Firestone Walker 2014 release schedule

[ApocalypseZombie]

Bottled Stickee Monkee!!!!! SO MANY EXCITES!

 

[stupac2]

Nice. I've had it on draft and it's very good. Then again, so was Velvet Merkin...

 

[ApocalypseZombie]

Nice. I've had it on draft and it's very good. Then again, so was Velvet Merkin...

Didn't like the bottled Merkin?

 

[stupac2]

Didn't like the bottled Merkin?

I haven't had it, but I have heard literally nothing good from people I know. I'm sure I'll run into it eventually, but I'm certainly not seeking it out after what I've heard.

 

[ApocalypseZombie]

I haven't had it, but I have heard literally nothing good from people I know. I'm sure I'll run into it eventually, but I'm certainly not seeking it out after what I've heard.

*shrug* I thoroughly enjoyed Parabola Jr. In-fact, polished off the bottle far too quickly.

 

[angry_lobster]

I enjoyed it at the release party and the bottles were just the same; I wish I had the same amount of bottles of PNC instead of Merkin but the latter is still great.

 

[StarRaptor1]

I do understand what people are saying about the draft Merkin vs the bottled Merkin as it sounds a lot like my experience with bottled Double DBA and draft Double DBA. Fortunately for me I enjoyed the bottled Merkin I had the other day but will reserve full judgement till after my trip to Bottleworks next week

 

[stupac2]

I do understand what people are saying about the draft Merkin vs the bottled Merkin as it sounds a lot like my experience with bottled Double DBA and draft Double DBA. Fortunately for me I enjoyed the bottled Merkin I had the other day but will reserve full judgement till after my trip to Bottleworks next week

I'm actually referring to the way old versions of Merkin, like the PvW one they had during beer week. (2012? This year? I can't remember.) It was phenomenal, one of the best beers I've had. From everything I've heard this one just doesn't hold a candle to it.

 

[Arbitrator]

I have not even seen Velvet Merkin yet. Where is it Stu?

 

[JulianB1]

Really excited about Stickee Monkee, that was so good when I had it at Barrelworks.

 

[stupac2]

I have not even seen Velvet Merkin yet. Where is it Stu?

No clue. I haven't seen it either.

 

[quirkzoo1]

Barleywines are my thing so I am also excited to try Stickee Monkee. I have been interested in it ever since I learned they use it in their blends.

 

[StarRaptor1]

I'm actually referring to the way old versions of Merkin, like the PvW one they had during beer week. (2012? This year? I can't remember.) It was phenomenal, one of the best beers I've had. From everything I've heard this one just doesn't hold a candle to it.

I'm speaking from the same boat

 

[stupac2]

I'm speaking from the same boat

Oh I see, gotcha. I guess I need to find a bottle after all, if enough people are actually enjoying it.

 

[johnnyramirez]

I have not even seen Velvet Merkin yet. Where is it Stu?

Caps & Taps got it last week. Sold out in about 20-30 minutes. C's Mini Mart in Dublin is supposed to get some this week, if they do I assume Raja's in Livermore will as well. Both spots don't sell craft very well, Parabola was still at Raja's as of 2 weeks ago and my buddy picked up a mixed case of FR3/4 and Dogpatch from C's on Wednesday.

 

[litheum94]

Glad to see they're expanding their Reserve lineup. Love Velvet Merkin (though I haven't tried it out of the bottle) and I've always wanted to try Stickee Monkey. Now if they'd just release PNC on a regular basis.

 

[frothyhead]

Is it just me or is the Proprietor's Reserve series probably the single best lineup from a single brewery in all of craft beer? All of them are just mmm... tasty.

 

[stupac2]

Is it just me or is the Proprietor's Reserve series probably the single best lineup from a single brewery in all of craft beer? All of them are just mmm... tasty.

Define "single lineup". I'd take RR's bottled beers over Firestone's proprietor's any day.

 

[litheum94]

Define "single lineup". I'd take RR's bottled beers over Firestone's proprietor's any day.

From the point of view of comparing the "special lineup" to the regular bottles lineup, I can agree with this. Firestone's reserve lineup is pretty amazing when compared to their year round stuff. All or Russian River's stuff is awesome, so I think there is a distinction.

 

[JulianB1]

 

[Johnnyhitch11]

Stickee Monkey??

 

[JulianB1]

Stickee Monkey??

That would probably be a great food pairing with the beer, actually.

 

[Rau711]

I didn't think it would take until June to get the canning line going. I hope the fact that it says Summer instead of Solace means they are changing their summer beer, Solace is bad. Wonder if they are not making their porter anymore or if that was an oversight. Still very cool list.

 

[Rau711]

Also, Barrelworks is installing a bottle line soon, so sours should start dropping in 14 also. Jeffers Richardson said the sours might be brewery only though, or Barrelworks only.

 

[FTowne1]

I didn't think it would take until June to get the canning line going. I hope the fact that it says Summer instead of Solace means they are changing their summer beer, Solace is bad. Wonder if they are not making their porter anymore or if that was an oversight. Still very cool list.

First I've heard about this! Any ideas on what they intend on canning?

 

[Rau711]

First I've heard about this! Any ideas on what they intend on canning?

It is on the picture 805 12 oz cans. My cousin is doing some welding on it.

