Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin

This is our Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels and it just won the 2010 and 2011 Gold medal at the GABF for barrel aged beers!!! This beer goes into the barrels as a roasty dark chocolate, coffee accented mild mannered stout and comes out transformed as a milk chocolate, smooth dark cherry, vanilla and coconut infused masterpiece. We are incredibly proud of this beer and it seems as though it was always meant to be a barrel aged brew.

100% Oak Barrel Aged

604 reviews

Paso Robles, United States

Community reviews

3.8 Keg at BrewDog, Clapham, London in Nov 2019 - Black with zero head. Bourbon and vanilla in aroma and taste. Roast malty, vanilla, chocolate, sugar, toffee, bourbon barrel, oak, coffee, coconut, smooth, oaty. Berries and dried fruits, cherries, raisins. Sweet bourbon and vanilla roast chocolate malty berry fruity with coconut notes. Very good. Enjoyed this. (2019-11)

4.2 2018 bottle (7.8% ABV). Deceptively good, with a complexity that slowly develops as the pint warms. Starts with a solid dose of semisweet chocolate and bourbon, yet grows a decadent undertone full of coconut, caramel, and vanilla, underscored by plum and black cherry and roast. Finishes semisweet with veins of anise and oak. Absolutely delicious.

4.2 Third pint on draught at Brewdog Bar Clapham Junction. Very dark brown colour with tan head. Big dark roasted malts, big bourbon barrel, big vanilla, cocoa powder, vanilla beans, dark fruit, milk chocolate, brown sugar, molasses. So much bourbon and vanilla, awesome, if I had this blind I might have thought it had vanilla beans added, as far as I can tell it hasn't though. This honestly has more flavour and complexity than plenty of 12% imp stouts and is twice as drinkable.

5.0 massive bourbon flavour without the burn massive quality vanilla bean flavour, fantastic long finish lovely and sweet with very very little bitterness or the syrupy thick quality that often comes with high alcohol nuanced but also very drinkable. Milk and caramel

3.8 Darkish brown, just a thin head. Smells like it might be a bit tart. On the palate, lots of deep fruits and rich dark sugars. Good body. Nice stuff!

4.4 12oz bottle from Windsor Hy-Vee, vintage 2018, in a Sam Smith pint glass. Smells of barley malt, caramel, vanilla, marzipan, old wood, forest floor and herbal/vegetal hops. Pours oily black with one finger of fizzy black head that dissolves to a foamy thin cover in a couple of minutes, and produces a little bit of wet heavy lacing that slides down the glass. Malty, creamy and exquisitely mellow on entry, with chocolate and caramel mid-palate and a moderately long finish with roast and cream, and gentle warmth as the alcohol hits bottom. Medium- to full-bodied, and possibly the easiest drinking barrel-aged brew I've ever had. Just a little bit roasty-astringent at the end. Velvet is right, the single most defining quality of this one is its one-of-a-kind mellowness for a barrelled stout. The transition from one flavor note to the next is subtle and meandering, like a piece of fine art perfect in its own simplicity. There are no surprises here, but fireworks aren't the only things that impress. Very well made. Firestone Walker really knows what they're doing.

4.3 355 ml bottle in cardboard box, vintage 2017, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 8.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of roast malts, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and oak. Smooth flavour with the same elements, not too sweet, moderate hops. A very enjoyable beer.

4.0 Black september, Oluf Bagers Gade. Black with a lasting off-white head. Roasted aroma with lots of bourbon and oak. Sweet roasted flavour with chocolate and charcoal and bourbon/vanilla/oak

4.0 Bottle @ Black September, Oluf Bagers Gade. The Texas connection. Pours Black with a small White head. Super smooth and dry. Chocolate, coffee , licorice and Wood. Very dry. Pleasant

4.0 12 ounce 2014 bottle purchased at Archer Liquors By Midway in Chicago, IL Very good.

3.6 2 finger light beige head. Solid lacing. Pitch black beer. Aroma of roasted malts, bourbon, oak, raisins, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, lightly metallic and a hint of toffee. All in moderation though. Taste of mostly chewy roasted malts, off-brand coca cola and dark chocolate with espresso, charred oak and a touch of whisky chilling in the background. Faint hint of chili. Mouthfeel is velvety just like the name hints at. Nitro feel. Soft blanket of medium-low carbonation. Medium bitterness. Slightly sticky. A bit oily but with a distinct dry feel aswell. Overly passive. Overall: I tried to come in with a neutral attitude against this beer as I've heard both praise and critiscm but this beer must be the weakest link of the Firestone "component" beers. I've actually loved all of other releases and I think they're masterpieces but this one is a pretty run-of-the-mill(-with-some-spirit-character) Single Stout. Good, absolutely, but not worthy of any hype. Maybe that velvety body, but nothing else.

3.1 Helt okej, lite spritig smak. Smakar choklad och bourbon. Inte värd priset

3.4 Bottle@friend's place, from NYC, USA. 2016 batch. Medium, balanced nuances of dry dark fruits like fig and plum. Some oatmeal rounds other nuances. Some bourbon on the background. Medium/strong body with low carbonation. Overall, oatmeal's good and bad sides. Nicely subtle bourbon touch. 7 3 7 4 13

4.0 Flaska från SB, vintage 2017. Brunsvart med tät och krämig khaki-färgad krona som lämnar gardiner längs sidorna. Doftar en salig blandning av svarta vinbär, friskt fruktiga toner, torkad frukt, läder, kola, bourbon, kokos och kaffesump. Lätt till mellanstor kropp med kraftig fatkaraktär. Smak och kropp rejält tämjd utav fatlagring med ek, massor av tanniner, torr och sträv beska, askkopp, gammal kaffesump, kola, kandisocker och rökta plommon. Choklad och bourbon i eftersmaken. Gott och som vanligt en mästerlig fatlagring från FW, men kanske blir lite väl åtstramad för den här storleken på stout. Blir kanske lite väl rått efter ett tag.

