Firestone Walker Sucaba

Big boozy bourbon and American oak aromas combined with soft chocolate malty undertones. Complex malt flavors framed in oak, with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coconut and just a touch of dark cherry. This is definitely a sipping beer, best served in a brandy snifter. This ale pairs well with dark chocolate and sturdy cheeses.

Note: Sucaba is the beer formerly known as Abacus until the Winter 2012 release.

4.1

1012 reviews

Paso Robles, United States

Community reviews

4.3 35.5cl fles. Troebel bruin kleur, fijne licht bruine schuimkraag. De geur is whisky en karamel. Smaak is zoet, kersen, whisky en vanille. Vol body en veel koolzuur.

4.0 Bottle. Clear deep ruby color with beige head. Aroma is raisins, wood, vanilla, oak, rather bitter. Taste is the same, very raisiny, thick vanilla. Oily mouthfeel with low carbonation. Great Barleywine!

4.0 From a 355ml bottle on 20/12/2020 (2018 vintage, ABV listed as 12.5%, IBU, bottle baring number 007 - very Bond!). Pours a deep deep brown with a medium to big head. Has a distinctive, nose featuring Christmas cake, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, nutmeg, along with some quite strong and persistent oak and whisky notes. Tastes of dark chocolate and dark and dried fruit, caramel, toffee and fudge, with a modest to medium barrel aged booziness at the back. The mouthfeel is syrupy, the carbonation softish. Rich, complex and highly enjoyable, but not sufficiently inspiring to justify a revisit at around $25 a bottle.

4.2 Bottle, vintage 2018. Color: Dark amber to copper, very thin beige head. Aroma: Sweet, Bourbon, vanilla, toffee, dark dried fruit, hints of red fruit. Taste: Sirupy, dark dried fruit, dark cherries, sweet and sticky, malty, Bourbon, vanilla, toffee, chocolate and oak wood. Hints of coconut, nuts and citrus fruit. Some more lemon and orange zest when standing longer. Over medium sweet, moderate going to over moderate bitterness. Long lasting sticky and woody finish. Full body, below average carbonation. Quite sweet but very complex and well balanced. Nice winter warmer, slow sipping.

4.1 2018 vintage bottle @ Dennis and Patries. Clear dark amber with a small off-white head. Caramel and bourbon aroma with some vanilla. Sweet taste with a complex medium bitter boozy finish. Nice one.

3.8 Flaska, årgång 2018. Brunfärgad med röda inslag, ett medelstort beige skum. Dofter och smaker av vanilj, karamell, körsbärslikör, mörk choklad och trä. Alkoholen känns främst i eftersmaken. Oljig munkänsla. Medel mot stor kropp.

4.0 13.11.2020: 650 ml bottle at home, 13.5% ABV, vintage 2014, bought at bierlager.ch. Pours a hazy dark amber to copper with an unstable light beige head. The aroma is malty with sweet malt, toffee, dark rye bread, toasted bread, honey, almonds, raisins, dates, sweet Bourbon, vanilla and sweet oak. Full body with a very soft carbonation, a medium-heavy sweetness and a light to medium bitterness. The flavor starts with quiet some sweet malt, brown sugar, honey, caramel, wood, oak, Bourbon, candied nuts and Bourbon soak raisins. Finishes with some residual malty sweetness, honey, sweet and lightly spicy Bourbon, vanilla, some wood, some woody tartness and some alcohol. Overall a big and sweet Barley Wine with a good malt complexity and distinct notes of Bourbon and lots of wood in the flavor. The wood becomes a bit too dominant towards the finish. Aroma: 8 Appearance: 4 Taste: 8 Palate: 4 Overall: 16

4.1 750 ml bottle "12 Vintage 11/1/20 (Binny's) 38° in Snifter. Pours brown with a small tan head and an aroma of dark fruit, caramel, and toffee. Taste of the same with a lot more sweetness and a little heat on the back end. This full bodied brew has held up fairly well over time and is well balnced and hits the spot on a chilly night.

4.3 Dark Amber with small head. Malty rich als ripe dry fruits on the nose. Taste is strong, raisins, malts and some figs. Palate fresh with strong notes and dried figs and almost dates.

4.0 On tap at Oh Craft. Pours dark brown. Raisin, plum, caramel, brandy, vanilla, toffee. Oily body. Good.

3.6 Bottle. Vanilla, caramel, coconut, walnuts, cherries. Thick and oily though not overly sweet, with a tannic, light boozy finish. Excellent.

4.2 Bottle @ Fox & Hounds, Sønderborg, on Øllets Dag 2020. Pours hazy dark reddish copper brown with airy beige head. Clear aroma of BW yeast, malt and fruit, with mild leafy touches. Bitter, hoppy flavour with dusty touches and sweetish notes of fruit, yeast and malt. Rough, dusty and estery aftertaste with malty and leafy touches. Warming alcohol presence. Very well balanced and tasty. Good stuff.

