Firestone Walker Helldorado
An Imperial Blonde Ale or Blonde Barley Wine; Helldorado has the lightest color of any of the beers in our barrel program but carries a great deal of interesting barrel character: vanilla, light char and amazing lavender-honey notes. Rich boozy honey liqueur character and loads of smooth sweet toasted malt to finish. The El Dorado hops dance in the background without playing a dominant role in the flavor profile. This beer gets better and better the longer it is in barrel.
3.9
349 reviews
Paso Robles, United States
Community reviews
2 finger solid off-white head. Some lacing sticking around the glass.
Semi-clear, very light ruby to deep amber coloured beer.
Aroma of butter, honeyed white floral notes, vanilla, acidic toffee, yellow raisins and figs.
Taste of thin ethanol, buttery vanilla, white florals, hint of honey, deeply soaked (funky) wood, leather and a nutty finish. Hmmm...
Mouthfeel is nice and plump in terms of body but has a very light landing which boosts the drinkability quite a bit. Medium-low bitterness. Low carbonation. Sticky. Oily finish. Very suitable levels of sweetness, on the lower side compared to the norm.
Overall: I expect greatness from Firestone's barrel series and rightfully so because they are usually world class. This is the lowest point for me yet. Not a bad beer but I found it way too wussy. Like a watered down bourbon or flavoured vodka. Considering I've been waiting since 2017 to drink this I really expected more.
Smells sweet, rich and boozy. Pretty dark golden color. Tastes honey-like and rich with a slightly hoppy finish. This bottle is from 2017; perhaps it would have been hoppier fresh. Nice oily palate. I really liked this.
It poured a clear orange color with a white head. The aroma was of dried fruits, citrus and caramel. The taste was similar to the aroma with more dried fruits, citrus, caramel, bourbon, alcohol with medium carbonation and a nice chewy aftertaste. Tasty.
December 31st, 2015 - My last beer of 2015 is Firestone Walker's Helldorado, and it's a proper send off. Flexing it's muscles right from the start, it smells like carrots and salads mixed together with a huge alcoholic and boozy nose. But the flavor is stickier and sweeter, while still featuring that blinding alcohol note. I then catch flavors of ginger cookie, carrot cake, orange frosting, and a long burn that settles into a orange liqueur glow. It's rough and tough, and could probably stand a year or two more in time out before coming out to play again.
Gold pour, white head. Butterscotch, caramel, some chocolate and oak and smoke. Damn.
Pours lightly hazy amber with a white head. Aroma is dried fruit, bourbon and caramel. Taste is caramel and plum, moving to light hops and wood. Finish is bourbon and caramel.
Schmeckt nach Gerste, Richtung Whisky
Bottle @ Oluf Bagers Black September, Ratebeer Odense. Pours Golden with a White head. Vanilla, caramel, Wood. Full bodied. Warming.
Black september, Oluf Bagers Gade. Hazy golden with a small white head. Malty aroma with honey and flowers. Sweet malty flavour with a sharp alcohol, but overall really pleasant.
Ausgezeichnete Serie, ausgezeichnetes Bier. Optisch golden, in der Nase Honig, Bourbon. Im Trunk mit angenehm runder Süße, feinalkoholisch, Honig, Bourbon, leicht nussig, Ahornsirup, Keksteig. Megalecker, gefährlich gut trinkbar.
On keg at 6DN.
Appearance -
Nose - lush honey. Cola and ginger notes from the barrel.
Taste - more of the barrel influence, wood spice and rum. More honey, marmalade, etc.
Palate - rich and full bodied. Boozy, but somehow the wood seems to dry it out enough to give it great balance.
Overall - a lovely beer liqueur.
355ml bottle from Bucket Boys 12.8% ABV
Pale golden body, firm white head.
Oak dominant sort of nose - heaps of coconut, toast, pencil shavings, vanilla, nutmeg spice with pale caramel, touch of booze.
Body is full without being huge, Oak adds a big hit of drying tannin, lingering in the finish with boozy warmth apparent
Once again, barrel character is the main stay here in the palate, I'm guessing Bourbon? Vanilla, toasted coconut, caramel, wooden spice, get some pale biscuity Malt in the mix, slight bitterness, fair booze.
