Shane and I recently shared a bottle of the limited release Double DBA (Double Barrel Ale) from Firestone Walker. The Double DBA is part of the Proprietor’s Reserve Series, Batch No. 001. Released at the end of July into distribution, this is dubbed a Barrel-Aged Imperial Extra Special Bitter, housed for 12 months in a combination of new American oak barrels and retired bourbon barrels.

After I made an attempt at vigorously pouring the bottle contents into two tulip glasses, we got about a two-finger caramel colored head. There was no significant traces of lacing left on the glassware; just the beautiful deep hazy, amber-caramel colored beer sitting still. The caramel malt and toffee aromas combine well with bourbon and oak notes from the barrel aging process. There are some dark fruit notes that are present in the background, with vanilla taking a more prominent role.

On the palate, the taste followed suit with the aromas quite well. It was a nice, well balanced base of caramel malt, toffee, bourbon and oak accents playing well with each other. There is a small earthy bitterness from the residual hops left after the aging process. For me, the barrel aging is what really sets this beer apart from your typical craft beer, even though it’s become wildly popular recently. The slight booziness, oak, and vanilla play well with one another especially at a higher alcohol by volume.

Double DBA comes off on a fuller end of medium-bodied supplemented with slight carbonation. It’s evident that Firestone Walker really shines with their barrel-aging program and this beer really reinforces that.  I highly recommend seeking out and picking up two bottles of this; one to enjoy and share now, the other to age.

Rating

96
out of 100