Paso Robles, CA: Firestone Walker today released a special imperial edition of DBA, the beer that started it all for the brewery back in 1996.
Double DBA Batch 10k lands as a commemorative release that marks the 10,000th batch of beer brewed at Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles, California brewery.
“This was the perfect beer to bring us full circle and mark this milestone brewing moment,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It takes DBA’s classic oak-influenced profile to an entirely new level.”
Double DBA Batch 10k originates from DBA that was brewed at double strength, then aged for a year in 11-year-old Old Fitzgerald wheated bourbon barrels. This distinctive barrel treatment enhanced DBA’s classic flavors of toffee and caramel with notes of baking spice, cocoa powder and dried fig.
Double DBA Batch 10k is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in limited 12-ounce bottle and draft formats. It is also available for a limited time at all Firestone Walker locations and online at FirestoneBeer.com.
Staying Power
DBA—originally known as Double Barrel Ale— was the first beer made by Firestone Walker starting in 1996. It was born as a British-style pale ale with a touch of California flair, and it became an instant hit on the Central Coast. DBA was particularly notable for being partially fermented in American oak barrels.
“We made this one beer, DBA, that went through our version of a Burton Union with linked oak barrels,” recalled David Walker. “In those days, our volumes were so slow that we actually named the barrels.”
The original makeshift brewery was located on the back-forty of the Firestone family vineyard in Los Olivos. In 2001, Firestone Walker moved its brewing operations 90 miles up the California coast to Paso Robles, where DBA has remained a fixture in the Firestone Walker portfolio.
Firestone Walker brewed another special edition of DBA back in 2005 to commemorate the 1,000th batch brewed in Paso Robles. Now comes Double DBA Batch 10k to celebrate the staying power of this original Firestone Walker flagship.
“I always think it’s a fun challenge to keep a beer like DBA relevant in the new world of craft beer, where styles and tastes can be mercurial,” Brynildson said. “Brewing this special edition of DBA for our 10,000th batch and aging it in these amazing barrels—it just seemed like the perfect way to tie it all together.”
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Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with three innovative brewing facilities. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.