Firestone Walker Brewing Company started off in 1996 in a rented vineyard. In 2001 that all changed when current owners Adam Firestone and David Walker purchased a different Californian brewing company. Now located in Paso Robles, CA, Firestone Walker’s uses a Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system.

This week I am reviewing one of their more aggressive and hard to come by beers, Parabola. The box it is sold in (yes I said box), really gives a good history of the beer:

Since founding our brewery in 1996, we have specialized in the rare art of fermenting beer in oak barrels. In the fall of 2006, we embarked on a program to barrel age a series of strong ales that would later be used as components of a blended beer. That blend would become our first Anniversary Ale, “10″.

Over the past several years, we have released limited amounts of the component beers on draft only. Many of these beers have garnered a cult following. Parabola was one of those beers that enthusiasts raved about and begged for us to put in the bottle.
We present Parabola, a barrel-aged Imperial Stout. This particular lot was aged in a combination of barrels for up to 12 months. Some barrels were used by American spirits producers, some for wine, and others are barrels retired from our Firestone Union. Each barrel has lefts its unique mark on this beer. Chocolate, charred oak, vanilla, dark cherry, and coffee are just some of the complex aromas and flavors you will find in this beer.

Parabola is a one of a kind sipping beer built to last and will reward careful aging for years to come.

Signed: Adam Firestone, David Walker, Matt Brynildson

This is the 2011 (second ever) release. Very dark black pour with about a pinky of light brown head. Not a lot of retention and minimal lacing here. The smell is full of bourbon, oak, and vanilla noticed first and foremost. A bit of roastiness and other characteristics of a stout follow. Not a lot of the booze noted at all. The smell seems to be right on par with the other good Bourbon Barrel aged stouts. The taste is everything I hoped it would be. Big bourbon and vanilla flavor, aided by some chocolate and hints of coffee, start it off with some warming booziness following. This RIS has been aged on so many barrels I can’t say much of a stout flavor remains, but the coffee finish is really very good. If only it retained some original hoppiness or stout flavors, this would be one of the best beers crafted today. Velvety smooth; creamy, and thick body. Plenty of carbonation and a flavor that keeps you coming back for more. The 13% ABV is essentially non-existent, which for a beer this good is nothing short of dangerous. This was $15 per bomber and really hard to get. Every place I found it they had one case and was hidden in the back. Considering the amount of work Firestone Walker puts into this beer, I’m quite happy to taste the result. They really must know what they’re doing. Probably the best barrel aged RIS I’ve had, but I’ll review it below Kate the Great simply because Kate has a better RIS taste without the Bourbon, this is good, but I’m missing the stout characteristics mainly. Truly lives up to the hype.

I had a real treat up for week 23 straight from a friend’s cellar: Deschutes Black Butte XXI. Released in June of 2009 for the 21st Anniversary of Deschutes Brewery, it pays homage to their Black Butte Porter that has been a staple of the brewery since 1988 (the year I was born!) The brewery itself is located in Bend, Oregon and is named for the river it overlooks (Deschutes River). This is a porter on steroids. Coined an Imperial Porter it boasts 11% ABV and was bolstered by a number of brewing techniques. The evil geniuses of Deschutes added Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, dry-hopped it with 100 pounds of Bellatazza’s locally roasted coffee, and then aged roughly 20% of it in Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey barrels. After almost exactly 2 years in the bottle, I would expect the beer to have mellowed a bit, the flavors becoming more blended. I’m sure the beer was phenomenal fresh, but I didn’t have that luxury!

Now for the review. The bottle states that the beer is only best after 10/17/10, seeing that it is 2011, I think I’m safe! It starts off with a dark pour and a light brown head. The dark brown head I’m accustomed to seeing with big dark Bourbon/Chocolate/Coffee beers is not present and is missed and the retention and lacing are lacking a little. This I assume is one of the lone side effects to aging this beer, I’ve seen pictures of it poured fresh and the head is deep, dark, and full. Moving to the smell, we certainly do not have a Bourbon bomb here. With that said, the smell isn’t very impressive. Faint chocolate and Bourbon mostly, but sort of musty almost. It does, however, improve as it warms. The Bourbon and chocolate really come out a lot more and bring out that strong aroma I was hoping for. The taste is where the beer shines. Wow, just wow. Extremely complex and well balanced. Lots of flavors going on, but they have mellowed a bit. The taste starts with chocolate, very light to begin with. The Bourbon comes up next, not dominating, just popping up to say hello. At this point the beer is sweet, but not quite Dark Lord sweet (thank God). Roasted malts and a slight booziness (and I mean slight, it’s only slightly noticeable) end the beer. Far after the beer has been consumed, the coffee and roastiness come back in a big way. It could not be any more on the backend, but is welcomed immensely. As was noted by my drinking partner, the complexity evolves and strengthens as the beer warms. It seems to coat the tongue in a way that negates the booziness that was previously noted. Medium bodied, not thick or creamy. What I keep reminding myself is that it’s a porter not an imperial stout. The carbonation might be a tad low, but it certainly isn’t off-putting. Overall it was really a wonderful treat. This beer is aging very well. I wish I could have had it fresh to compare, but I can’t imagine it being any better.

Sony and Dogfish Head Brewery are at it again, this time with Robert Johnson. Albeit a much less popular name than Miles Davis, who was the subject of the previous collaboration between the two with Bitches Brew, this famous blues musician no doubt deserves a beer in his honor! Here is the press release:

May 8, 2011, marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson, who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in a midnight bargain that has haunted the music world for three-quarters of a century. The ‘deal’ brought forth Johnson’s incandescent guitar technique and a run of 10-inch 78 rpm singles for the Vocalion, Oriole, Conqueror and Perfect labels recorded in San Antonio in 1936 and Dallas in 1937. Those songs have become a cornerstone of Columbia Records’ identity, and will be celebrated on two CENTENNIAL releases from Columbia/Legacy.

Hellhound on My Ale is a play on a famous song by Johnson, Hellhound on My Trail (the Youtube video following) and is reviewed below!

Orange yellow pour with a finger of white fluffy head. The lacing and retention are great. Lots of hops on the smell, but a nice malt backbone. The lemon is noted, as well as a floral bouquet of smells. The flavor is…interesting. The first sip was like a smack in the face, but from there I was able to determine what was actually going on here. The hops bring the palate smack I was expecting, but then sweetness from the malts take over. The lemon is really noticeable on the backend. Tangy and well carbonated. Not quite the light beer I was expecting on this hot day though. This was a miss for me. I loved Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, but this second installment tithe series is just not up to par. No complaints, it goes well with my Memorial Day grilling, but overall not great.

Pics to come later.