Firestone Walker 16 (XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale)
The Aging Cellar – The Components
We blended together 226 oak barrels and 8 different beers creating something truly complex and exceptional.
The following are descriptions of key components with their original code names:
Velvet Merkin (8.7% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon barrels
-Traditional Oatmeal Stout (23% of final blend)
OG= 15P FG=5.5 IBU=32.5 Color= Black / 15% Oats / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles
Stickee Monkee (12.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels
-English Barley Wine (22.5% of final blend)
OGP FG=5.4P IBU=45 Color=28 / Brewed with Mexican Turbinado (Brown) sugar
Double Double Barrel Ale (14.2% ABV) - Aged 100% in retired Firestone Union barrels
-Double strength English Pale Ale (20.3% of final blend)
OG=25.0P FG=5.1P IBU=30 Color=16 / A Double version of our flagship created by Ali Razi
Parabola (13% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon barrels
-Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout (10.8% of final blend)
OG=31P FG=8.5P IBU=80 Color=Black / Hopped with Simcoe, Bravo, Styrian Golding and East Kent Golding
PNC (13.0% ABV) - Aged in Tequila barrels
-American Strong Buckwheat Stout (8.1% of final blend)
OG = 25P FG = 5.0P IBU = 80 Color = 100 / Brewed with Buckwheat
Helldorado (11.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon Barrels and Brandy barrels
-Blonde Barley Wine (5.4% of final blend)
OG=24.7P FG=4.5P IBU=24 Color = 8 / Brewed with buckwheat honey & 100% El Dorado hops
Bravo (13.4% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels
-Imperial Brown Ale (5.4% of final blend)
OG=26.5 FG=7.7 IBU=35 Color=32 / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles
Wookey Jack (8.3% ABV)- 100% Fresh, Dank & Hoppy 100% Stainless Steel
-Black Rye India Pale Ale (4.5% of final blend)
OG= 18P FG = 3.0P IBU = 80 Color =black / Extremely hoppy double dry hopped BIPA
As a finished beer, XVI takes us back to some of the wonderful dark notes (the black keys) that I remember from the original 10 blending. XVI is 42% stout with Velvet Merkin, Parabola and “PNC” working together as three roasty toasty friends that create rich cacao, chocolate and mocha flavors together. “PNC” also introduces tequila barrels into our blend for the first time and brings some interesting south of the boarder spirit notes to the mix – a welcome twist. Helldorado, with flavors of lavender honey liqueur was again a favorite of the winemakers and made the cut adding some flowery notes. DDBA continues to deliver its signature American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. DDBA was also release on its own in 2012 and is now established as a solid annual brew. Stickee Monkee is fast becoming one of our favorite pieces with its rich maple syrup, spicy cinnamon, and ripe fig flavors which has developed into a bolder cousin of perennial blend component Bravo who carries barrel character and bourbon notes like no other. The additional twist this year is Wookey Jack, Black Rye IPA with its wily citrusy hop notes and spicy rye backbone. The finished blend is unfiltered and unfined, so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. XVI is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half filled brandy snifter or red wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. It takes a while, but as this beer sits and breathes in the glass, more rich dusty chocolate, stone fruit and crème brulee character is reveled as the rich spirit characters fade - so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. It was an absolute pleasure in the making and I truly hope you enjoy our Seventh oak-aged blend! The journey continues and its just as fun and exciting now as it was back in 1996. Thank you so much for spending a little time with us!
We blended together 226 oak barrels and 8 different beers creating something truly complex and exceptional.
