Beer Review- Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

Bottled on Date: 12/11/13
I'm excited to try this beer after Jim Trollinger told me about it a few months ago.

From Firestone Walker's website: "Our flagship brew highlights barrel-fermented batches from our patented Firestone Union blended with beer fermented in stainless steel.  It opens with a biscuity toasted malt aroma and a hint of oak and vanilla.  Pale malts create a smooth malty middle with ribbons of caramel, English toffee and toasted oak.  A tribute to English pales traditionally fermented in cask."

Appearance: Brilliantly clear, Dark Copper Color, One finger head, off white, with good retention/lacing. It would be very difficult to find a prettier beer than this.

Aroma: Slightly nutty aroma, a little bit of breadiness, and maybe a slight oak aroma, followed by slightly woody, earthy hop aroma.

Taste: Biscuit malt, slight caramel, balanced by hoppy bitterness, and fading to an oaky, toast, and vanilla flavor. I'm thinking the toast flavor/aroma is related to the use of chocolate malt in this beer. Really a pretty complex development of flavors. The bitterness is the last taste, but it does not linger, and finishes very clean. Possibly the most well-balanced beer I've ever had.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium-high carbonation.

Overall: Probably the best Bitter I've ever had. I'm regretting only buying two bottles of this. Due to its balance and clean finish, I find it to be very drinkable. It's really probably a good thing now that I think about it that I only have two bottles on hand. It might be hard to stop grabbing bottles out of the fridge if I had a full six pack.