Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker XVII: The 2014 Blend

Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s Anniversary Ale is wildly popular among beer fans. If you ask me, it’s because the brewery pays extremely close attention to the blending process.

Firestone Walker XVIII is a barrel aged blend of nine different beers, blended by Continue Reading →

Posted in Don't Miss This, Firestone Walker Brewing, Seasonal Return

Firestone Sucaba Revealed to Be Blended with Secret Beer

Firestone Walker Brewing (Paso Robles, CA) will release Sucaba, the brewery’s barrel aged barleywine again on January 17th, 2015. You knew it once as Abacus, but they can’t say that anymore. (It’s legal crap. Last time we will bring it up. Everyone has moved on.)

Interestingly, Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson reveals something about Sucaba that has been a bit of a secret. It is actually a blend of two beers. The base beer indeed Sucaba, but a second strong beer, a 10% beer, is blended to give the final concoction the chocolate-y, dark cherry notes.

“We’ve never talked about it, but §ucaba is actually a blend of two separate beers,” Brynildson said.

Firestone Walker Sucaba is part of the brewery’s Proprietor’s Reserve Series, available in 22oz bombers. ERP: $16.99

Style: Barleywine (Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Hops: Magnum (bittering), East Kent and Styrian Golding (late kettle)
Malts: Pale Ale Malt, Maris Otter, Munich, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate

Availability: 22oz bombers, Individually Boxed. 3500 cases produced.
Arrival: 1/17/15

13% ABV, 42 IBUs 

Post updated with 2015 details. Image via Firestone Walker.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Firestone Walker Brewing, New Releases

Firestone Walker Winter Bundle Features Velvet Mocha Merlin

Firestone Walker is now shipping a four bottle bundle that contains Velvet Mocha Merlin. The beer is seasonal offering Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout infused with Intelligentsia espresso beans and cocoa nibs.

All of the smooth textures and roasty dark chocolate goodness of our seasonal Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout with the added infusion of Intelligentsia Coffee House aromas and cocoa dusted chocolate truffle flavors.

Firestone Walker Velvet Mocha Merlin is only available in the Winter Bundle pack.

Style: Oatmeal Stout (w/ Coffee, Cocoa Nibs)
Hops: Fuggle
Malts: Maris Otter, 2-Row Pale, Roast Barley, English Dark Caramel, Medium Caramel, Carafa Malt, Oats

Availability: 22oz Bottles. Winter Bundle Only. Draft, Limited
Release: November, 2014

5.5% ABV, 27 IBUs

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Firestone Walker Brewing, Headlines

Firestone Walker XVII: The 2014 Blend

Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s Anniversary Ale is wildly popular among beer fans. If you ask me, it’s because the brewery pays extremely close attention to the blending process.

Firestone Walker XVIII is a barrel aged blend of nine different beers, blended by not only the brewery, but 14 winemakers. The group is paired off, each making their own blends from the component beers. The choice blends are presented to the group to be blind tasted. Most votes becomes Firestone Walker Anniversary Ale.

The final blend (what you’re waiting to see) includes two collaboration beers Firestone Walker created with Three Floyds (Ol’ Leghorn) and Flying Dog (Hydra Cuvée).

Firestone Walker XVII is: 

  • Parabola  – Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout, aged in Bourbon Barrels. 38% of Final Blend
  • Helldorado – Blonde Barleywine, Aged in bourbon and brandy Barrels. 16% of Final Blend
  • Bravo – Imperial Brown Ale, aged in bourbon & brandy barrels. 16% of Final Blend
  • Stickee Monkee  – Quadrupel, aged in bourbon & Whiskey Barrels. 14% of Final Blend
  • Velvet Merkin – Oatmeal stout, aged in bourbon barrels. 5% of Final Blend
  • Hydra Cuvée – Hoppy Dark Ale, collaboration with Flying Dog, aged bourbon barrels. 4% of Final Blend.
  • Wookey Jack – Black Rye IPA. 3% of Final Blend
  • Ol’ Leghorn – Blonde Barleywine aged in American Oak Barrels. 3 Floyds collaboration. 2% of Final Blend
  • Double Jack – Imperial IPA. 2% of Final Blend

Firestone Walker is a blend of 227 barrels, and 9 different beers. XVII will be available in 227 barrels, and will be available in 22oz bombers.

