Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Beer: Double Barrel Ale
Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%
Character: Brewed using their patented Firestone Union Oak Barrels.
Metal Connection: ALE STORM – Scraping the Barrel
BeerMetal Rating: 3.5/5
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is fairly new to TX, and this is my first time having a beer from them. They have an impressive line-up, and I hope I get to taste a lot more from them. I had to buy this beer at The Yellow Store in San Marcos, TX, cause I have yet to see any of their beers in San Antonio. I’m sure they’re around or coming soon, but for now, this is what I am working with. The brewery used their patented Firestone Union system, which incorporates 60-gallon American oak barrels into the fermentation process. This was all inspired by the Burton Union system, which was used in British beer making since around 1840. According to the Firestone Walker website, they believe they are the only US brewery to use the union brewing method.
Poured into a Magic Hat Ravell Porter pint glass, this beer has a clear copper color with a foamy light tan colored head, which had great retention, and left a fantastic lacing down the glass. Very good looking beer!
The aroma of this beer was well balanced. There is a combination of sweet caramel, biscuit breadiness, and a subtle hint of floral hops. All together these work really well together, giving this beer a pleasing aroma.
In the flavor, it goes hand in hand with the aroma. The up front or big flavors to me are the notes of caramel and biscuit breadiness. The hop flavor is very mild, and not really present until the finish, and a bit in the after taste. usually with Pale Ales there is a more hop presence than this. The barrel usage does give this beer a very light taste of smokiness.
Overall, I will say that this beer is well crafted, and I give these guys kudos for keeping an old tradition still alive, and bringing it to the States. If you are looking for a tradition, well crafted ale, than look no further. There’s nothing fancy going on here, no crazy hard to find fruits or vegetables were added. We get exactly what it says we get, an English-style Pale Ale fermented in oak barrels.
Metal Connection: I went with the band ALESTORM, the self described “True Scottish Pirate Metal” band. Here is a fun little song called “Scraping the Barrel” from their 2011 album release, Back through Time. Check out the beer drinking tunes of Alestorm while enjoying an American take on an old English traditionally brewed ale. Cheers!
Pirates are in this year, BeerMetalDude!
Beer Metal Media 