Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale Review

Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening, and welcome to the first review from the second round beer trade with rlhvegas of No Limit Brewing. I am pleased to introduce you to Double Barrel Ale by Firestone Walker Brewing Company out of Paso Robles, California. This Amber Ale / English Style Bitter is fermented and conditioned in oak barrels, hence the name Double Barrel Ale.

According to Firestone Walker, "Our patented Firestone Union uniquely incorporates 60-gallon American oak barrels into the fermentation process that yields beers of extraordinary character and complexity. This system improves the fullness of the palate, balances hop character and lends a clean briskness to the finish. The influence of the toasted oak also imparts unique hints of smokiness and vanilla, as well as a subtle fruitiness to the flavor profile."

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

style
English Style Bitter / Amber Ale
abv
5.0%
fermentation
Selectively fermented in the Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system
malts
Premium Two-Row, Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate
hops
Bittering—Magnum, Late Kettle—Styrian Golding, EKG; Dry Hops—EKG

Firestone Walker in Proprietor's Series Glass

Appearance: Pours a clear amber, copper, mahogany color with a half inch of ivory head.

Smell: Scents of caramel, toffee, and biscuits, with a subtle floral, piney hop aroma. I am also getting notes of some oak.

Taste: The toffee, buttery, toasted biscuit flavor is the first thing I picked up on this beer. There are some hits of citrus hops, but not much in the way of bitterness. There is a woody, oak, vanilla aftertaste that is quiet pleasant and not overpowering.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, Light bodied, clean beer. Very smooth and balanced with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Very easy to drink. I found myself at the bottom of the glass before I knew it and had to crack open another beer to finish my review. Very enjoyable to drink. Weighing in at 5.0% this makes a very excellent session beer! Those oak barrels on my wish list just moved closer to the top. I definitely would like to attempt to make a clone of this beer.