Firestone Walker Bravo Barrel Aged Brown Ale

This is one of those massively-alcoholic one-dimensional monsters that we love on RateBeer. Or hate. I forgot to check which this week. I don’t much care for bourbon - sticky-sweet sickly stuff for sugarbabes who can’t handle Scotch - so I’m all in favour of anything that involves replacing the contents of a bourbon barrel with something else. This will do just fine. Firestone Walker Bravo Barrel Aged Brown Ale (snappy title) is as brown and clear as the previous contents of the barrel with a skimpy corona of suds. It smells piercingly alcoholic - turpentine wood, demorara sugar and tokay. Oily, spiritous mouthfeel. Big licks of vanilla and oak on the tongue, burnt sugars and a huge alcohol burn in the swallow. It’s a sipper that would sit well with a cold night, a fireplace, a bull session and no rush to get up next morning. Quality stuff. (Bottle courtesy of Linc at Sully’s SYdney RB Xmas 07 gathering)

Deep crimson/copper with a frothy ecru head. Aroma of buttered biscuits, coffee, caramel, Bourbon, dates. Flavor was sightly sweet with an alcohol burn.

Toffee coated figs with a nougat center. Mild spice and toasted bred on the palate with soft oak and hops. Mild white pepper mixed with oaky vanilla and spice finish.

Its hard to believe this is a brown ale. The only thing similar I have had is Hakusekikan Brown Ale, which is equally as nice IMO. Dark brown color, molassess, brown sugar, truffles, caramel, brandy and milk chocolate come off the nose. The mouth reminded me of a top notch espresso with ample caramel syrup and frangelico, dusted with cinammon. Slight oaky character that doesn’t add or distract. Cinammon chocolately finish. Amazing. Age has helped this beer. Alcohol is not noticable at all.

Name: Barrel Aged Brown Ale
Date: 12/01/2006
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Strong Ale Fest

muddy brown, scant beige head, sweet bourbonand chocolate aroma, flavor is all hot alcoholic bourbon with barely a hint of choclolate, nice sweetness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Suprizingly light for an 11% (I don’t believe it). Brown color. Nice head that lasts.

Taste whilst stewarding at the AIBA (bottle). Unwittingly poured a sample of this knowing only that it was oak aged and a brown ale. I guess the oak aging should have alerted me to the fact that this was probably going to be a high alcohol beer! But geez did I get a shock! This is one heavy malty beer. Deep bronze colour, very viscous. Thick mouthfeel, butter, vanilla, caramel, malt, brown sugar, oak, oak and more oak. A very overpowering palate, definately needs to be served warm, possibly has too much carbonation for something so heavy. A very interesting beer but I feel the oak is over done. I imagine it would age well. Perhaps some more will turn up in the next few years?

On tap at the 10th Annual San Diego Strong Ale Festival: Pours a transparent dark copper with a nice, frothy, wispy-lacing tan head. Aroma of caramel bourbon and a touch of buttered popcorn and vanilla. Body starts sweet and with a good amount of dark caramel and toasty bourbon oak toward a slightly warming, nicely-balanced finish.