Posts Tagged ‘firestone walker brewing compnay’

Firestone Walker Brewing Company 13 Anniversary Ale (365 Day 358)

Friday, November 25th, 2011
firestone walker brewing company 13 anniversary ale

Firestone Walker 13

Happy Thanksgiving! The one holiday that allows me to spend a ridiculous amount of time with family and friends. It cannot be beat for that aspect. Turkey, green bean casserole, sour cream cucumbers, double backed yam, and my Mom’s ludicrously delicious and home made stuffing. All piping hot, all fresh, and all making my mouth water again. Dessert is home made pumpkin pie with real whip cream; is there any other way?

The night cap on the evening was a stop off at Rich’s. I brought over a couple of American craft beers to help celebrate Rich’s birthday a day late. An American Strong Ale, the highlight of the evening was 13 Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Firestone’s anniversary beers are always a blend of bourbon barrel aged beers. Each year it is different and, I believe, a group of wine people from the local area come in to taste and determine the blend. Cool idea, great beer. Enjoy!

Aroma: 9 (25%), Taste: 10 (25%), Look: 8 (15%), Drinkability: 10 (35%), Overall: 9.5

Useless Fact: It is possible for a fetus in the womb to get hiccups.

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company Double Barrel Ale (365 Day 145)

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

The countdown is on and my excitement is quickly building as I know that Dark Lord day is this Saturday. Unfortunately, for the second straight year, I have family business and I will have to pretty go and leave, not able to take in any of the fun, good beers, and good people that will be there this year. I am curious to see how much better things will run this year with the changed format.

Double Barrel Ale by Firestone Walker Brewing Company marks the third of four different Firestone Walker beers I received in a recent transaction. Velvet Merlin is the fourth and final, probably finding it’s way into a review sometime this week.

I had Double Barrel a couple of years ago and sort of forgot what this beer was about, in spite of the review. I was wondering what that meant to the beer since I couldn’t remember it: good or bad.

I will have to say that it means nothing bad. Double Barrel is a solid English Bitter with a big, bread malt backbone that is balanced by some hops. Not my favorite style of beer, but Double Barrel is one of the better examples, for me. Enjoy!

Aroma: 8, Taste: 8, Look: 8, Drinkability: 8, Overall: 8.0

Useless Fact: The first automobile race ever seen in the United States was held in Chicago in 1895. The track ran from Chicago to Evanston. The winner was J. Frank Duryea, whose average speed was 7 and a half miles per hour.

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company Pale 31 (365 Day 141)

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Firestone Walker Pale 31

More California American craft beer for number 141. Pale 31 by Firestone Walker Brewing Company comes by way of the same transaction that landed the other recent California beers.

I would like to say thank you to the other party in my transaction as all the hoppy beers I have had from the transaction, to this point, have been fresh. I know I have ranted about this before, but if you are going to trade make sure that you get fresh beer, especially hoppy beer. Don’t be a tool and look like a fool because you don’t know how to select fresh beer. If are not sure, ask someone working at the beer store. Most of us beer geeks know at least one “guy” at one “store” and, if it is a somewhat decent person, they will tell you the truth about the beer. Back on target…

I hope this doesn’t come across negative: out of the beers I have tasted from Firestone Walker, this is probably my least favorite, even though I still rated it a 7.9. That rating means the beer is above average. I have had the beer on several occasions, so it isn’t like I believe it to be like the plague. It just goes to show the quality of beer that comes of Firestone.

Lots of citrus hops in this biscuit and caramel malt laden beer. The citrus was a combination of orange and grapefruit for me. I think the biscuit malt that comes through threw me a bit as I wasn’t expecting it, maybe that’s why I didn’t rate it as high. I was expecting a more clean malt profile. Still another quality beer from another quality west coast brewery. Enjoy!

Aroma: 8, Taste: 7, Look: 9, Drinkability: 8, Overall: 7.9

Useless Fact: Every night, wasps bite into the stem of a plant, lock their mandibles into position, stretch out at right angles to the stem, and, with legs dangling, fall asleep.

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company Union Jack (365 Day 139)

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Firestone Walker Union Jack

Another day another fine American craft beer from the west coast. This time the spotlight is on Firestone Walker Brewing Company and their Union Jack beer.

Firestone Walker is a “magical” brewery for me, as everything that I seem to get my hands on, which should be more now that they distribute to Illinois, is really good to outstanding. I have had most of their regular offerings and in a recent TNBC, not to long by gone, we had a vertical of 10, 11, 12, and 13. All really good beers with 11 blowing the roof off the place.

Union Jack is one of the first beers I had from Firestone Walker. It is a solid American IPA with a heaping dose of hops that are almost not bitter at all as the beer finishes clean, enticing you back for more. Until my recent tasting of Double Jack I didn’t think this beer could be much improved upon.

Double Jack knocks it up a notch from Union Jack, with huge amounts of hops and grain to balance, leaving quite the wonderful bitterness and hop flavor in your mouth, sip after beautiful sip. I hope that more Firestone Walker continues to land in Illinois as I continue to seek it out. Enjoy!

