Firestone Walker Opal
Our interpretation of the rustic Wallonian Saison style is a harmonious blend of rustic grains, spicy yeast and unique sauvignon blanc tones. Inviting lemon grass and gooseberry meet peppery spice and fresh grain aromas. Spicy Belgian yeast create a complex yet dry and refreshing canvas with splashes of citrus and stone fruit with a bright tropical white wine finish. Hop bitterness is assertive yet harmonious rounding out slightly tart and refreshing.
3.7
503 reviews
Paso Robles, United States
Community reviews
Scent is winery grape vine like and citrus hops. Very pale yellow. Taste is hoppy, a touch of yeast and crisp for a saison. Clean mouth feel with a bit of residual sugar in the back. Almost sparkling. Tap
Firestone Walker Opal Farmhouse Ale 7.5%
This beer’s been discontinued but is still available in Japan at the moment so now’s your chance to try it before it’s gone. Afterwards it’ll only be available at the taproom I’ve heard.
A beautiful crystal clear gold with a thick soapy head foam that leaves a film coating the surface. The aroma is sweet, tutti-frutti candyish, wheat and a touch of barnyard funk.
Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel and a dry finish. The taste is wonderfully crisp, wheat, tutti-frutti, funky barnyard but wonderfully balanced. Man this is a smooth saison, definitely pick it up while you can.
Cloudy, pale golden pour with persistent, fine white foam. Strong, rich yeasty nose right away with some piney hops in the background. Crisp texture and light body with active fizz. It’s slightly slick toward the end. Phenol yeast and a touch of mineral water. The hop bitterness gives it the dry white wine finish the description suggests. It delivers a good complex flavor, but in the end it is still a little too much like an IPA. At the same time, I think IPA fans would really enjoy this saison. The yeast and spice up front are sharp but there is an enjoyable hop finish.
Aroma is tart , citrus, lemongrass and earthiness. Sweet light honey and sugar , light funk and slight earthiness . Some orange that pairs well with citrus. The hop profile is sweet and well balanced. Not too bitter and refreshing. Appearance is a hazy gold with a medium fluffy head that retains well.
Shook up so almost all head. Cloudy pale yellow. Weak aroma, citrus and straw. Taste is hay, lemon, grapefruit. Light bodied.
Pours hazy yellow white, good sized white head. Aroma is yeasty, spicey, cloves, hints of banana and soft fruit. Taste is grainy, some tang, lemon, pepper. Medium mouthfeel, smooth.
Light golden under a thick foamy white head. Big funky nose of white wine, earthy Belgian esters, black pepper, leafy grassy hops, lemon rind, and a kiss of stone fruit. Smooth and mellow flavor that has that lemon and grassy tones from the nose with an added bit of dusty Belgian ester, light white wine (probably from hops I’d imagine) and a cool mellow saison finish. Really damn pleasant.
Bottle to tulip
Consummation: Wheaty, spicy, citrusy, yeasty, and vinous.
Adjunct: Hazy, translucent greenish yellow with a thin frothy white head; pepper, lemon, light malt, and a bit sweet
Appearance: slightly hazy straw with two fingers of rocky light ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus zest, white grape must, hay, white pepper, light barnyardy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter and peppery spice, light funk. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter and lightly funky finish. (4/5)
A nice Saison, even if it is really too high in ABV to be considered “in-spec.” And it’s a touch sweet, but all in all, it’s pretty decent. Light, clean, and pleasant to drink. I wouldn’t serve it too cold, though - straight out of the fridge, this would be pretty mild, maybe to the point of blandness, but it opens up nicely as it warms. Then the 7.5% ABV comes along and whacks you in the back of the head with a baseball bat. So, all good, right? (16/20)
650 ml bottle. Slightly hazed golden pour, few fingers of fluffy white head. Great retention, Good lacing. Spicy and floral yeast notes and doughy malt in the aroma. Slightly spicy taste (fair bit of pepper) leads into a light tart finish, nicely balanced by moderate to strong hop bitterness.
650ml bottle pours a slightly hazy golden color with a finger of white head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is lemon with some wine grapes and yeast notes. Taste is a light lemon tartness with a fruity and malty sweetness finishing with some yeast and peppery notes. Light to medium bodied with adequate carbonation. Overall, a little sweet for the style, but still a very inviting brew that must be sampled. Recommended.
Quite enjoyable. Snowy white head. Body is very clear. Less carbonation than other saisons. Straw aroma. Grapefruit flavors with an alcohol presence.
Flowery Belgian aroma with an earthy yeast body. Has a roasty barnyard finish.
Bomber. Pours a clear golden straw with a short lived white head. Aroma is wheat, lemon, oldish. Flavor is grapefruit, lemon, oldish and dusty. Finish is lemon, grapefruit, vanilla, peach and pear. Lingering oldish, lemon. Light to medium body, average carbonation.
