Firestone Walker 11 (XI Quercus Alba)

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

Old rating from when the beer came out. Appearance: Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Stone Brewing goblet. The color was of industrial strength coffee. I could not see any carbonation at the top of the glass, or throughout the glass for that matter. Had a pin stripe of a head at the top. Aroma: Vanilla candy, possibly vanilla tootsie rolls. As the glass warms up, the scent gets stronger, where you can pick up faint hints of bourbon. Taste: Vanilla bean, sweet barley wine, fine bourbon cut with an ice cube. Mouthfeel: Very sticky, a tad carbonated. Bourbon action throughout my mouth, minus the alcohol warmth. Drinkability: Very tasty, but if I were to compare apples to apples, Firestone 10 is way more complex. However Firestone 11 is very enjoyable, and might grab a new audience with its vanilla presence

I even drank it in the wrong glass and it was fantastic. Dark, dark brown pour with little head, Bourbon and vanilla hit you in the face and are joined in taste by alcohol heat, cherries, oak and chocolate. This is not a brew to be taken lightly!

Bottle from Secret Santa. Wow. Dark brown, tan head. Nose is vanillla, caramel, not overdone bourbon, a bit of booze: rich malty perfection. Flavor is vanilla, chocolate, wood, bourbon, honey, rich dark fruits - figs, dates. Absolutely amazing. Tingly, slightly boozy finish. One of the best beers I’ve ever had.

Sampled at the Noogfest High Five. Very dark brown pour with fair head. Malty and slightly tart. Notes of cassis, brown sugar, and soy sauce. I think I prefered this one just a bit more than the twelve.

Firestone 11th Anniversary Reserve 11/21/09 (from bottle, 13th Anniversary release. Color is predictably dark dark brown with a wispy tan head. Aroma is a huge mélange of milk chocolate, walnut, hazelnut. Body is medium, not particularly full or sticky. Flavor has blended coffee, red wine, earthiness. Oh goodness this is amazing. Finish is immensely smooth, lightly roasty, warming. Holy shit, what a blend! Just a phenomenally complex and smooth RIS-esque Strong Ale. I would LOVE a whole bottle of this.

Bottle courtesy of rudolf: Dark ruby brown with a thin off-white head. Wonderful oaky, vanilla and bourbon aroma. Sweet chocolate and vanilla, underlying roasted barley with notes of licorice and an oaky astringency. A slight alcoholic warmth in the finish. Great stuff.

Bottle, courtesy of Rudolf. Sahred with rudolf, jacob & el jefe. Darker cola colored pour. Big complex aroma of oak, bourbon, sticky sweetness, rich booze. Fuller mouthfeel. Taste is just as complex as aroma. woody, boozy 7 malt driven richness, bourbon that lends itself rather than dominating. extremly well balanced. very good. great find Rudy

Excellent beer, got to try some at the Stone Firestone night. Pours a deep brown with tan head. Lots of earthy roasted malt, chocolate, dark dried fruits, licorice, oak, bourbon, and vanilla. The age is doing this beer well so far. Very nice and rich, with a full creamy body. Oh this is # 1300 :P