Not blown away by this - very solid but barrel overpowers the body/malt - if there was more/darker malt in the mix, that could make the difference
Flaska från SB. Vintage 2017. Ljus med stort fint skum. Söta maltiga smaker med toner av honung, knäck och söta torkade frukter. Första blonda barleywinet jag testar och jag blev inte besviken. Är den värd stålarna? Njae...fin kartong att spara på dock!
Really good stuff. Aroma and flavors of sweet malt with a good hoppy presence and boozy. Beautiful color and feel.
Flaska från SB. Fin doft med vanilj, bourbon, honung, kolaremmar, ek, ek och ek. Väl mycket ek men annars en snygg ljus bw med fina honung och fattoner.
Goudblond bier met fijne parelende witte schuimkraag. Vanille, witte druif, eik, beetje honing. Mooi uitgebalanceerd bier, nergens té. Licht warmende afdronk, tinteling op het tandvlees. Perfecte barrel aging. Subliem bier.
Bottle@Lennart's Summer Tasting, Malmö (30/06/2018) 2017 vintage - golden amber coloured pour with a white head. Sweet and light toasted malty with some toffee and caramel sweetness, honey, some vanilla and oak accents into the sweet warming finish.
Flaska från SB. Fin doft med vanilj, bourbon, honung, kolaremmar, ek, ek och ek. Väl mycket ek men annars en snygg ljus bw med fina honung och fattoner.
Not sure of the vintage, crowler, 12.5% ABV, poured into a large stem goblet/snifter style glass. Golden, which in a certain light is on the verge of amber. Booze is front and center in the nose and on the palate. Robust body, and polished wood flavored in a good way. I cannot pinpoint much else exactly, except to emphasize that it does have heat.
355ml bottle. Slightly cloudy, amber colour with small to average, fluffy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, white head. Malty aroma with hints of almond and marzipan, hints of BA like oak, vanilla, leather. Taste is initially minimally sweet pale malty with a touch of honey, late development of BA notes, lots of vanilla, hints of oak, cedar, cigar box, further (forest) honey support in the last third; slightly warming, alcoholic finish. Full body, smooth and soft palate,
zeer licht gouden met witte kraag. aroma van graan, zoet, zacht, alcohol, bourbon, mout, smaken zijn zacht, alcohol, erg smooth, redelijk zoet, vanille, hout, honing, toffee, gekarameliseerde suiker, bourbon, matige tot redelijke body, iets dun qua textuur, prima
Smell of caramel hits you immediately, a bit of hops in the aroma as well. Taste is heavy and sweet, I get vanilla and maybe a touch of dried fruit, some hop bitterness lingering in the background adds a pleasant balance. Warming sensation from the alcohol after each sip. Excellent.
Bottle 355ml at home. 2017 vintage. From Systembolaget. Clear golden orange, off white head. Aroma and flavor have vanilla, oak barrel, caramel, burnt toffee, honey. Full body, oily texture, sweet finish with warming alcohol.
8/3/9/4/18 SuperSweety HoneyWineStyle.. nicht unbedingt zum Frühstück geeignet ;).. toffee, booze & likörfeel🐗 die Übergänge verschwimmen🦄 Met, Braggot,Mead??? Who knows 🙂 BevMo Stuff...Sacramento...Vernaschung der 2017er 355ml Buddel auf dem WILD HORSE CAMPGROUND near the GORGE :)...
Tap @ Odd Culture during RateBeer function. Pours an usual amber with good clarity. Heady aromas of oak, vanilla, leather, caramel and a touch of marzipan. Big flavours, full of oak, sweet vanilla and caramel, but kept in control by a decent level of hops.
Beautiful barleywine. Caramel, vanilla, various other usual suspects and so smooth.
Brandy on the nose, slightly off putting but if you can get past it the taste is memorable! Imagine butter menthols soaked in alcohol then finished with Christmas toffee. Amber colour, lingering flavour that dries in your mouth. Rate it.
On tap. Pours deep amber colour with a head that quickly dissipates. Burnt toffee on the nose and a boozy but well-integrated.
Smells like brandy. Tastes sweet but extremely boozy. Not your average light hearted beer.
Booooooozzzzzyyyyy.....this beer will punch in the face then when it says sorry, kick you in the nuts. Booze and barrel is all I taste.