3.8 Keg at Innis and Gunn. Creamy coffee aroma and flavour. Fairly simple but bloody good

3.8 Bottle 2017. Deep brown color, light brown head. Rich malty nose, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, licorice, dark bread, coffee, smoked notes, hint of alcohol. Sweet malty taste with caramel and brown sugar, roasted, oak, bourbon. Medium to full body, soft carbonation, smooth texture. 8, 4, 7, 4, 15

3.8 On tap @ beavertown 2017. The aroma has chocolate, bourbon. Black coloured beer with a thin, off-white head. The taste is relative light for this kind of beer, has bourbon, chocolate, roast, oak. Nice one.

4.3 0,35l bottle. Pours black with light beige head. Aroma of oak, bourbon, roast, chocolate, vanilla, oats. Taste is vanilla, chocolate, roast, bourbon in the back, sweet, oats, has a certain rum/molasses sweetness to it. Fantastic stuff.

3.9 Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Stout - Oatmeal 748416 Lukt: Kaffe, bek, lakris, sjokolade, vanilje, frukter. Utseende: Sort. Skum/kullsyre: Dekkende skum. Smak: Kaffe, karamell, sjokolade, vanilje. Hvor: Tasting kveld hos Untappd Geir. Medium: Flaske@330ml, ABV@8,5%, Når@29.05.2019

3.9 2019/05/19 - Pours dark brown with a foamy, light tan head that quickly reduces and leaves no lacing. Aroma is toasted malt, treacle, chocolate, vanilla, oatmeal, oak and light bourbon. Taste is treacle, chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, oak, light bourbon and hints of raisin. Mouthfeel is medium and silky with smooth carbonation and a sweet, toasty, lightly warming finish

3.7 Bottle at home. Vintage 2017. The colour is dark brown to black with a creamy, beige head. Aroma of chocolate, soy sauce, bourbon, nougat and vanilla. A little careful. Flavour of dark chocolate, roasted malt, ash, bourbon and coffee beans. Has a soft mouth feel, full-bodied and a light bitterness. "Velvet" describes this beer perfectly and has a nice roasted flavour with a smooth touch of chocolate.

3.9 2017 Vintage in porter glass. Pours dark brown w/light tan head that faded. Rich malty aroma of choc, vanilla, molasses, cherry. Smooth creamy sweetness blends into faintly bitter finish subdued by the aging.

4.3 AR: Kaffee, Bourbon, Vanille, Milchschokolade AP: klares schwarz TA: Kaffee Bourbon, Vanille

4.0 It pours very dark brown with a tan head. Head retention is moderately low. There are roasted aromas with some light bourbon and oatmeal. The bourbon is more prominent with roast and coffee in the flavor. There is also a certain cream like flavor that is a bit sugary. There are moderate vanilla flavors in support with some dark fruits that are low. It has a medium full body and a creamy texture. The carbonation is moderately high. Overall, an excellent oatmeal stout with plenty of flavors working together and good balance.

4.3 2018 vintage 12-ounce bottle pours dark brown with auburn highlights and a tiny spritz of tan head and residual lacing. Aroma: faint chocolate and vanilla beans. Flavor: malt-forward with molasses, chocolate-covered cherries, brown sugar, caramel and toffee, followed by coffee, vanilla, nuts, coconut, dark dried fruits, some wooden char, bourbon, creamy oatmeal. Mouthfeel: full-bodied, silky smooth on palette yet with a slightly dry finish.

3.4 Pours a thin black with receding tan head. Aromas of chocolate and coffee and roast....don't get a lot of barrel. This was thin...I expected a fuller mouth feel. Good...not great.

4.3 (October 6, 2022: Bottle, 2018, No. 006) Opaque black body with a small tan head that reduces to an even cap and leaves a fine, even coat of lace. Aroma of molasses, bourbon, and oak; vanilla; light roast coffee, coconut. Medium to full bodied; soft, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor is medium sweet and mildly bitter; vanilla, oak, bourbon, coconut, floral honey; nutty. (9/4/8/4/17=4.2) (March 15, 2019: Bottle, 2018, No. 006) Opaque black body with a small tan head that leaves a fine, even coat of lace. Aroma of molasses and oak; vanilla; dark roasted coffee. Medium to full bodied; soft, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor is medium sweet and mildly bitter; vanilla, oak, floral honey; nutty. (8/4/9/4/17=4.2)

4.2 2017 bottle. Deep brown to black, decent head of beige head. Aroma: gentle barrel, vanilla, roast, chocolate, dried fruit. Medium body. Taste: not sweet at all in fact, complex, moderate tannins and vanilla, black tea. Light bitterness. Nice balance. High class

4.0 Bottle pour. Deep dark brown. Aromas of chocolate and hazelnut. Flavors of brown sugar, hazelnut, and chocolate and truffles. Very smooth with the oatmeal taking a big role in balancing this out.

4.1 Hazelnut taste and bit of chocolate. Not much oatmeal, but nice and smooth