Firestone Walkers Reserve (Robust Porter)

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

Bomber. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. Poured lighter than expected.. clear deeper iced tea brown with a thick cap of beige head. The aroma picked up sweeter roasted chocolates and tangy oak upfront with vanilla beans, flaked oats, and moderate roast coffee showing as it warmed up a tad.. earth and piney hoppage form the final layer.. everything comes together quite nicely! The flavor had espresso beans, semi-sweet chocolate, and vanilla at the core supporting high doses of pine, earth, and citrus bitterness.. the sweeter finish picks up oats and light oaky sourness.. well done! Medium-bodied at most with great balance between the sweet elements and the ample hoppage.. creamy carbonation.. long finish. Very good beer that I would drink often if available!

Cleveland tasting

Thanks to whomever popped this open as I always like trying new Firestone Walker releases. This one wasn’t the best but it is still a solid porter. Firestone is quickly moving up my list of "must try" breweries whenever I get to that part of the world.

Aroma / Appearance - The deep black fluid body had only a slight head. Hints of cinnamon blended with the typical porter smells (coffee and malt) to form a cohesive slightly thin nose.

Flavor / Palate - The body was a little thin and watery. However the nice combination of coffee, anise and hops more than compensated. It could do with a little more punch but overall this wasn’t a bad release. I’d probably drink it again in the future.

Shared at Cleveland tasting 3/15 Bottle: Pours a dark brown with an off white head. Aroma, earthy, fruity, some roasted malts, coffee. Flavor, roasted notes, coffee, chocolate, dark fruits. Bittersweet finish.

I rate it this high because I put it in the category it belongs in: Brown. This is a brown beer, no doubt in my mind, and one of the best I have ever had.

Bottle... Ultra dark with a small, creamy, off-white head. The nose is a mélange of milk chocolate, roasted nuts, caramel, toffee, coffee and vanilla. Medium-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Sweet, mocha flavor presents notes of coffee and cocoa. Burnt and well-bittered. Bittersweet, deeply roasted finish. Thanks to mgumby10 for sharing his bottle!

Courtesy Irishboy. Pours black, with a medium, foamy, light brown head. Smells of subtle roast, light chocolate cream, and noticeable hops as well. Balanced aromas. The flavor had a good dose of hops in it as well, along with the roasty malts, and chocolate bitterness too. Reall well balanced and solid drinking porter. A little burnt charcoal flavor in the finish, with some hop bitterness lingering in the aftertaste. Really well done.

Draught at City Beer, San Francisco, 24th Feb 2008. Black with just a line of tan head. Looks fantastic and beguiles you with an aroma of oaky roasted malt. The flavour doesn’t disappoint and the perfect palate rounds it off. This is very, very drinkable and a great oaky porter.

From a 22 oz bottle it poured a very dark and opaque brown with a small tan head and little lacing. Nose is of dark chocolate, with fruits and coffee, and some hard to identify light spices. Mouthfeel very rich and creamy. Flavor of dark malts and the fruit again. Long lingering finish with the malts showing mostly. Very good porter.