Dec 8, 2014

Firestone Walker Opal

It was still late August when I purchased and subsequently thoroughly enjoyed this bottle of Firestone Walker’s Opal. The weather was still warm and the 7.5% ABV saison hit the spot wonderfully.

Now, I’ve had a few farmhouse ales in my time, but I believe that this is the first ever “dry-hopped” (with Hallertau Blanc) variety. Firestone Walker deliver a solid amount of barnyard funk with this brew, but also a solid helping of leafy, grassy hops. The additional hop influence is spot on, adding another layer to the brew’s flavor profile without setting it off into an overly “hoppy” realm.

Firestone Walker Opal photo

Appearance

Opal pours a bright, slightly greenish yellow in color with a massive stack of dense white foam that displayed good resiliency and lacing as it fell.

Aroma

Parliament’s “We Want the Funk” immediately ran through my skull after the first sniff of this brew. There’s plenty of barnyard funk, grassy hops, grain and distant spices running through this one.

Taste

And just like the nose, Opal is super funky with a solid wash of grassy hops, a light sweetness and overall refreshing nature. Grain and a touch of warmth linger gently as this light bodied brew finishes out cleanly. The hop influence is assertive in flavor, but not in bite. — the bitterness never really goes beyond moderate in level.

Overall

I really like this beer. Opal has a wonderfully, funky saison base with just the right amount of hop flavor to drive it over the top. It’s not “hoppy” in that it will wreck your palate or overwhelm the base style, but it is more assertive than most. Essentially, the funk leads the way while the hops follow in this refreshingly excellent beer.

Rating: 4.25/5

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