Firestone Walker 10

Formerly brewed at Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Paso Robles, California USA

750ml bottle from a trade long ago. shared with the wife for our one year anniversary....dark brownish black pour with a moderate yet quickly fading light beige head.... aroma of wood, light bourbon, and soft sweet notes mostly of caramel and vanilla.... flavors were pretty sweet and roasty. spicy pepper and other barrel-aged bourbon flavors. finish incorporated more of that spicy and boozy qualities that lingered on the tongue for a bit. still very warming despite the aging....i think i prefer 11 to this one actually.

My bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, Tupalev,Jerc & Blankboy -- courtesy of Irishboy in a trade we did! After weeks and weeks of staring at this bottle on my shelf and fighting the temptation to open it, I finally got to give it a go. Appearance: Ruby red/brown colour with a nice brown head. Aroma: Coffee, honey, alcohol and the wonderful hint of turf/peat. Flavour: Whiskey and coffee, toffee too with a warming alcohol finish. Thanks a million Richard!

Tasted at Cleveland tasting on 8-23-08. Thanks!! Bottle pours dark brown/black with a tan head. Aroma is all over the place. I sense oak, vanilla, caramel, roasty malts, molasses, and nuts. Has a medium to full body. Taste is very nice. Mostly sweet caramel, roasted malt, chocolate, and burnt oak. This is very well done. Overall this is a truely world class brew.

Bottle from Toronado. Yeah, I could probably save this for 1900 but I have something just about as ridiculous in the fridge so whatever. Dark colored, tan head with average lacing and retention. You can smell a little bit of age on this already. Aroma is a mixed bag of course. Chocolate, caramel, oak, vanilla, nut, molasses, more. Full bodied, silky mouthfeel. However, it felt a little off balance, where I remember the 11 being better balanced. Time has probably helped it though. Alcohol was hidden very well though. Decadent, enjoyable and almost definitely never again.

Bottle from Chris at Ebenezers. Thank you!!! Go to Maine. Chris is awesome. Bottle poured deep brown in color with a tan head. Aroma of roasted chocolate, oak, tobacco and some alcohol. Tastes is very complex but mostly of tobacco, chocolate malt, roast and burnt oak. Finish was a little warming, but the complex flavors made that very tolerable. Very nice. I really enjoyed this.

RBSG ’08. Tasted at the Pizza Port Carlsbad Grand Tasting. I eagerly posted my glass for this pour. Thanks to whoever brought it. Pours a rich and dark brown color with a light beige ring. Some carbonation coming to the surface. Big aroma of bourbon barrel and thick smoke with caramel malt. Flavor changes nicely between molasses, charred wood and a surprisingly hoppy finish. Medium to large bodied ale. Nice smokiness on the palate. Very tasty.

Bottle shared at RBSG during the grand tasting held at Pizza Port Carlsbad in San Diego.

At RBSG, poured deep ruddy brown with tons of floaters. Rich, complex nose and flavor. Both full of caramel, sugars, dried fruit, vanilla, oak, whisky and malt. Quite a bit of heat all the way through.