The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)
The Brew: Parabola (Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout)
Availability: 22 oz bottle/very limited draft (Proprietor's Vintage Series)
ABV: 13%% | 82 IBUs
Rating: 9.8/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center
The Beer?
Unboxed, unfoiled, and uncapped, Parabola serves up deep dark brow with almost no head.
The nose? Holy hell... you'll get drunk off the fumes on this one. Bold aromas of bourbon, vanilla, lots of milk, dark fruit and faint molasses set up an alluring beertopia.
On to the palate, it's heaven - dark, sweet, with a ton of booze heat, like some whiskey-malt nectar. The mouthfeel is silky, sticky with a substantial mouthcoat. Flavors of bourbon, coconut, raisin, and cane sugar swirl around throughout, with notes of toffee, coffee, and dark caramel rising.
An incredible, artful brew, and true "reserve" warranted territory.
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The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)
The Brew: §ucaba (Barrel Aged English-style Barleywine)
Availability: 22 oz bottle/very limited draft (Proprietor's Vintage Series)
ABV: 13%% | 42 IBUs
Rating: 9.9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center
The Beer?
I wanted to have these brews back to back nights, but work travel and a bit of a cold going around town, put this one off a few extra days of high anticipation.
Formerly known as Abacus, the oddly-monikered §ucaba pours out a murky, brown-ruby with a fast fading head. A huge, drunken nose, full of booze, raisin, vanilla, and candy sugar follows up.
The flavor is incredible - I'm marrying this beer. Dark and semi-sweet with a dry finish. Even being cellared for a year, there's still a touch of hops peaking through the hot alcohol punch. Faint citrus and tropical fruits are threaded through more prominent notes of plum, red apple & skin, and sarsaparilla. It's delightfully creamy and never silky or oily.
Another slam-dunk from FW's Proprietor's Vintage Series and a must try for Barleywine lovers.
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