4.1 18-07-20 // taster at 7th anniversary of Mon Petit Cafe in Suttgart. 2019 bottle. A classic and a lovely Barleywine. Thick rich sweetness and complex aromas of ripe fruits and sweet malts.

4.1 2019 Vintage. Ruddy, light brown liquid with a small, fairly quick lived light tan head. Full aromas, with deep malt (pale, caramel, to light roast), dark fruit, dark chocolate, oak, and vanilla. Alcohol less present than stated. Slightly warming. Flavors match well with the aromas. Fairly sweet from the start which is slightly balanced by the alcohol and wood. I would perhaps like a bit more hops bittering to balance the "sugariness". Full and mouth coating feel. A fine end of the evening brew.

3.8 Vintage (10 year old) bottle shared by alexsdad06 pour hazy mahagony with Ruby tint, no head. Nose candied apple, caramel, raisin. Taste moderate to strong bitter up front still, candied fig, caramel, hint of apple.

4.2 Iz MAS Plenuma Rijeka.. Miris , bačva Whiskeya ... Okus , ko da si pao u bačvu Whiskeya , i nagutao se ... ..plus malo suhog voća , karamele... ..odličan teškaš :) ...bomba

3.9 2012 vintage. A dark reddish barley wine with a thin brown head. In aroma, sweet caramel malt with vinous notes, dark fruits, licorice, alcohol warmth, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet caramel malt with dark fruits, vinous character, vanilla, alcohol warmth, very nice and complex.

4.3 Mellow, smooth.

4.1 Bottle shared with JFE, BG and AE at Vaaland Bryghuus 19.04.20. Dark mahogany Som brown head. Aroma and taste of American oak, vanilla, prunes, dates and some bitterness. Very good!

4.4 Dark red/brown, small brown head.Plum, vanilla, christmas cake. Overwhelming oak taste.

4.1 650ml bottle @ home. 2014 Vintage, cellared for 6 years. Pours a hazy medium brown colour with a small beige head. Nose is caramel, dark fruits, bourbon barrels, and brown sugar. Flavour is smooth caramel with a bourbon kick, as it warms dark fruits come through with a brown sugar character. Medium bodied, good carbonation, and moderately high sweetness with a warming abv mouthfeel character. Nicely balanced, not cloying nor a boozy bomb.

4.1 2019 Vintage, 12 oz. bottle. Ar: Nutty, dark cherry, strawberry; a bit of nougat, wood; vanilla and caramel, a bit of ash. Ap: Reddish-brown and opaque; small tan head with low retention, settling into a ring of small-and-medium bubbles and some hazy covering. T: Deep toasted malt, sweet; vanilla, charred wood; low bitterness, slightly astringent; toffee and nougat; plum and biscuit; warming alcohol but very clean; vinous; finish is more wood, vanilla, and a little butterscotch. M: Full bodied with medium carbonation, finish is medium-dry. O: A big, robust barleywine; great barrel flavor, complex malt, and exceptionally clean despite the size and warmth.

4.1 Bottle pour, dark brown color. Strong wine and bourbon aromas. Strong notes of molasses, brown bread and tawny port. Nice barleywine, not overpowering.

4.0 4 oz. pour on tap at Boneyard Bistro (2014 vintage). Appearance is cloudy, dark amber-brown with no sparkle, thin ring of beige head and no lacing. Aroma is sweet caramel malts, bourbon background. Taste is sweet caramel malt with bourbon support. Mouthfeel is medium side of light-to-medium bodied with smooth, creamy texture, soft carbonation, mild pleasant alcohol warmth and finish as taste. Overall, a nice, rich sipper of caramel malt with great complementary bourbon barrel aging. Smooth and enjoyable though I didn't get all the layers of complexity.

4.2 Bottle 355ml at home. From Systembolaget. 2018 vintage. Pours brown with tan head. Aroma and taste have strong bourbon, vanilla, burnt sugar, wood, caramel, chocolaye, alcohol, dried fruits. Full body, oily texture, average carbonation, sweet finish with warming alcohol.

4.1 Flaska från SB. En brunröd öl med ett lättare smutsvitt skum. Doft och smak av karamell, trä, vanilj, torkad frukt, choklad, lättare kryddighet och en avslutande alkoholsötma.

4.1 Copper colour. Raisins, plums, toasted malts, cane sugar, boozy. Slow sipper.

4.6 2019 vintage. Pours a dark copper color; small head; pleasant aroma with fruity, woodsy overtones. Heavy cherry flavor. Mild on the palate and throat. This is an atypical ale with a flavor that will appeal to the aficionado. Best enjoyed with cheeses and good friends.

4.0 Mørk brun med offwhite skum. Lukter svisker, brent malt og karamell. Fyldig. Søt alkohol i smak. Trevirke, svisker og stenfrukt. Middels lang

3.9 Tap @ Skaal, Copenhagen. Pours a murky brown colour beer with a smal head. Complex beer with notes of bourbon, wood, dried fruits , chocolate and coffee. Dry finish.