beige head. Aroma was of lots of.oxidation, mint cardboard and figs. Flavor not quite as oxidized but certainly down hill and past its prime.
Bottle shared by Matt L -- thanks for this treat! Clear dark ruby brown pour. Small ring of head. Raisins, plums, figs, you know the type. Deeply caramelized sugar, verging on burnt but basically perfect. Sweet, decadent, full body, background cardboard. This is lovely. Really lovely.
Bottle shared thanks to charule. Pours a murky brownish golden color. No head. Big oxidized raisins and dark fruits aroma. Based on the large amount of oxidation in the nose, the taste surprised me. Taste held up nicely. Candied raisins. Sweet. Medium body.
Bottle thanks to local trade. Poured dark brown clear with min beige head. Aroma sweet strong vanilla bourbon candy. Light carb med bod. Sweet light choc coffee taste.
Bottle thanks to Tom. Pours a very dark brown with beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong roasted malt, licorice, booze, and dark chocolate. Thick mouthfeel with strong dark fruits, licorice, toffee, molasses, boozy finish. Really enjoyed this.
Licorice smell with mild bourbon. Barleywine taste that is smoother than 16. Tastes kind of similar to but not quite as good as 17. Second try was very smooth and silky with a medium amount of bourbon and caramel malt.
Split bottle with Sherm1016 and Mike...thanks! Pours dark brown with minimal head. Nose is ripe fruit, caramel, oak, booze.....very tasty.
Great beer, large sample pour of darkness with almost no head but a slight halo. Aroma is dark, dark chocolate, some toast, plenty I caramel and some graham crackers and toasted marshmallows... Kinda like s’mores. Flavor is similar with plenty of chocolate and caramel but lighter than a stout, some fruit notes, like figs, but light also. Smooth malted caramel and more marshmallow. I dig it for sure
Bottle split at Bruce’s pad, thanks to our host with the most, 24/10/14.
Light black / extremely dark mahogany brown with a decent beige covering.
Nose is rich malt, spice, dark chocolate, toffee fudge, Nutella.
Taste comprises rich dark fruit rinds, chocolate, spice, light booze, toffee, Maltesers.
Full bodied, fine carbonation, warming alcohol in the close with a bourbon swizzle and light coconut tunes.
Solid stuff.
Bottle shared in London - big thanks to Bruce. Pours deep red-brown with a frothy beige head. Great snout, hugely dynamic, lots of dark berries, some cocoa, figs. Big sweet flavor, lots of rich bread, fruitcake, cocoa, some roast and light charred wood. Full bodied with fine to average carbonation. Warming finish with lots of dark, dried fruits, figs and dates, more fruitcake, rich bread, some burnt wood and earth. Great stuff. Pretty deep.
Bottle thanks to Bruce. It pours darkest brown with a small tan head. The taste is rich, earthy, fudge, toffee, dark fruits, fruit cake, treacle, plum, prune, vanilla and nougat. The taste is smooth, wood, fruit cake, nougat, marshmallow, earth, brown bread, vanilla, warming booze, toasty and leather with a smooth, warming finish. Full body and fine carbonation, slick, smooth and dangerously drinkable.
Bottle thanks to Dmac! Pours deep black with a ruby tint, small tan head that dissipates slowly to a ring leaving nice lacing. Aroma is heavy malts, bourbon, vanilla and dark chocolates. Flavor is sweet, medium bitter, and hot. Tons of maltiness, toffee, molasses, bourbon, vanilla. Medium plus, creamy body. Hot finish. Heat distracts from what is otherwise a nice beer, with just a hint of oxidation after all this time.
"man, i’m glad FW started their barrel program. i’ve only had the last two, but the sheer depth of the 13, and now the 14, is just amazing. a blend of about a half dozen barreled beers, bourbon takes front and center, but does not dominate. there’s also brandy, and these over bases of barelywine, double pales, and big stouts, expertly blended. add oak, a touch of Mexican coffee, hops...you get one damn good beer. not quite as good imho as the 13 for two reasons. 1-13 was fanfreakintastic! 2-this one, while smooth, was a little boozier. we had it fresh, but we had the 13 fresh too. anyway, awesome beer that may be too damn expensive to get again. 2012-this beer is holding up soooo well against newer releases I gotta up it to 4.5."
generous bottle pour at braukunst live 2014 in munich; good on them for serving in snifters. dark brown with a reddish tinge, clear with a minimal off-beige head; heady aroma with some rum’n’raisin, vanilla; pleasantly sticky with some nougat, dessicated coconut, cocoa powder. luscious and enticing
August 26, 2014 - bottle from Eric to celebrate my 14th anniversary. Black pour with limited head that faded quickly. Aroma was bourbon, chocolate, toffee, dark fruit and some spice. Taste was consistent with the aroma, reminded me of Goose’s Bourbon Barley Wine but with a touch of cinnamon in the finish.
Bottle to plastic taster at the RBAG14 warmup ... FW Anniversay Vertical
Salt, lots more caramel than 13. Same dark colour, no head. Caramel, malts, bourbon, and oak.
5 year vertical! Dark brown pour, aroma toffee, burnt sugar, English malts, very reminiscent of an English barley wine. Taste is syrupy sweetness, toffee, a bit of anise, somewhat sherry like. Really solid.
Bottle - Vintage 2010 - Light nutty notes, raisin and light dark sugars. Amber with a decent white head. Nice toffee and nuts with a bit of dark sugar. Just enough edge and mellow rounded notes.
First pour of a fresh keg @ Ginger Man. A big everlasting big dark beige head on top of a deep dark cola brown beer. Smells absolutely lovely. Lots of sweetness on the nose, it also has a little bit of cocoa/chocolate, wood, Nutella nuts, some licorice hints and a swift of vanilla. Lovely stuff. It has a really good thick oily/sticky mouthfeel this, and the carbonation level is just below average. Fantastic flavorful as well. Lots of malty caramel sweetness with wood, prickling alcohol, nuts, yeast hints and deep dark dried fruits. Some vanilla lingering. It’s a bomb! 19.06.2013