The following are descriptions of key components with their original code names:
Velvet Merkin (8.7% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon barrels
-Traditional Oatmeal Stout (23% of final blend)
OG= 15P FG=5.5 IBU=32.5 Color= Black / 15% Oats / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles
Stickee Monkee (12.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels
-English Barley Wine (22.5% of final blend)
OGP FG=5.4P IBU=45 Color=28 / Brewed with Mexican Turbinado (Brown) sugar
Double Double Barrel Ale (14.2% ABV) - Aged 100% in retired Firestone Union barrels
-Double strength English Pale Ale (20.3% of final blend)
OG=25.0P FG=5.1P IBU=30 Color=16 / A Double version of our flagship created by Ali Razi
Parabola (13% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon barrels
-Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout (10.8% of final blend)
OG=31P FG=8.5P IBU=80 Color=Black / Hopped with Simcoe, Bravo, Styrian Golding and East Kent Golding
PNC (13.0% ABV) - Aged in Tequila barrels
-American Strong Buckwheat Stout (8.1% of final blend)
OG = 25P FG = 5.0P IBU = 80 Color = 100 / Brewed with Buckwheat
Helldorado (11.5% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon Barrels and Brandy barrels
-Blonde Barley Wine (5.4% of final blend)
OG=24.7P FG=4.5P IBU=24 Color = 8 / Brewed with buckwheat honey & 100% El Dorado hops
Bravo (13.4% ABV) - Aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels
-Imperial Brown Ale (5.4% of final blend)
OG=26.5 FG=7.7 IBU=35 Color=32 / Hopped with 100% US grown Fuggles
Wookey Jack (8.3% ABV)- 100% Fresh, Dank & Hoppy 100% Stainless Steel
-Black Rye India Pale Ale (4.5% of final blend)
OG= 18P FG = 3.0P IBU = 80 Color =black / Extremely hoppy double dry hopped BIPA
As a finished beer, XVI takes us back to some of the wonderful dark notes (the black keys) that I remember from the original 10 blending. XVI is 42% stout with Velvet Merkin, Parabola and “PNC” working together as three roasty toasty friends that create rich cacao, chocolate and mocha flavors together. “PNC” also introduces tequila barrels into our blend for the first time and brings some interesting south of the boarder spirit notes to the mix – a welcome twist. Helldorado, with flavors of lavender honey liqueur was again a favorite of the winemakers and made the cut adding some flowery notes. DDBA continues to deliver its signature American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. DDBA was also release on its own in 2012 and is now established as a solid annual brew. Stickee Monkee is fast becoming one of our favorite pieces with its rich maple syrup, spicy cinnamon, and ripe fig flavors which has developed into a bolder cousin of perennial blend component Bravo who carries barrel character and bourbon notes like no other. The additional twist this year is Wookey Jack, Black Rye IPA with its wily citrusy hop notes and spicy rye backbone. The finished blend is unfiltered and unfined, so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. XVI is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half filled brandy snifter or red wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. It takes a while, but as this beer sits and breathes in the glass, more rich dusty chocolate, stone fruit and crème brulee character is reveled as the rich spirit characters fade - so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. It was an absolute pleasure in the making and I truly hope you enjoy our Seventh oak-aged blend! The journey continues and its just as fun and exciting now as it was back in 1996. Thank you so much for spending a little time with us!
4.1
390 reviews
Paso Robles, United States
Community reviews
Première bière de l’année 2017 pour moi, après 4 jours d’abstention. Robe brune bien voilée aux reflets de vieil alcool. Malgré ce filtre brumeux, je perçois des reflets qui ressemblent à ceux qu’offre un rhum vieux. Nez où le chocolat s’exprime correctement mais ne parvient pas à surmonter cette attaque alcoolisée à la Téquila. Un début d’oxydation qui n’est certainement pas étranger à l’âge de la bouteille et qui influence positivement ma note en regard à son potentiel de garde. Structure costaude. Le malt est puissant. L’alcool est enivrant. Ça frappe fort et je ne suis pas certain d’aimer cet aspect. Buvabilité moyenne. Sucre complexe de caramel et de tire d’érable sur fond de baril d’alcool. Plus ou moins pour moi.
