Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Stout

Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: Stout
Paso Robles, California USA

Pours deep brown with a thin tan head. The nose and flavor are quite smooth, velvet you might say, with chocolate, blackberries, and a touch boozy in a good way. A bit thin in the body.

This is an Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. Deep licorice, dried fruit, smoke and chocolate flavors. This whole beer has a slight vinuous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.

Pours dark brown/black, roasted malts, dark fruit, chocolate, little coffee, little vanilla.

On tap at 21st amendment. Pours almost black with a long-lasting reddish head. Aroma was chocolatey and the flavor was a rich chocolate, coffee, and bourbon. Very smooth with a nice dry finish. Lovely beer.

Draft at San Diego Brewing Company. Awesome aromas of dark fruit and roasted malts. Flavor was a bit downplayed though. Somewhat watery and just didn’t live up to the aromas. But still good.

On tap at San Diego Brewing Company. A stout that didn’t impress. I heard it was mixed with a golden ale. Wierd. Flavors were weak, but present were chocolate, some smoke. Very watery.

1/5/09 notes: on nitro, just tapped at Ojai Bev Co. Pours beautifully lack with a small head. Aroma is subdued, classic roasts, coffee, and vanilla. Smooth, creamy palate. Flavor featured milk, roasts, sweetness, and chocolate. It was tasty, but overall too weak for me. I am spoiled by St. Ambroise’s version, of which this just cannot compare.

On tap at Stone. Pours with a black body with no head and no real lace. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. Taste is chocolate and floral with a light spiciness, light smokiness, and a light oak barrel character. Light bubbles and syrupy. Very enjoyable.