Beer Spotlight!
Spotlight on the Firestone Walker 2022 Parabola
$10.99 for the 12oz bottle
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is based in Paso Robles, CA and has been putting out beer since 1996. Here is what they have to say about this week’s spotlight beer …
“The Beast is Back: Parabola 2022 (Feb 10, 2022)
“Our iconic barrel-aged stout is back with a few new twists as we release the 2022 vintage of Parabola …
“The lineage of Parabola dates back to 2005, when Brewmaster Matt Brynildson began aging a proprietary imperial stout in bourbon barrels in anticipation of creating our first Anniversary Ale barrel-aged blend. Parabola would soon become a cornerstone component of the Anniversary Ale program, and it wasn’t long before it merited its own stand-alone release.
“Since then, Parabola has become one of our most-anticipated beers, released each year in limited quantities and renowned for its big, boozy, and balanced intensity. Parabola carries a rare 100-point rating on Beer Advocate, cementing its place in the pantheon of barrel-aged beers.”
“Parabola: Vintage 2022
“The latest vintage of Parabola was aged for a year in 12-year-old Heaven Hill bourbon barrels for the first time ever.
“ ‘Historically, we’ve aged Parabola in six- to eight-year-old bourbon barrels, but this time we seized the opportunity to age it in older barrels,’ says Barrel Program Manager Eric Ponce. ‘It adds a new dimension to what people have come to know and love about Parabola.’
“According to Eric, the older-stock barrels accentuated Parabola’s signature flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, and vanilla with vintage-specific notes of stone fruit, fudge, and tobacco. ‘You get extra layers of complexity that make the drinking experience all the more edifying,’ Eric said.” (Firestone Walker Brewing Company)
What We Say
The 2022 Parabola is almost like biting into a bourbon brownie. A doughy, boozy aroma leads you right into a ridiculously rich stout replete with those tastes and more. And yet, with everything going on in this beer that Firestone Walker says is going on, you still don’t lose the herbaceous taste of the hops to reign back in the richness.
Thank Heaven it’s Parabola time again!