Bottle. It poured a dark brown color with a beige head. The aroma was of malts, caramel, vanilla and some bourbon. The taste was similar to the aroma with more roasted malts, caramel, toffee, fruits, vanilla, oak and bourbon. It had medium carbonation with a nice bourbon finish. Really tasty.
Bottle as part of a Firestone Walker 14-19 vertical tasting. Much darker than the FW 15, with significantly more roasted coffee and chocolate coming through. There’s a great interplay between the caramel and vanilla sweetness of the barleywines and the chocolate and roasted malts of the stouts, before it finishes with a lot of bourbon barrel booze and oak.
August 26, 2016 - bottle to celebrate another wedding anniversary. Brown pour with some head that faded somewhat quickly. Aroma was caramel, bourbon, roast and light hops. Taste had the roast and chocolate initially, then sweetness and finished with the bourbon and a mild bitterness.
Style et résumé: American strong ale.
Comment: Dégustation Manseau 2016.
Portrait: Une robe brune foncée presque noire. Un nez de chocolat, de café sur une tonne d’alcool. Une bouche sèche aux saveurs de chocolat et café. C’est interminable, les saveurs restent collées au palais. L’amertume est intense.
Note: 7+/10
Sample at Kurtkeller 023: Firestone Walker-tastic 01 on 06/18/2016. This beer pours brown-black with a medium beige head that recedes steadily to a film. Patchy lacing on the glass. Oaky aroma with malt, coffee and chocolate notes. Full-bodied with flavors of oaky vanilla, charred malt, coffee, chocolate and bourbon. The finish is oaky and boozy with a bourbon and chocolate malt aftertaste. Good beer all around.
Bottle: Aroma is malt, sugar, soy sauce, dark fruits, molasse, chocolate. Dark brown to black color, brownish head. Flavor is raisins, malt, some alcohol, plums, dried fruits.
bottle poured into a snifter..dark brown with almost no head..after 3 yrs...great
aroma of bourbon,caramel,coffee,chocolate,vanilla,dark fruits..tastes of all of
the former with some smokiness..after 3+ yrs..held up incredibly well.
From a bomber shared at home. Aged to perfection. Aroma of caramel. Flavors of toffee. Smooth, smooth, smooth, Light roast finish.
Bottle 22oz.
Pours black with low beige head. Good lacing. Aroma is of roasted malt, coffee, alcohol. Taste is of roasted malt, coffee, alcohol. Palate: Full bodied. Medium carbonation. Overall: Good stuff. A tad unidimensionnal and not really cohesive.
Bottle (22 oz) shared at tasting. Dark mahogany-brown with a small beige head, moderate retention, leaving little lacing and little legs on the glass. Flavors of bourbon, vanilla, oak, dark fruits, red fruits, coconut, alcohol, toasted malts, chocolatey notes, mineral notes, nuts and the list goes on... it’s super rich and borderline too much. Taste is sweet but not overly so. It’s quite boozy and hot as well, despite being a few years old already. Full body. Soft carbonation. Oily and nice mouth coathing liquorous mouthfeel. Warming and hot finish. It’s another overly boozy strong beer from Firestone Walker and it feels a bit unbalanced to me (though I know they are doing tons of work to make it as balanced as possible for what it is). I can’t deny that it’s packing a ton of flavors and I find this to be interesting as a sipper in very small quantity but it’s a beer I would likely never enjoy drinking a full glass of. .
Pours a dark brown with an offwhite head that leaves spotty lacing. Nose is of coconut, bourbon and vanilla. Taste is moderately sweet, boozy/spirity with some nice chocolate flavors. Body is full, carbonation moderate and it is not too boozy at all. A pretty good extreme dessert beer.
Bouteille 650ml, bottle share. Couleur brune foncée trouble, anneau de mousse beige. Arôme de malt torréfié, café, alcool. Goût de malt torréfié, café, caramel. Carbonatation moyenne-faible, corps moyen.
pours unclear dark brown with a small light beige cap offering some retention and lacing. roasted powdery chocolate, burnt toffee, obvious bourbon, spicy red fruitiness, some sweetness - maple syrup; tasty nuts. moderate carbonation, medium body - oily; sweet and woodsy-bourbon-spicy finish. tasty.. and scattered.
