Firestone Walker Parabola

In 2006, Firestone Walker embarked on a program to barrel-age a series of strong ales that would later be used as components of a blended beer. That blend would become their first Anniversary Ale, ’10′.  They would then release limited amounts of the component beers on draft only. Many of the beers were so outstanding, people demanded FW bottle them. Parabola in bottles was born.

This year the batch was aged in a combination of barrels for up to 12 months. Some barrels were used by American spirit producers, some for wine, and other are barrels retired from their Firestone Union.

I purchased this one from Consumer’s on Niagara Falls Blvd in Niagara Falls. I called all around the area, and they were the only ones I could find with some in stock.

I pulled the Parabola out of the fridge and allowed it to sit for about 15 minutes. It’s important to follow guidelines for proper storage and serving temperature for beer styles. Russian Imperial Stouts like this one should be served around 55 degrees fahrenheit. I poured Parabola into a snifter and it glugged very, very dark with a nice 1 finger creamy mocha head. It is truly lovely.

A swirl in my glass released smells of oaky vanilla soaked in just a few drips of bourbon. You can tell that this is a big beer, clocking in at 12.5% ABV. Alcohol is there in the nose as alcohol soaked raisin and sugar. Just a dusting of cocoa dusted espresso beans as well. Complex and sweet.

To me, the taste profile follows the nose in reverse. I get cocoa and alcohol at first, with fruit in the middle. This beer is strong and chewy. A hint of bourbon with the vanilla. Held in the mouth a bit brings out the warmth and oak and a little black cherry. This beer has a large amount of sweetness to it, something that I wish was mellowed out a bit. I would have liked a little more dryness to this one. After the swallow, the beautiful roastiness comes through, with slightly bitter coffee and cream. So, so good.

Mouthfeel is practically perfect. Big and chewy. Thick and viscous. Completely coats your tongue in its gigantic flavor. Very much a slow sipper. No beer I’ve ever had has gone down this slow. A bomber is to share for sure.

Overall, this is a world-class RIS that is full of big huge flavors. Most of the time I found that it was overly sweet and wish it was a tad more dry. I have one to age for a while and I cannot wait to visit this one again in the future with some years in the cellar on it.

4.5/5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer: Parabola
Brewery: Firestone Walker (CA)
Style: Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
Abv: 12.5%
Serving Type: Bottle

When I tell someone that I’m into craft beer as a hobby, a lot of people think I brew my own beer. Unfortunately, I don’t. I guess it is a common misconception that craft beer is synonymous with homebrew. While I would love to brew my own beer one day, I lack the funds and space to properly brew right now, and my girlfriend isn’t all that excited about the thought of it.

Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, NY

Getting into craft beer can be daunting, and I understand all the reasons to keep your fridge stocked with Bud Light. It’s cheap, goes down like water and gives a buzz. Though that “craft beer” you’ve tried, maybe it was a Magic Hat or Shock Top or Blue Moon…yeah, those beers aren’t even good and they are to craft beer like apples are to oranges. But you don’t have to stop there, plenty of different styles of beer exist, and you’ll have to experiment to see what you like.

Fallacies:
All craft beer is expensive.
All craft beer is bitter.
Craft beer contains more alcohol.

Sure there are beers that push >$30 or more, but there are world-class beers that range from $8-$12 a six-pack or like one of my favorites; Sierra Nevada Torpedo for $14.99 per 12 pack.

Most people start out with Pale Ales or sometimes India Pale Ale (IPA). They can be bone dry and extremely bitter, but not always. You’ll notice a lot of the craft world revolves around ale.

Bud, Miller, Coors, Stella Artois, Corona, Pabst, Heineken, even Buffalo favorites Labatt and Molson are all the same style of beer: American Adjunct Lager. They are labeled as such because instead of true “all grain mash” of malts, there are adjuncts like corn and rice that are used, but that’s another post. Hence this is the reason those beers taste like water and go down so smooth.

Which brings us to the two main categories: Ales and Lagers. There are main differences which we will not go into in this post, but remember that (generally) only those two exist.

Stouts, IPA’s, Porters, Cream Ale, Barleywine, Saison, Witbier, Kölsch, Sours, Belgian Dubbels/Tripels/Quadupels etc. are all ales.

Czech Pilsner, Bock, Dopplebock, Märzen, Eisbock, Helles, Dunkel, etc. are Lagers.

