DRAFT Magazine

[Editor's Note: Out of respect to Firestone Walker, this story won't mention actual percentages of beers in the blends described. We don't want to ruin anyone's surprise for the grand release of XIII.]

There are few things in life to which you know you can’t say no: dinner with your mom, a weekend getaway on the beach, and the opportunity to visit Firestone Walker Brewing Co. spring to mind. In fact, when Jamie called to ask if I was interested in joining him and the gang again this year to blend the anniversary beer, I didn’t even let him finish his sentence before saying, “Yes, whatever it is, I’m game.” Now, FSW isn’t in my neck of the woods, but the four and a half hour drive meant I had time to ponder the meaning of it all, recall the memories of last year’s extravaganza, and also soak in some impressive Central California views — desolate and beautiful all the same.

Here’s a thought I had on the way down: There isn’t a better brewery in California, and that can’t be overstated. When you scour the state from north to south and see names such as Sierra Nevada, Stone, Russian River, Anchor, Alesmith, Bear Republic, and more, it means a lot to be considered tops. I’m not saying FSW is “the best” in California, but I am certainly suggesting there is not a “better” brewery in the state. It isn’t as though I’m going out on a limb, either: With two Brewery of the Year awards from GABF this decade, as well as a whole mess of World Beer Cup and GABF beer medals, saying there’s none better isn’t a stretch.

Another thought: As good as FSW’s big beers are (Union Jack, XII), the elusive “Unfiltered Double Barrel Ale” might be the country’s, nay the world’s, best beer. At 5% ABV this beauty has a drinkability that cannot be beat. The beer has texture, aroma, and is full of flavor. I know it’s a hard to find brew, but if you do stumble across it, you absolutely need to order a pint or two. Drink deeply; this isn’t a beer designed for sipping.

Believe it or not, that is my segue to XIII.

Here’s the dirty little secret about being on the blending panel for FSW’s anniversary beers: a monkey could do it. Although we do serious work at the table, when you’re presented with eight barrel-aged beers at Firestone Walker, it’s pretty hard to screw up. Start with Parabola, Opal, Velvet Merkin, Double-Double Barrel, or Bravo as your base and you’re pretty much assured the end product is going to rock. All these beers are impressive on their own and could fetch a shiny penny on the market if ever made available, but the trick to the FSW anniversary beers is the blending of these components to make something jaw-dropping, something you can’t brew in a single batch. These blended beers are masterpieces, fine works of art that require discerning palates, great base beers, and a brewery willing to take the time to do this sort of work. The blending of XIII doesn’t happen in one day, or even two. Instead, the first round of sampling is barrel tasting, then it moves on to an initial phase of blending. We came in after this initial stage, working off the notes to create something a bit more refined. When we were done, Matt had a load of notes and ideas. His task once we left was to create something based on our work, sample it with yet another panel, then do the production blending before it is bottled and shipped out. In short, this is a labor of love that many brewers simply don’t have the time or energy to tackle.

The Blending
Before I started my blends I poured samples of all eight beers on the table. Each one had been aged in barrels and was vastly different from the next. I took very general tasting notes, a few words only that listed the beer’s primary flavor. We weren’t given a particular direction for the project, but I personally was shooting for a beer that was dark, full-bodied, high in alcohol to promote aging, with flavors of coconut and chocolate (my favorite flavors from the beers in front of me). If I could get hints of cherry and blackberry, I’d be even happier. Now, all I had to do was find the right balance — the right combination — and be sure I kept notes of everything I did. It was time to work.

Okay, maybe monkeys couldn’t do this. Pouring beer into small graduated cylinders is a chore, trying to track the percentages of each beer added… that’s just ridiculous. My first blend included 10ml of one beer, 10ml of another, 20ml of a third, and 15ml of two other creations. The resulting beer tasted good, but the resulting interplay of coconut and cherry wasn’t my vision. Additionally, I hoped for a darker color; therefore, it was on to test blend No. 2. This had the dark, near-black color I wanted, with the dominate coconut notes from bourbon barrel aging, but it wasn’t complex and I thinned the body too much for my taste by adding too much of a lower ABV brew. It was right around this time I realized blending on purpose was a bit more difficult than I hoped.

My fourth cylinder of beer was similar to my third, but I’d swapped out one fruity beer with less body for another that was fatter, with a bit more pepper in the mix. I was getting pretty darn close to what I wanted — well rounded, with a great interaction of coconut and chocolate and a hint of pie cherries. At this point, however, I realized the beer wasn’t the boozy concoction I’d set out to create. I wanted a beer that could age for years. I consulted my beer stats and then added 10 percent of the highest ABV brew on the table, which happened to have a lovely barrel quality.

Feeling good about the beer I blended together, I sought to recreate it based on the notes I had, only this time I had to double the quantity in order to have enough for all eight of us at the table to try. Everyone else had done the same work, but the vintners approached blending in a very different manner — often including methods that involved calculators! I don’t want to deviate too much from topic here, but the panel of vintners on hand for this blending had palates I’d rarely experienced. They were concise, could tell you with confidence how flavors would interact, and were intensely curious about how to maximize Firestone Walker’s overall efficiency (something the beer guys weren’t even considering at the time). It was easy to see why Matt uses this crew again and again.

One of the most fascinating things about the day was the fact that regardless of the methodology, we all came up with beer that was remarkably similar. Each of us used the same two beers as the base, in differing ratios, but ultimately resulting in a beer that was dark, fat, and boozy — awesome beers. The panel did not choose a “favorite;” that wasn’t really our job. Instead we all passed on our favorite recipes to Matt, discussed what we were hoping to achieve in our blends, and talked about why we liked each blend. Matt jotted down all the recipes, did a lot of chin-rubbing and calculations of his own, and then joined in with the panel as we imbibed on last year’s anniversary beer, XII, and some treasures provided by Pete Slosberg: bottles of Westvleteren 12 (one and six years old) and his legendary chocolate creations. We added some fabulous homemade bread to the mix and before we knew it, the table converted from a tasting panel to a group of buddies sharing stories, drinks, and noshing on homemade goodies. You can say it was a pretty good day.

As mentioned, the final blend will be Matt’s call, but from what I witnessed there’s little doubt this beer will impress even the staunchest beer geek. With the use of bourbon, brandy, rye, and other barrels, XIII is bound to be something worth buying, worth cellaring, and worth sharing with the closest friends and family for the most special of occasions. While the price tag may seem stiff for a beer, I’ll guarantee it’s worth every penny. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on some in the very near future.

About the Beer
This year’s release will be bottled in the next few weeks. As in years past, XIII will be sold in 22oz bottles and will retail for around $20. New this year is the retail packaging, as XIII will ship from the brewery in wooden cases.