Robe brune, malts bruns, café, fruits, malts collants, alcool chocolaté, traces de noix de coco, boisée vert, rien de si cohésif, pas de véritable point de rencontre mais sans défaut, correctement exécuté, bien bon mais pas si extraordinaire. Bien content tout de même d’avoir eu la chance de croiser ce truc.
Bottle shared. Deep red black pour with white head. Aroma is really rich, nice toasty notes, super fruity, boozy, cherries. Taste is rich, roasty, a bit mineral, fruity, boozy finish. Palate is full bodied, hot, with good carbonation.
22 oz boxed bottle poured at Brouwers. Going through some old notes now. This is probably the most interesting beer series to me at the moment. Cool to get the opportunity to try a bunch all in a short amount of time. Pours black with almost no head. This one expressed more age than the others in my opinion. Soft cocoa aroma with a rich malt flavor. Soft herbal, chocolate, biting finish. Overall on the sweet side. Very nice beer here, but a little less memorable than the rest.
Poured from a 750cc bottle shared with ML. Pours dark brown. Small quickly fading tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Flavour is bourbon up front with sweet malts, toffee, and molasses nicely balanced by a hoppy finish. Awesome barrel-aged blend!
Bottle. Black pour. Little head. Malty chocolate nose. Mellow flavors that grow through the drink. Super smooth. Excellent.
Bottle. Brown body with tan head. Aroma is nice fruity with malts and some barrels. Taste is nearly the same but with more fruits. Aftertaste is nice. Nice one
650 ml bottle shared by Sebilinz, thanks!
Dark brown body, with a small, creamy, beige head.
Aroma of barrel, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, coconut, some dark fruits.
Taste follows this, with additional dried fruits, cocoa, booze.
Full, creamy mouthfeel, with an average carbonation.
Finishes smooth, roasty, dry, with coffee, cocoa, wood, dark fruits, some liquorice.
Really tasty. Big, complex and smooth for the ABV. Maybe a bit boozy, but a really comfortable sipper. Overall not among my favourite beers from this brewery, but another very enjoyable one.
0,75l bottle shared by Sebilinz at Linz RB Tasting, big thanks. BB 31.03.2018. black color, small coffee-colored head. smells spices, wood, coconut, chocolate, coffee, molasses, very nice smell, especially after it warms up. full body, soft carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes malty sweet, chocolate, coffee, spices, wood, very nice slick coconut notes. finishes with some sweetness, notes of chocolate, spices and wood. very nice beer.
Pours a dark chestnut brown color that appears pitch black and opaque in the glass with a two finger beige head that quickly settles into a thin, lasting ring. Decent retention considering the style and high ABV with sporadic spotty lacing left behind.
Complex, yet very inviting nose with a strong barrel presence that seems nicely integrated into the characteristics of the individual base beers of the blend. There’s a nice toasted oak presence giving off hints of damp wood, vanilla, marshmallow and toasted coconut. This is accompanied by various spirits but bourbon seems to dominate. Sweet and spicy with some rye whiskey and brandy. Tequila barrels were used in the PNC portion of the blend but I can’t really pick any of that up in the nose. Five of the eight beers in the blend were aged in bourbon barrels so that naturally dominates yet I can still pick out brandy and other spirit notes.
Although the barrel presence is strong it doesn’t dominate the aroma allowing elements of the various stouts, barleywines and strong ales to stand out. There’s a nice balance of sweet, earthy and roasted malt notes along with spicy rye and a complex hop profile. There’s a decent leathery malt presence that’s complimented by resinous, earthy hops that give off hints of grass and pine needle. I’m also picking up a faint citrus hop presence after the beer warms up a bit. Roasted coffee bean, burnt toast and oatmeal are countered by a silky dark chocolate presence as well as some caramel, toffee and fudge/chocolate cake.