There are a lot more styles than that, too. If you want to get more information about each visit the BeerAdvocate Beer Styles page. I’m really brand new to all of this, but I’ve had some really great beer from all over the world, and I’m excited to share my experiences.

Bell's, Founders, Left Hand, Duck Rabbit and Lancaster

I intend to write this series to both review craft beer and use it as an education tool for people to learn and experience craft beer. Please feel free to join in on discussions, post comments or questions below or if you want, contact me directly!

Twitter: @MarkMiller30
Email: Mark [at] IceandBites [dot] com

The only injury I will accept is Miller’s. With it being open-season on goalies, it was inevitable. With Miller’s head clouded and trying to do too much, he fell into a slump. It was a rough road at first, but Buffalo is getting hot at the right time.

Tied with Washington, tonight’s game is huge. You’ve heard it before, but Buffalo controls their own destiny. Keep winning and you’re in. Lose, and you play golf like Toronto. I’d hate to think that this late surge was for nought and barely miss the playoffs. Not only is 8th available, but 7th isn’t too far out of reach. The boys can do it, they just need to keep firing on all cylinders. There are a few things the Sabres need to continue doing to make, and compete in the playoffs.

1) Miller needs to stay hot and healthy. If he loses this fire or starts to get cold, the team has almost no chance.

2) Scorers need to keep finding the net. Pommers is on his way to a 30 goal campaign, Stafford seems to have found his late season surge, and Hogdson has figured out how to score again. But we can’t afford for goals to stop being scored. Miller can only save so many.

3) Grit. We need the sandpaper game of the Boston Bruins from last year. Regehr needs to use his body, as does Myers. It’s not enough for McCormick to be the baddest guy on the ice. Put your purses away boys. It’s time to plow your way through late April.

Can the playoffs happen? Yes. Will they? I believe so. I’m not holding my breath for the division, but 7th is a realistic possibility. If everyone continues to play their game, the possibilities are endless.

Lindy Ruff – Probably the most popular scapegoat for the fans is none other than the coach.  Much like a quarterback, coaches get too much credit when they win and take too much criticism when they lose.  Unlike coaches in football that directly call the plays on the field, Ruff is often times at the mercy of his players.  Is Ruff to fault for a soft goal or defensive giveaway?  Is Lindy out there putting voodoo on Stafford’s stick?  Of course not, but why is Matt Ellis getting ice with 1 minute to go protecting a lead against Toronto?  What happened to the goalie rotation?  What is the thought behind certain players like Luke Adam, not seeing ice because they are not producing?  If we take that logic, the Sabres would only have two players (26 & 29) on the ice each game!  I am a DIEHARD Lindy supporter, but even I am having a hard time arguing for him to keep his job.

Darcy Regier – My personal scapegoat is the GM.  While the coach is at the mercy of his player’s performance, who puts the players on the team?  Darcy always had the easy out of being on a budget.  If there was a shortcoming, it was because the Sabres couldn’t go out and offer the big contracts other teams could.  Under performing players were kept for too long and trade acquisitions lacked impact (Steve Bernier anyone?).  Now that Terry Pegula has given Regier the PIN to his bank card, there are no excuses and nowhere to hide for the architect of the team.

Terry Pegula – As Lindy leads to Darcy, Darcy leads to Terry.  Some say Pegula should have cleaned house when he took over the team last year and others say he should clean house now.  Going down the food chain, if Darcy can fire Lindy and Terry can fire Darcy, it only seems like something should give.  To defend Pegula, if a team has over a decade of stability, how would it look when an outsider and a fan (for all intents and purposes) comes and cleans house in 10 months?  Terry is a billionaire… he didn’t get there by making rash decisions.

Injuries – Walking down the similar path where one leads to another, owner Terry Pegula recently blamed the Sabres struggles on injuries.  While it’s no secret “Healthy Changes Everything,” the Sabres have made mental mistakes and that has little to do with a shorthanded team.  If your team is losing because they simply aren’t good enough with a depleted roster, I understand.  If your team is losing because your forwards play scared and your defensemen can’t hang on to a puck, that’s entirely different.

Secondary Scoring – When a majority of your goals come from two players, you have a problem.  Luke Adam is 3rd on the Sabres with 10 goals.  That’s right, halfway through the season and your third leading goal scorer has 10!!! The list of players that are MIA is very, very long.  Not worth beating a dead horse here.

