Firestone Walker Helldorado 2017

**Aroma:** “Subtle aroma, mostly pear, apple, and stone fruit esters with some pale malt sweetness. Just a hint of vanilla and coconut. Sweetness from the malt balances well. A hint of dried thyme. Perhaps some Muscat grapes? Dulce de leche-like soft caramel. Very different than the others we’ve tried.” **Flavor:** “A really well done blonde barleywine: light toffee, bananas, burnt toast, and a bowl of fruit. Light caramel. This is incredibly clean and very strong. Barrel character is complementary and comes through as coconut and vanilla. Some hops character.” **Overall:** “Kind of like a Belgian barleywine, if that’s a thing. This is clearly its own thing. It doesn’t fall into the barleywine box, but it is very much a barrel-aged and strong unique take on the style, with the focus being on the lighter malt and barrel character.”

Aroma: “Lots of alcohol up front—whiskey, vanilla, and oak. There’s a touch of fresh-split campfire wood. Caramel and toffee, plum, biscuit, rich malt behind the whiskey and oak. Slight earthy notes. Marshmallow sweetness with caramel and light chocolate mixed with a touch of fruitiness.” Flavor: “Caramel toffee, vanilla, and oak. Sweetness fades into the fairly dry finish. Earthy hops flavor is really nice and balances the malt sweetness. Balanced on the finish. Medium hops spiciness with a touch of caramel.” Overall: “Very classic, if there is such a measure for barrel-aged imperial brown ales. The barrel supports the beer nicely, and the beer supports the barrel. Fairly boozy imperial brown with supporting spicy barrel character. Well-balanced, with impeccable flow.”

**Aroma:** “Spicy hops aroma is very herbal and almost medicinal, with some dark cherry esters. Nice sweet caramel and toffee malt aroma. Hops aroma is subdued, floral and earthy.” **Flavor:** “The hops character in this beer is earthy, woody, a bit spicy, and floral, with mild bitterness—more than the nose would suggest. Notes of caramel and toffee come through well with a light body. Some tart notes in mid-palate. Hops flavors clash with the fruity yeast esters, though as it warms these work better together. Bitterness is a little low for the style, allowing the malt to linger a little too long.” **Overall:** “Nice example of the style. A decent English pale ale, but hops choices don’t quite harmonize with the malt complexity and yeast esters. A smooth round malt backbone anchors the flavor profile. Plenty of hops to keep things interesting—perhaps more than would usually be found in England—this is an American take on a British style.”