WILK Friday BeerBuzz – 9 Nov 2012 Firestone Walker XVI w/Matt Brynildson

We’ve been setting our sight high and reaching further and further to welcome great brew masters on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz.  We think Northeastern PA deserves to hear from the best in the brewing world and we’ll stop at nothing to bring you great beer-guests on our show.

Of course today was no exception as we reached out to Paso Robles, CA to welcome our guest.  Firestone Walker Brewing has recently entered the PA markets and we’ve recently begun to see their beers available locally, but don’t let that fool you….Firestone Walker is 16-years old!

Firestone Walker opened their doors back in 1996 and have been brewing some really amazing beers.  It’s of course no accident that they not only won the GABF Gold in 2011 for their flagship DBA but they repeated that win again in 2012 with DBA again taking Gold at GABF.  This is no small feat given how hard it can be to win a single medal let alone back to back gold’s.

Today I was excited to welcome the man responsible for much of this medal winning brewing and we happily woke up Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson to talk beer.  It was a lot of fun catching up on the progress (aka completion) of their new 60bbl Hupman Brewhouse.  If you haven’t seen the pictures yet be sure to get online and check them out.  The new brewery is gorgeous and I’m talking about the amazing building as well as the equipment itself.

Of course we sampled a beer today with Matt, but not just any beer.  Today we sampled Firestone Walker XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale.  Don’t let the 13% ABV of this beer fool you.  This is a really wonderful, flavorful and complex beer…and when I say “complex” I really mean it.  Matt outlined how each year a team of brewers and winemakers converge on Firestone Walker to create their anniversary ale blend.  XVI consists of 226 barrels and 8 different beers (Velvet Merkin, Stickee Monkey, Double DBA, Parabola, PNC, Helldorado, Bravo & Wookey Jack)…and let me tell you it is amazing.  Each sip offers a new and interesting flavor and as the temperature of the beer changes, the flavors became even more complex.  Try this beer if you can and you’ll be as amazed as I was.

Thank you to Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker Brewing, Nancy, John & Joe for yet another

fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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