Pick your poison.  I didn’t even touch poor goaltending and library-like atmosphere at First Niagara center.  Both goalies have been bad but the D is doing nobody favors with mental lapses and half-assed effort.  Can you pin ALL the blame on one thing?  You could make an argument and I bet it would sound good.  To me it’s more of a perfect storm.  Everything that could go wrong… IS!  Obviously a lot needs to change and there is no quick fix.  Awful defense, sieve goaltenders and a lifeless offense will not win any games.  Poor game management, average players and a lack of direction from the top will kill you.  I’m just not sure how much more everyone can take.

Terry Pegula was a dream come true to Sabres fans.  Here was a guy, who was a fan of the team and very passionate about them… oh and he happens to be a billionaire that is willing to spend his own money if he has to, if it means Buffalo wins the cup.  Obviously, the Cup cannot be bought (ask the Rangers) but the desire to win will trickle downhill.  Small things like a new locker room is a message to the team that he is going to give his players whatever they need to win.

This isn’t supposed to be a long post waxing on everything he’s done, but merely a reminder of the hope he brought.  It’s easy to get bogged down by the negativity.  People often take professional sports far too seriously.  They obsess (guilty), tailgate (guilty), travel to great lengths (guilty), get tattoos (guilty) and the follow every detail of their team since they can remember, but it’s just a game.  Have fun with it.  If you feel stressed about the team, it’s only because you care.  At least we know we have one of us in charge of the team we love.

Enjoy the ride.

Positives: It doesn’t matter if you’ve watched Vanek for a few minutes or from his freshman year in the Maroon and Gold like I have, you know this guy is a goal scorer.  The puck just always finds the way to his stick and usually to the back of the twine.  I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but this guy has some serious mojo in front of the net.  Vanek is a big body that’s tough to move in front and as a result he’s able to chip it home.  His goals aren’t all pretty, but they all count the same.  When not in front of the net, Vanek has an absolute howitzer of a slap shot.  Nothing is better than seeing him windup because more so than not, the next faceoff will be at center.

Negatives: Thomas Vanek could easily go down as the best Sabre of this generation and one of the best all time.  He recently passed Rene Robert for 8th all time in goals as a Sabre and shows no signs of stopping.  For a great as Vanek is, he never seems able to “take over” a game.  When Ovechkin is feeling it, he is a force out there.  When Crosby is on his game, he is nearly unstoppable.  Vanek doesn’t possess this ability.  When Vanek has a big game, he might score a few from the doorstep, but there are very few times where he dominates.  Thomas Vanek has the numbers of an all-star but without the recognition.  I am sure some of that is playing in a small market, but that never stopped Alexander Mogilny.  You always noticed him out there.  He dictated the pace of the game by carrying the puck through the neutral zone.  You always noticed #89 on the ice… you can’t say the same for #26.

2012 Outlook: This season, Vanek is on pace for his 3rd 40-goal season.  The pairing of Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville has sparked the Sabres on offense, but the duo can only carry the team so far.  Vanek has improved his all-around game throughout his career and it shows.  Just shy of his 28th birthday, the best might be yet to come.  It’s easy to lament the lack of a true #1 Center on this team.  I hate to beat a dead horse, but could you imagine what how much Vanek could elevate his game with one around?

Picture from @LindyRuffsTie

Positives: There is no doubt in my mind that Jason Pominville’s biggest strength is something you’ll never see on the ice or a stat sheet, and that’s his brain.  Pominville is an extremely intelligent player that seems to always make the right play.  Despite his goal scoring totals since his arrival from Rochester, Pominville has always been more of a playmaker or set-up man.  It doesn’t hurt to have a deadly snapshot either, but since Danny Briere’s departure, Pominville hasn’t been placed with someone that can benefit from his crisp, accurate passes until Thomas Vanek this season.  Pommers has also been money in shootouts and I place the most confidence in him to score (Vanek too).

Negatives: Nobody will ever accuse Jason Pominville of ever playing too rough.  The former Lady Byng nominee has never been one to lay out someone with a body check.  You sensing a theme here?  Most of the Sabres aren’t overly physical and it’s only fitting that their captain leads the way.  You don’t need to hit everything on two legs to make an impact, but there are times where Pominville can shy away from contact.

