Membership has its benefits. The Firestone Walker Brewing Brewmaster’s Collective delivers dozens of amazing beers throughout the year, including many that are exclusive to the collection. The Collective Choice No. 02 is one of those club-only brews. Here’s what members get to experience.
Collective Choice No. 02
Created by the members of the 2022 Brewmaster’s Collective, Firestone Walker Brewing Collective Choice No. 02 is a blended ale with maple syrup, Tahitian vanilla beans, & toasted hazelnuts, aged in bourbon barrels & chocolate bitters barrels.
Deep roasty malt fills the glass, with a solid medium-brown head forming and then slowly falling. There’s no sign of lace in the wake, just a small ring of foam remaining around the edge of the glass. It’s rather pretty to look at, but things get even better when we take a sniff.
Piles of beautiful vanilla beans dance with toasty hazelnut, while sweet maple and bourbon mingle just behind them. Light, dry chocolate keeps the sweetness in check and there’s just a touch of toffee and coffee lurking in the distance. The aroma is really amazing and one you find yourself sitting and smelling it for so long, you finally realize you haven’t even had a taste yet.
Rich roasted malt floods the mouth, where wonderful flavors of hazelnut are in abundance. Sweet vanilla and sugary maple syrup are blended together beautifully, offering a good bit of sweetness. Bourbon-barrel flavor helps to dry out the sweetness, with the chocolate bitters barrel time imparting a nice dry and bitter chocolate. A touch of oak helps to dry things further, while vanilla and hazelnut last long into the aftertaste.
While it weighs in at 12.4% ABV and has a HUGE flavor, it’s easy drinking, going down with ease. Simply wish there was more included in the collection.
Collective Creation
Members did a wonderful job of picking the elements of this beer, while the brewers did a phenomenal job of blending it to perfection. Fantastic aroma and flavor, this is a lovely liquid.
The Firestone Walker Brewing Brewmaster’s Collective is a year full of amazing brew and more. Don’t miss out on all these delectable goodies.