Fuller bodied than expected with a surprising amount of carbonation. Viscous and chewy with a ton of intense barrel flavor which lingers over the various malt and hop flavors into a sweet, slightly hot finish. There is a strong bourbon barrel component but it isn’t as dominant as it is in the nose. Lots of dry, toasted oak as well as some vanilla, coconut, subtle vinous fruit and a touch of ash. The bourbon presence is sweet and spicy without being overly boozy or abrasive. The brandy, spicy rye whiskey and other spirit flavors come through but I’m still not picking up much tequila. I would have never guessed that those barrels were used if I didn’t read it in the deScription. Underneath the barrel flavors, there is a complex malt bill and a balanced hop profile that surprisingly stands out in the finish. I wasn’t expecting as much barleywine character but it really stands out with leathery malt, bitter, earthy hops and vinous dark fruit flavor. These flavors are complimented by an assortment of sweet and roasted malt notes from the brown ale, black IPA and various stouts used in the blend. Sweet, silky chocolate/dessert like notes along with caramel, toffee and vinous fruit balanced by burnt malt, oatmeal, roasted espresso bean and toast. There is so much going on here and even though the Wookey Jack is only a very small portion of the blend(4.5%), the spicy rye, roasted malt and complex hop profile of that beer really stand out, especially in the finish with dry bitterness, earthy pine and subtle citrus.
Overall, this beer is pretty exceptional and drinks way too smoothly for something of it’s complexity and strength. There are a lot of bold flavors bouncing off of one another but nothing seems to dominate. Something new is found in each sip and everything seems to go together perfectly. Finally, it’s hard to fathom that this beer is 13%. Drinkability is a term that gets loosely thrown around but this beer is truly dangerous. I don’t know how they did it but the blend they came up with expertly masks the high alcohol content. Sure, there is lots of alcohol flavor/sweetness but there’s hardly and heat with just a bit of warmth in the finish. I usually enjoy the FW anniversary beers over the course of an hour but I had to slow myself down with this one. Another exemplary barrel aged/blended beer from the crew at Firestone Walker.
3 oz bottle pour at ChurchKey. Dark brownish black with light tan head. Aromas of bourbon, dark fruit, dark chocolate. Tastes of coffee, bourbon, dark chocolate, caramel, subtle dark fruit. Medium-full body with a dry finish.
Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, caramelized malt and toffee is pretty singular and quite enticing. Taste is a super complex mix of an English barleywine with caramelized and toffee malt with light chocolate notes with some strong whiskey with woody and vanilla notes also noticeable. Body is full with medium carbonation and some warming alcohol notes. Quite an enjoyable treat to finish the night.
Bottle to glass. Pours a medium to deep brown color with a creamy light tan head. Aroma is bourbon, toffee, candied sugar, booze. Flavor is creamy bourbon toffee. Chewy, boozy. Very tasty.
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) this one is the most the most similar to the rest of the vertical, you do start tasting at ABV In this one, and a little deeper pour color.
650ml bottle. Almost clear brown with red notes and beige head. Malty aroma, caramel, chocolate, dark dried fruits, vanilla, wood, bourbon-like alcohol. Sweet and light bitter taste like aroma. Medium oily body with soft carbonation.
Bottle - small khaki color head, almost black color with a little Amber showing around the edges, strong alcohol, woody, bourbony aroma and flavor with some complexity, sweet malt backbone, fairly smooth finish, excellent overall
Rating number 700 thanks to Valgreen! Shared threeways in a train. Pours a dark, semi-clear, reddish brown with a medium sized, yellowish head. Aroma has english barley wine caramel malts, vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, oak, nice booze, coffee, slight roast, coco nut, filled chocolates. Taste is sweet with hints of roasty and hoppy bitterness, vanilla and a nice alcoholic finish. Full body and low carbonation.