 

[drgarage1]

Stickee Monkey is probably the best barleywine I have ever tasted. Here's hoping that's what ends up in the glass.

 

[Arbitrator]

Is it just me or is the Proprietor's Reserve series probably the single best lineup from a single brewery in all of craft beer? All of them are just mmm... tasty.

I don't think any are bad, but I don't think their reserve series is uniformly amazing. The anniversary series was better up to 13, and they haven't been as good since. I think the latest Sucaba is one-dimensional, and I didn't care for DDBA last year so I skipped it this year. Parabola '13 was really good, but I couldn't find more than 3 bottles despite driving a couple of hours.

FW's distribution practices have me spending <$50 on them a year.

Stickee Monkey is probably the best barleywine I have ever tasted. Here's hoping that's what ends up in the glass.

I'm still frustrated that they wound up bottling different recipes of Parabola and Abacus than what they released on draft 5-6 years ago.

 

[JulianB1]

I think that Parabola, Sucaba, and DDBA in bottled form all hit their peak with about a year of age on them, based on consuming them that way compared to fresh. Parabola is easily the best of the bunch (both fresh and aged) and the one I'd not hesitate to drink fresh the most often. But even it gets better with a year on it.

Still sitting on my anniversary series vertical (have 13-16 and a friend has 12). Might add 17 before taking the plunge.

 

[FTowne1]

I think that Parabola, Sucaba, and DDBA in bottled form all hit their peak with about a year of age on them, based on consuming them that way compared to fresh. Parabola is easily the best of the bunch (both fresh and aged) and the one I'd not hesitate to drink fresh the most often. But even it gets better with a year on it.

Still sitting on my anniversary series vertical (have 13-16 and a friend has 12). Might add 17 before taking the plunge.

Sucaba made my hatred for barleywines fade away. I thought it was better fresh. Same with Parabola. Love that **** when it's fresh.

 

[Rau711]

I think that Parabola, Sucaba, ame DDBA in bottled form all hit their peak with about a year of age on them, based on consuming them that way compared to fresh. Parabola is easily the best of the bunch (both fresh and aged) and the one I'd not hesitate to drink fresh the most often. But even it gets better with a year on it.

Still sitting on my anniversary series vertical (have 13-16 and a friend has 12). Might add 17 before taking the plunge.

Barrelworks had a 11-16 tap vertical. To me 12 won hands down. 13 lost for me

 

[JulianB1]

Barrelworks had a 11-16 tap vertical. To me 12 won hands down. 13 lost for me

When I was at Barrelworks only 14 was on from the Anniversary series (missed the vertical day by a week this summer), and it was my 2nd favorite beer I tried after Parabola '12.

 

[Rau711]

When I was at Barrelworks only 14 was on from the Anniversary series (missed the vertical day by a week this summer), and it was my 2nd favorite beer I tried after Parabola '12.

For me it went 12, 14, 15, 11, 16, 13.

 

[Arbitrator]

The range of opinions here is interesting. I'm in the "Firestone beers don't age well" camp. I treat them like a DIPA - best fresh, keep refrigerated, drink within a month.

13 was my favorite anniversary beer (the only one I gave a perfect 5), but it fell off immediately.

 

[user 305778]

The range of opinions here is interesting. I'm in the "Firestone beers don't age well" camp. I treat them like a DIPA - best fresh, keep refrigerated, drink within a month.

13 was my favorite anniversary beer (the only one I gave a perfect 5), but it fell off immediately.

I thought Parabola aged fine, as in it didn't get worse, but Abacus fell apart pretty quickly.

 

[Arbitrator]

I thought Parabola aged fine, as in it didn't get worse, but Abacus fell apart pretty quickly.

A huge beer regret was buying 3 cases of batch 1 Abacus and watching it fall apart in real time over a year. Slow beer death. I did the same with 6 bottles of 13.

Parabola holds up as you said, but I will still refrigerate it.

 

[user 305778]

A huge beer regret was buying 3 cases of batch 1 Abacus and watching it fall apart in real time over a year. Slow beer death. I did the same with 6 bottles of 13.

Parabola holds up as you said, but I will still refrigerate it.

Yeah that's unfortunate.

 

[Rau711]

The range of opinions here is interesting. I'm in the "Firestone beers don't age well" camp. I treat them like a DIPA - best fresh, keep refrigerated, drink within a month.

13 was my favorite anniversary beer (the only one I gave a perfect 5), but it fell off immediately.

The different tastes are what make things exciting. I didn't get to try 13 fresh, but when I tried it this summer I was not impressed. I hope as they expand production they can make enough of the big beers so it doesn't limit the anniversary beers being blended. I think as they out grew their old system they couldn't dedicate beers to be blended and some years suffered. Hope 17 is awesome.

 

[stupac2]

It's really interesting to me how varied the responses are to Firestone's aging. I think they pretty much all hold up fine for a little while, year or two, but don't have a lot of aging potential. I thought DDBA was better after ~6 months, needed some time for the bitterness to fade.

 

[FTowne1]

A huge beer regret was buying 3 cases of batch 1 Abacus and watching it fall apart in real time over a year. Slow beer death. I did the same with 6 bottles of 13.

I would have never let this happen. No way it would have lasted anywhere near a year in my house.