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Firestone Walker 12 4.02 185

Firestone Walker 12

 (RETIRED)
Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Regional Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
1854.06/5.04.02/5.0Special12%98.4Snifter, Trappist glass
Commercial Description:
The Barrels The individual lots were aged in oak barrels, most of which were hand selected from premium Kentucky spirits producers by Tom Griffin, who is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about bourbon barrels and beer. Each barrel lends its own unique influence to the final blend. Tom continues to hand deliver some real treats to us, including some 20+ year old Rip Van Winkle Barrels! Barrels freshly dumped from the distilleries and hand delivered by Tom Griffin: Rip Van Winkle Bourbon Old Fitzgerald Bourbon / Old Fitzgerald Wheat Whiskey Heaven Hill Bourbon / Heaven Hill Brandy / Heaven Hill Rye Barrels purchased directly from American Coopers toasted to Firestone Walker’s specifications: New American Oak produced by World Cooperage / medium and medium plus toast Retired Firestone Union Oak produced by World Cooperage, and Barrel Associates (water bent staves) The Aging Cellar – The Components Following are descriptions of key components with their original code names: Final Blend % Parabola ྭ% ABV) - Aged in New American oak, bourbon and rye barrels ࿌%) -Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout (brewed02-09-06 and 01-18-08) OG=28P FG=7.5P IBU=80 Color=Black / Hopped with Simcoe, Bravo, Styrian Golding and East Kent Golding Opal ྫ% ABV) – Aged in rye barrels ྼ%) -Wheat Wine (brewed 2-25-08) OG=22.4P FG=6.2P IBU=45 Color=17 / Brewed with torrified and malted wheat, lightly hopped with Saaz Rufus ྫ% ABV) – Aged in rye and bourbon barrels ྲ%) -Continental Imperial Amber Ale (brewed 8-17-07) OG=22.5 FG=4.5 IBU=40 Color=15 / Brewed with Belgian Dark Candi Syrup / Hopped with Styrian Goldings and Saaz Saucerful of Secrets ƙ% ABV) – Aged in Brandy Barrels ƙ%) -Belgian Strong Ale (brewed 10-30-07) OG=23.4 FG=6.1 IBU 25 Color=39 / Brewed with Belgian Dark Candi sugar and everything else but the kitchen sink Union Jack IPA Ɨ% ABV) - Aged in stainless steel Ƒ%) -American Style IPA (brewed 10-28-08) OG=17 FG=3.5 IBU=75 Color=12 / Brewed with massive amounts of hops and a very kind attitude The Finished Piece- As a finished beer, XII is in some ways more aggressive than any previous blend, but it maintains a great deal of depth and complexity. Everyone seems to get something different when they taste this beer- mocha, tobacco, toasted almonds, olallieberries... I leave the interpretation to you. It is best enjoyed in a half filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. If left in a cool dark place, I suspect that this beer will age well. Only time will tell. If you find something you like- please contact us and let us know your thoughts. I truly hope you enjoy our third oak-aged blend. This crazy beer journey continues!
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 GAManiac (1193), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/517/20
Sep 28, 2009  
22oz bomber poured into a snifter. Pours dark, dark brown in the glass with only faint hints of ruby showing through the edges. The head is a small tight tan one that recedes to a collar and leave boozy legs along the sides on the way down. The aroma is big and complex with vanilla and bourbon showing through from the barrels on top of the underlying toasted nuts and dark chocolate of the underlying beer. There’s also plenty of dark fruits, molasses, leather and even some citrus hops. The taste is just as complex and, again, starts out with an initial bourbon kick before the dark roasted malts and bakers chocolate come out in the middle. The finish is slightly dry with nuts and even some tobacco coming out, leaving a slightly dry, toasty finish along with the big oak and bourbon burn going down. The mouthfeel is exceptionally smooth, silky, with a soft carbonation that helps coat the palate completely with toasted, boozy goodness. This is another fantastic blend from Firestone with so many tastes hitting the mouth but coming together perfectly into a well-integrated dessert sipper. Wonderful stuff.


 darkguardian (506), Florida, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/510/105/517/20
Sep 28, 2009  
650ml bottle pours a near black with awesome ruby highlights. Nose is smokey with some leather and deep bourbon and vanilla notes. Flavor is crazy with lots of chocolate, whiskey, scotch, vanilla and huge caramel. Just enough hops to keep it balanced. Perfect carbonation. This is really amazing.


 ajm (950), Los Angeles, California, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/105/518/20
Sep 28, 2009  
Bottle at Blue Palms. Would much rather have paid $20 on release than $45 this weekend. Opens with a full aroma of burnt caramel, chocolate, amaretto, bourbon and very old hop. Color is a musty blood brown. Flavor is very nice bourbon, vanilla, brownie, moldy wood, roast, marshmallow, light nut. The heat is only extant in the nose - this is smooth as a baby. Opens as it warms - if you get this fridge cold from a bar, restrain yourself.


 wickedpete (629), Lexington Park, Maryland, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/104/513/20
Sep 19, 2009  
Thanks to unclejedi for this one. Black body. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. Flavor of oak, vanilla, bourbon and light chocolate. Too oaky and bourbony for me.


 cbkschubert (2016), Cochise Co., Arizona, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/59/104/517/20
Sep 12, 2009  
22 oz. bottle via trade with BelgianBeerGal - Pours a light brown color with a thin light tan head. Very light spotty lacing. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, toasted malt, and light esters. Very nice! Flavor is much of the same. All the flavors and aromas blend nicely together. There’s a decent amount of alcohol in the finish. Medium to full body. An excellent beer. Thanks Amy.


 tokyogoat (576), San Diego, California, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/518/20
Sep 2, 2009  
Poured ink black with a sticky thin tan head. Nose is bourbon, molasses, milk chocolate and dark cocoa. Taste is bourbon, thick mouthfeel, roasty, marshmallow, chocolate, vanilla.


 MesandSim (5946), London, Greater London, England
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/57/104/517/20
Aug 31, 2009  
A Mes rate. Bottle at home.
Very dark chestnut amber with a thin but stable creamy beige head. My god. Now THAT is an aroma! Huge fruity barrely madness with plenty of rum and raisin and utterly gorgeous vanilla ice cream. Very similar in the mouth but maybe not quite in the same league. Whatever, it’s still a bloody excellent beer. Definitely too much bourbon, as I often find with beers like this but it still works well. Faint hints of paper in the finish thanks to the booze but it’s not too much of a spoiler. I couldn’t drink much of this but shared on a glorious day with good friends this is really doing the trick. Not my thng but still excellent


 sauceyhops (104), carlsbad, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Aug 29, 2009  
Popped a bottle at Churchill’s in San Marcos. Deep brown pour with tan head. Strong aroma of brown sugar, dark fruit, wood, and bourbon. Very smooth mouthfeel with a complex blend of flavors. Carmel malts with dark fruit, hints of roasted wood with bourbon and touches of chocolate. A pretty damn good brew if you ask me



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