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Firestone Walker DBA
Paso Robles, California
BJCP Category: 8B Special/Best Bitter
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. <visit site>
41
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[expand]Total Score: 42/50
Nicely balanced Special Bitter that one could easily drink by the pint. Alcohol a little on the high side for the style—really in the ESB/Pale Ale range. more >
[close]Total Score: 42/50
Aroma: Medium caramel and low bready/grainy pale malt aroma. Low, earthy hop aroma. No diacetyl. No DMS. Moderate fermentation fruity esters. No evident alcohol aroma. Very clean, English Bitter aroma with low vanilla notes as the beer warms. (10/12)
Appearance: Brilliant clarity. Light copper color. Dense, light tan head with very good retention. Well-conditioned with light carbonation. Very pretty and inviting beer. (3/3)
Flavor: Malty with both caramel notes and a drying roasted malt finish. Complex toasted, woody character. Hop bitterness is firm. Earthy hop flavor is low. Finish is dry. Balanced with lingering bitterness. No diacetyl. No DMS. Low fruity fermentation esters. Low alcohol presence in flavor. I don’t perceive barrel age character other than some tannins in the aftertaste. (17/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Lingering dryness, bitterness in mouthfeel. Medium low alcohol warming. Rough edges to mouthfeel from tannins. Not quite as smooth as the best examples of style. (4/5)
Overall Impression: Nicely balanced Special Bitter that one could easily drink by the pint. Alcohol a little on the high side for the style—really in the ESB/Pale Ale range. Toasted, caramel malt character is very intriguing—not just the usual pale malt and caramel Bitter. Barrel aging not evident other than some tannins in flavor and mouthfeel. Still quite drinkable and great for that Ploughman’s lunch, meat pie, or fish and chips. (8/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 40/50
Moderately complex and quite quaffable. The full bready and lightly caramel malt support a rather assertive hop character that is flavorful with a pleasing lingering bitterness. more >
[close]Total Score: 40/50
Aroma: Strong bready, lightly grainy malt with earthy herbal hop aroma; a bit of rosy alcohol with strong ripe plum esters, otherwise clean with no diacetyl. Notes of caramel emerge as the sample sits. (8/12)
Appearance: Medium golden amber with brilliant clarity. Rocky off-white foam forms with a few largish bubbles. Head falls to thin layer that persists to the end, and laces on sides of the glass. (3/3)
Flavor: Malt is rich and bready at first, with toast and a little caramel emerging as the sample warms. Moderately strong herbal earthy hop flavor with pronounced bitterness that skews the balance. Mild sun-ripened plum esters are present midway through the finish, and complement the caramel notes. Bitterness gives way to lightly sweet, toasty maltiness but lingers long into the somewhat dry finish. No diacetyl; rather the esters provide character and complexity, particularly as the beer warms. (16/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a bit softish carbonation. Creamy textured with a crisp, clean finish. Not astringent, just crisp. (5/5)
Overall Impression: Moderately complex and quite quaffable. The full bready and lightly caramel malt support a rather assertive hop character that is flavorful with a pleasing lingering bitterness. Finishes crisp and clean, leaving the palate ready and waiting for another sip. An excellent session ale. (8/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 44/50
This is a well-balanced beer with a solid malt backbone, a moderately bitter finish, and complexity from the fermentation and wood-aging. more >
[close]Total Score: 44/50
Aroma: Slight graininess/huskiness up front, with a hint of woody notes that may have come from the barrel aging. Toasted and caramel notes from the malt are low-medium in intensity. I also get an earthiness that may be from aging in wood rather than from English hops. Medium fruitiness from pear and apple esters. (10/12)
Appearance: Copper color with a white head that has very good retention and tightly beaded bubbles. Brilliant clarity speaks to a well-conditioned beer. (3/3)
Flavor: The soft malt backbone comes through early and stays late, permeating in the background as other flavor components emerge. Pleasant toasted notes, with hints of toffee and caramel. Moderately high hop bitterness—more than most British examples, but not out of place in a West Coast interpretation of this style. I pick up some oak and vanilla notes that speak to the aging process. Light fruit esters and some alcohol notes add to the complexity. (18/20)
Mouthfeel: Alcoholic warmth is more evident than in most examples of the style, and there are some lingering tannins that are not a huge distraction, but would be more appropriate in the wood-aged category. (4/5)
Overall Impression: This is a well-balanced beer with a solid malt backbone, a moderately bitter finish, and complexity from the fermentation and wood-aging. As noted above, it would perhaps be more appropriate in the wood-aged category, but it is still an excellent example of the base English pale ale style. This is one case where I think a little flexibility in scoring is warranted since the style was traditionally aged in wood. (9/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 39/50
A substantial beer. Fresh but rather big for the style with a heavy mouthfeel (creamy and tannin notes) and high carbonation. Alcohol a touch forward. more >
[close]Total Score: 39/50
Aroma: Earthy, woody, floral hops—moderately strong. Bready malt in background with light fruit. Faint alcohol notes—a bit strong. Hops dominate nose, but there is plenty of interesting complexity. Some fresh, lightly grassy hop notes develop. Hops stay prominent over time. Light sulfur notes. (10/12)
Appearance: Beautiful amber color. Crystal clear. Moderate-sized ivory-colored head, retained well. Effervescent—unusual. (3/3)
Flavor: Balanced malt and hop flavors with bitterness asserting itself in the finish and lingering into the aftertaste. The hops have a woody, earthy flavor. Dry-ish finish but rather full. Lightly fruity. Moderate flinty, sulfury flavors—water? Yeast? Generally clean and well-fermented. Bready malt typical for UK beers, nice. As it warms, toffee and light caramel flavors develop—tasty. (16/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a creamy aspect, almost as if from a nitro pour. High carbonation is unusual for a UK style beer. Some astringency apparent in aftertaste. Comes off as rather heavy for the style, and a touch big/warming. (3/5)
Overall Impression: A substantial beer. Fresh but rather big for the style with a heavy mouthfeel (creamy and tannin notes) and high carbonation. Alcohol a touch forward. Great hop and malt flavors. Has a Burton-like mineral flavor with sulfur prominent. Very English, just a bit big and overcarbonated for the style. I would have scored this maybe 3 points higher as a strong bitter. (7/10)
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