Style: American Strong Ale (Barrel Aged. Bourbon, Whiskey, Brandy.)
Availability: 22oz Bombers. Limited Distribution.
Arrival: November, 2014

13% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker El Gourdo Coming to Barrelworks

Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks will release El Gourdo in November, 2013. The beer got its start last year, when a local pumpkin patch ask the brewery to take in orphaned Cinderella pumpkins.

The pumpkins were fire roasted with bay leaf and walnuts, in an oven fueled by brandy and white oak staves. 500 pounds of the roasted pumpkins were added to the base beer blend to ferment and oak age for nearly a year.

…The resulting beer is subtle yet firm. Roasting releases naturally sweet spicy pumpkin, brown sugar, and nutty flavors and aromas, which mingle nicely with an earthy funk, toasted oak and assertive acidity.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Pumpkin, Walnuts, Bay Leaf. Oak Aged)
Availability: 375ml Bottles, Draft. Limited
Arrival: November, 2014

5.8% ABV, 5 IBUs

The blending components below…

012 Lil Mikkel                 Saison                                 66%        24 months                             French & American Oak

2013 Agrestic Ale              American Wild Red         33%        12 months                              French & American Oak

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, New Releases

Firestone Walker Feral Vinifera from the Barrelworks

Feral Vinifera was born of a collaborative effort with local grape growers and winemakers in Barrelworks’ backyard of the Santa Ynez Valley. Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Orange Muscat grapes were co-fermented with wheat-based wort, then inoculated with proprietary wild yeast to create this trailblazing hybrid.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Grapes)
Availability: 375ml bottles
Arrival: 9/20/14

9.1% ABV

 

Feral Vinifera Blend:

Barrel Ratio: 100% French Oak

Barrel             Blend                                     Ratio Maturation time

French Oak    Sauvignon Blanc/wheat beer        35%     12 months

French Oak    Chenin Blanc/wheat beer              35%     12months

French Oak    Orange Muscat/wheat beer           5%       12 months

French Oak    Bretta Weisse                                   25%     8 months

 

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    by Reid Ramsay
    Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Headlines

    From the Barrelworks: Firestone Walker Agrestic

    Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA) will release a new wild ale from their Barrelworks on September 20th, Agrestic Red Wild Ale.

    Agrestic is a spin on Firestone’s DBA British Pale Ale. It was racked (transferred to oak barrels on racks) with a blend of wild and sour bacteria and yeast.

    The final blend that you’ll taste as Firestone Walker Agrestic are specially chosen lots of wild ale, ranging from eight to 24 months in French (87%) and American (13%) oak barrels.

    Toasted oak and lemon pith swirl on the nose and palate, followed by harmonious notes of vanilla, coconut, Earl Grey tea and spice. The finish is crisp, with mouthwatering acidity and chewy tannins.

    Firestone Walker Agrestic will release in 12.7oz bottles at both the Barrelworks and brewery in California.

    Style: American Wild Ale (Oak Aged)
    Availability: 12.7oz Bottles
    Arrival: September 20th, 2014

    6.6% ABV

     

    agrestic |əˈgrestik| adjective chiefly literary of or relating to the country; rural; rustic.

    by Reid Ramsay
    Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Headlines

    Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin 2014: Sept 15th

    Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin 2014. This bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stout is touted by the brewery to be one of the best vintages yet.

    “We let our hair down with the 2014 Velvet Merkin and changed up the barrel mix a bit compared to previous vintages,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Velvet Merkin has always had this signature milk chocolate character, but now the vanilla notes are more pronounced as well. We’re pretty stoked on this vintage.”

    Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin 2014 is a blend of Rittenhouse Rye, Elijah Craig, and Woodford Reserve barrels. The average is about a year in all the barrels.

    Look for Firestone Walker in 22oz bombers, in fancy boxes for about $16.99 in select U.S. markets.

    Style: Oatmeal Stout (Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
    Availability: 22oz Bombers.
    Arrival: September 15th, 2014

    8.5% ABV

    by Reid Ramsay