Aroma: 9, Taste: 9, Look: 9, Drinkability: 9, Overall: 9.0

Useless Fact: There is a 6 foot high stone monument dedicated to the comic-strip character Popeye in Crystal City, Texas.

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Firestone Walker Brewing Double Jack (365 Day 81)

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

Firestone Walker Double Jack

It isn’t often that the wife and get to go out and appreciate a few, quality American craft beers. The day was long with painting, running around but baby sitter showed up, we were ready for a few hours of freedom. We went to a local bar, that I had called earlier to see what was on tap. Double Jack by Firestone Walker Brewing Company was flowing. I had heard good things about this beer. I needed my piece of the pie.

Once we arrived my wife said that she wanted something bourbon aged. Got to love that in a woman. The only thing on the menu that fit the request was Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing Company. Unfortunately, for my wife, she thought it would be prudent to throw back three of those in a matter of a couple of hours. Yuck describes the rest of the evening for her.

Double Jack is something special. It is that simple. Pine is the foremost in the character of this beer. Citrus and malt sweetness are there also. The mouth seems to add a bit of mangoish flavor that leads me to believe Citra hops might have been used. The big alcohol is well hidden, dangerously so. I could have this over and over again. The bar tender did tell me they were getting three more barrels of this fine nectar. I will be back. Enjoy!

Useless Fact: The first toilet ever seen on television was on “Leave It to Beaver.”

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Firestone Anniversary Vertical – 10, 11, 12, and 13

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Firestone Walker makes some pretty outstanding American craft beers. Just like many other craft brewers, their sought after beers are their annual releases of their bourbon aged beers. Even tougher to get, it seems, are their anniversary beers, which are a blend of several other beers into one tasty liquid behemoth.

Via the Tuesday Night Beer Club (TNBC) the group put together a vertical of 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the anniversary series. One of the cool parts of this series is that Firestone includes a list of the beers that were blended and the percentage. And, from what I understand, at least the last few years they have invited local wine tasters to come and taste the different blends to help in deciding which blend will be the final for that year.

Unfortunately I didn’t take notes; I wanted to enjoy the beers for what they were, uninterrupted. Just pure indulgence. I will have to say that 11 and 12 were the boldest of the group and, for me, that is a good thing. 10 and 11 were tasted together. I thought 11 was the better of the two on the first night. The second round was 12 and 13. 13 was damn smooth for its age, but 12 was bold and bourbon abounded, making me likey. 🙂 Overall I would rate as follows: 12, 11, 10, then 13.

The only regret of the four beers: we had them over two different get together’s that spanned 30 days in between. I would definitely recommend these fine beers to anyone that enjoys bourbon aged beer/blends. Enjoy!

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Sunday Beer Relaxing

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

It isn’t all that often that I have a day to get stuff done and actually relax besides. Luckily today is one of those days.

What exactly do I mean? Well, that is easy. I have done work around the house: picked weeds, hoed the garden, sprayed weeds, and hung up my hop plant (Centennial and more to come this week). I have also gone shopping to about three or four stores with the wife and kids to get our weekly groceries among other things. Vacuuming is still on the docket.

That’s the work, now the play. I am currently on my fourth beer and the temperature outside (about 70 with low humidity) is perfect for just about any beer. So I started the day with a New Glarus Unplugged Cranbic, which is so damn refreshing it took me about five sips to put it away. My palate still desired a refreshing beer. So I opened a bottle of Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA.

While appreciating the Union Jack, the wheels started to turn and as another front went through, with the temperature dropping into the 60s, I thought it was time for something with a little bit of size to it. Founders KBS you say, perfect! That didn’t last long but damn that is mighty tasty. What beer can out do a KBS?

Not many, but along came Pliny the Elder by Russian River. Oh, I think I am about a sliver away from heaven.

I see that Rich is doing some reviewing of his own, so after PLE, it is time for some serious reviews and a great finish to Sunday. Enjoy!

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Cali Beer Score

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

There seems to be a ton of really good American craft breweries out in California. The only problem I face in Chicagoland is getting my hands on some of the liquid goodness. After thinking about possibilities, I quickly realized that my cousins lives near Los Angeles. A bright light went off inside my head (a rare occurrence).

Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Union Jack

After a couple of emails and talking about beer and realizing, that Russ, was a beer enthusiast, it was time to see if he would help out. So I popped the questions and without hesitation, I had my California beer man.

Let’s just say I will be having a Cali beer night with Rich sometime over the next week with reviews to follow. I am stoked and I want to say thank you to Russ.

What did I have? free run 3.0 v2 femmes I have five bombers: three off my list and two the beer store guy thought I couldn’t get here in Illinios (he was wrong).

The first two beers are the ones I can get in Illinois. I have never purchased before because there has always been something else that stroked my fancy more.

  • Sierra Nevada – Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale
  • Beer Republic – Red Rocket Ale

Below are the three beers that I can’t get and look forward to enjoying.

  • Ale Smith – IPA
  • Firestone Walker – Pale 31
  • Firestone Walker – Union Jack

The reviews will be up as soon as I can get Rich over here. Enjoy!

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