(Paso Robles, CA) – Firestone Walker held a bottle release over the weekend for Parabola Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout 2014 at its brewery. Distribution usually isn’t too far behind though no retailers have posted availability yet. The 2014 edition is the fifth annual release. More below from the brewmaster on the 2014 vintage…

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“This year’s Parabola release was aged in an array of barrels from a number of Bourbon producers which held great spirits like Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace and Four Roses. This year’s Parabola is a massive beer with bold barrel derived character and yet it is the smoothest, most integrated release to date. I never thought of our brewery as a stout house, but this beer makes me smile. The brew team and I are very happy with the results of the barrel aging program; 2014 is going to be a very good year across all of our Proprietor’s Reserve Vintage Series!” – Brewmaster Matt Brynildson.

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Updated 3/13/14 PR from the brewery:

Paso Robles, CA—Like no other vintage before it, the 2014 Parabola by Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a beer of darkness and immensity, a beast that bares its teeth with a highest-ever 14% ABV—and yet its bite remains refined.

“The flavor profile of this beer is pretty intense, but it also offers this creamy dark chocolate and polished milled cocoa character that keeps the bitterness in check,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “So you’ve got this massive beer that goes down smoothly. It’s the smoothest, most integrated Parabola release to date.”

The 2014 Parabola is a Russian imperial oatmeal stout that was aged for a full year in a blend of barrels from Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace.

“Our program keeps maturing each year, relative to our ability to get this mix of barrels from high-end bourbon producers,” Brynildson said. “We’ve identified distillers whom we really like, and we’ve worked hard to maintain connections with them. It’s less about extracting whopping bourbon notes and more about getting this integrated barrel character with complex flavors.”

The Parabola recipe and brewing methods remain the same every year, so vintage variation is rooted in barrel selection. “Every vintage is slightly different,” Brynildson said. “That’s the beauty and the point of making vintage beers.”

The 2014 Parabola is limited to 3,500 cases of 22-ounce bottles. It will be available in select markets across the United States starting this month. The suggested retail is $16.99.