Rating: 5.8/5 * This version has been aged for 1 year since it’s release
Firestone XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker is a 13% ABV American Strong Ale combining several blends of beers all into this fine master piece. I had saved an extra bottle from last year to present during the time that the 17th anniversary was to be released. It was stowed away for the entire year. I will not go into much detail about the label or the strategy guide as I literally wrote a book on reviewing this beer last year. This year the 17th anniversary is around the corner and will be heading to many stores all over. Therefore, I will try and pick up a bottle to bring forth a review. Hopefully better or as good as last year’s review which you can check out on the link below.
Link the last year’s Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/firestone-xvi-sixteenth-anniversary-ale-by-firestone-walker/
Today, I want to go over the evolution and differences that I will try and pick up from last year to see what may have changed or reviewed from last years. First thing I can already tell is that it feels boozier from last year. Could have possibly grown to a 14 or 15% ABV. The difficulty in this review is trying to get the development from last years and how the strategy guide is useless here as I cannot tell which of the individual blends has developed more as the complexity has gone beyond my understanding. Either way, cheers and wish me luck.
Developed Aromas are of more dark fruits, more chocolate covered raisins, dulce de leche caramel, rich vanilla, coffee, smokey undertone, dark cherries, agave nectar, rocky road ice cream, ferro rocher chocolate pecan pie, bigger amounts of oak, bourbon, tequila, coconut, a wine grape character, chunky munky banana and cherry ice cream and kahlua coffee
Flavors have developed into more of rich rock road icecream with pecans, coconut, marshmallows, whiskey, agave tequila, wine hints, agave nectar, dark cherry yogurt undertone, raisins, dark and lighter fruits like peach and mango, caramel, kahlua chocolate, almond joy chocolate, banana chunky munky, smokey oak, vanilla, mocha frappuccino notes, more danish cookies, more leche nestle, maple, pecan pie and other complex flavors.
Aftertaste is of dark fruit, chocolate, roasted coffee beans and distinct liquor booziness. Nothing that is overwhelming or burning. In fact, it almost feels like the beer has mellowed out and gotten a bit smoother too. A definite sipper still though, this is a heavy ABV beer.
Overall:
More spectacular than before. You will get more enhanced flavors like stronger dark fruit and chocolate flavors along with a bigger booziness that plays well with others. You can tell there is a difference in the liquors as well, like the tequila and bourbon. I would definitely recommend it if you missed out on last years as this one was made with PNC. This year’s is made with Velvet Merkin, so I will definitely try my best to bring that beer forward here. Definitely a pick up if you can get it.
Anime Corner:
This is Shiba’i Chuutatsu from the Battle Vixens Series is the main Spoiler Alert Villain, goes by Kentei Spoiler Ends. This character, while deceiving others to be handicap, has no remorse towards others, much less her own comrades in the series. The dragon tatoos on her arms glow as she powers up her chi. She is actually very powerful when she unleashes her dragon stage. Oh yeah, she can play guitar too, go figure.
In the last beer review, I posted most of the cast of Battle Vixens “Ikki Tousen” but I also posted one of Sonsaku Hakufu, the protagonist of the series who also has the spirit of the Dragon. I have only seen he first half of the series but I understand it is her destiny to stop the villain. In both pictures here I wanted to show 2 abstracts. In the first picture I wanted to show how some of the colors of the label fit Hakufu in the picture. The cast of the series is supposed to represent the different beer blends that go into making this beer. In this beer review, we can see how they have “developed” or most of them. The colors of Shiba’i’s outfit were perfect for the label but in contrast with the development of the beer’s dark fruit, chocolate and dark cherry flavors, I wanted to show how the powerful this character was. Also, her hair is pink so that’s another fruit like cherry. You be the judge
Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore) 