On tap at Mikkelers (San Francisco). Pours honey blond with long lasting white head. Some lacing. Aroma is moslty about hops, spices and yeasts. Taste features some grains and honey. Fresh and pleasant bitterness. Smooth texture. Some carbonation. Excellent dry hopped saison
Bottled 1/8/16, this 26 oz. Farmhouse Saison has a sweet grass nose with bright / crisp mouthfeel and earthy/grassy with very slight dry wine tones on front pallet. Finishes dry & crisp with a nice bitterness from the hops. Sip & enjoy this one slowly to appreciate its complexity.
Alright, time to take a break from all these fantastic Firestone hoppy beers and turn from the California coast to the Belgian countryside. This change in scenery brings a golden pour with a creamy layer of foam. Spicy, floral, earthy, fruity, and bready smells from the glass. Strikingly complex taste profile: funk, lemon, peach, clove, black pepper, and candy-like malt. The mouthfeel is bright, lively, tart, and quite dry. Apparently, Firestone Walker is just as competent with Belgian-style ale as it is with English-inspired beer.
Now here is where they took a traditional beer, kept the significant parts of it and improved on some others. An amazing combination of old and new. There are the old yeasty, slightly tart, pungent flavors and aromas that are upgraded with the hops that have not degraded in the least. Splendid! Incredibly drinkable. Wish I could get lots more.
Bottle from Tanakaya. Pours a clear gold with a finger of foam that dissipates fairly quickly. The nose is fantastically complex with good saison yeast character alongside pineapple and lemon. As it warms up the NZ hops shine through with tons of weed and stone fruit as the yeast takes a backseat. Spicy peppery yeast on the palate with some light lemon and dankiness. A slight bit of booze is noticeable mid-palate but the peppery finish covers it up. A slow burner for sure.
Bottled 03/05/16. Poured into tulip a yellow-gold, thin dish soapy head. Overtly Belgian yeast aroma, a citrus burst, pepper and light funk. Yeast forward with lemongrass on the palate, white wine tinged, and a lasting peppery finish. Dry and slightly tangy, refreshing and seasonable in feel with the wine note reminding you its 7.5 abv. The citrus is tart, the pepper is almost overdone, but it all comes together well.
04/16/16 - bottling date.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a semi-hazy crisp burnt colored yellow. Rimmed finger’s worth of lacing appears after the head dissipates.
The smell starts off with Belgian sweet yeasty to some light Belgian sugars. Sweet grass, light citrus, white pepper and some black pepper. Runs together into the aftertaste and gives off a semi-dry finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sessionable feel to it. Carbonation runs fairly light. Some yeasty stickiness hits but isn’t cloying.
Overall, an absolutely wonderful saison, boom! Just glad Firestone Walker is in Vermont. I’d definitely have again.
Keyaki. Cloves, boozy, bit fruity. Not very exciting. Worst of the tasting set. Seems I didn’t quite get these beers.
Draught at Keyaki. Decently fruity, light floral notes, sweet honey, lemon, pepper, almost too smooth on the finish. Decent brew but not overly impressed, I guess I like saisons a bit more funky and earthy.
ドライホップセゾン
ホップが爽やか、ちょっと爽やか甘め
Golden color. Frothy white head. Oranges, cracked pepper. Perfume nose. Medium full body. Drunks dry cracked pepper and Brett finish.
22oz bottle 5/9/16 (Jewel-Osco Clearance Rack)-42° in Tulip-Pours a cloudy yellow with a nice whitehead. Aroma of spices, yeast, lemon, and grains. Taste of the same with a bit of bitterness and pepper. This light bodied brew is well balanced and quite tasty.
Some funk, a bit of citrus, a slight spiciness, and some hop bitterness. Decent saison, certainly worth buying again.
Bottled. Pours cloudy yellow. Thick white foam. Has a light palate with spicy lemon taste. A little sweet taste.
Tap at the brewery in Paso. Cloudy, light head and lace. Very clean with fruit lift. Classic profile but lacking complexity. No funk. Commercial. Sweet, clean palate with low bitterness.
This type of beer might help convert the masses to Farmhouse rather than Pale Ales and the like.
Lightly hazed, straw to light golden color. Nucleated glass, so a rather larger flow of bigger bubbles maintaining a fluffy white head. Aromas of tropical fruit and spices. Hints of pale to lightly toasted malt. Still the main scents are mango and white pepper. Sweet flavors. More a Belgian strong than a saison, but I do like it. Candi, mango, peaches, cream, clover honey. Too much like an unoaked white wine. Tasty and sweet without a lot of depth. I know a few women like that. 4/14