2012 Outlook: With new linemate Thomas Vanek, the Sabres have a strong top line.  Can you imagine how good they can be if they had a real top-line center.  I would like to see Luke Adam return to that spot and not Jochen Hecht.  At the pace Jason Pominville is scoring, he has a chance to eclipse his season high 80 pts he had in 2007-08.  The “C” has turned Pominville into a complete player that is very invaluable to this team.  For once, I don’t have a funny image for the end of a post, so I’ll just use an old one I found online of a young looking Paul Gaustad and the old curly haired Pominville.  Enjoy.

Positives: While Nathan Gerbe has many strengths, what I admire most about him, is just that… his strength.  For a player as small as him, Gerbe is strong and looks it on the ice.  At just 5’5″ Gerbe is listed at 178lbs.  I have no doubt that’s all muscle.  I’m 5’10″ and weigh that much but I am quite rounded in the middle.  For that reason I blame Labatt’s but to be 5 inches shorter must mean Nathan Gerbe is solid.  This guy plays with no fear and is more physical that Tyler Myers and Paul Gaustad combined.  Gerbe has good hands and a quick release.  Hell, if Nathan Gerbe was any bigger, he would almost be a power forward.

Negatives: This is a point where on paper you can point to his size.  When Gerbe plays like he’s 6’3″, you must turn your attention elsewhere.  I have often said that you can tell a lot about a player when they don’t have the puck, and I think this is where Nathan Gerbe can turn a weakness into a strength.  I’d like to see Gerbe play a little better defensively.  This is not to say he’s lacking in this area, I just think Gerbe is capable of anticipating the play better and making better reads in his own end.  Could you imagine Gerbe being a force at all ends of the ice?  There would be no stopping him.

2012 Outlook: Here’s an interesting question, would we think any less of Gerbe’s hustle and physicality of he were 6 ft tall? Does Gerbe’s size define his game?  I think no, although I think either side of the coin could argue their point.  I think as fans, we can recognize a player with as much heart and grit as Gerbe.  I do think everything he does in spite of his size is amplified as he’s the smallest player in the league.  Isn’t it fun to root for the underdog?  Don’t people see a bit of themselves in #42?  We all have odds and obstacles to overcome and isn’t the best way to conquer any challenge through hard work.

I have enjoyed Gerbe’s career since his Boston college days.  Even though he was slowed down this season by injuries, 2012 is a fresh start and Gerbe could go a long way in showing up the high-priced forwards on this team.  I anticipate big things for him in the future.  Widely becoming a fan favorite, I hope Gerbe is as much a leader off the ice, as he is on the ice.  Gerbe wearing a letter on his jersey would make a lot of people proud of him and his hustle.

A Real Man's Man

Positives: Personal opinions aside, a down year from Ryan Miller is still better than most.  Just being able to dress the same goalie each night is quite an advantage.  Do you think the Flyers would kill to have stability in net?  What about the Leafs? As we have seen in the past, when Ryan Miller is on his game, he is among the best in the world.  Miller is quick and has even quicker reflexes.  He is smart with playing the puck and over the past few years he has been more vocal and even more physical on the ice.

Negatives: Let’s just say Miller wasn’t given the Mr. Softee because he likes ice cream.  Miller can give up an easy one far too often.  Often times without a screen, one will sneak under his arm or above his glove.  Elite goalies do not have this happen on a weekly basis.  Ryan Miller is also inconsistent on his aggressiveness.  Last year’s playoff series was a perfect example.  Miller blanked Philly twice when he played with confidence and played at the edge of the crease.  Miller, in the same series, was terrible when the Flyers would park a body in front and disrupt his line of sight.  A few got by him and as a response, Miller played back in his net.  The rest is history.  About 42 goals to the high glove later and the Sabres lost the series.

2012 Outlook: The tide is turning against Miller in the public eye, some are quicker than others to hand the keys over to Enroth.  Now we have a daily barrage of rumors, trade speculation and Jerry Sullivan trying to create his own news stories.  Not everything is Miller’s fault as he has experienced ever changing blueliners in front of him and Lindy Ruff’s asinine goalie rotations.  Miller is susceptible to fatigue and often looks tired mentally as well as physically.  Personally I think Miller still has something left in the tank.  I hope the court of public opinion doesn’t turn against him, but there is only so many excuse people can make for poor performance.  If anything, maybe the marriage jinx has hit another athlete.  Plus, I will use any excuse to post pictures of Mrs. Miller.

It's safe to say, he outkicked his coverage on this one