Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Paso Robles, California USA

Big thanks to hophead22 for this one! Pour is cloudy copper with medium white head. Aroma has strong floral notes up front followed by grapefruit and orange scented hops. Some notes of honey and only faint malt also detectable. Flavor is floral hops up front, then citrus hops come through: grapefruit and orange. Pine hops hit on the end and in the finish. Finish also contains a touch of malt. The malt is not very detectable, more of a canvass for the hops - exactly what I like in IPA’s. Very tasty stuff!

Clear gold pour with a large, lasting, loose white head and great lacing. The aroma is sweet and fragrant with strong grapefruit, juniper, pine and notes of honey and toffee from the malt. There’s also some hints of pepper and lemon zest. The flavor is sweet but not cloying with lots of grapefruit, toffee and pine needles. There’s some dry biscuit from the malt and it has a lasting, floral bitterness in the aftertaste. The body is medium in mouth feel, dry, and has lots of carbonation.

On Draft at My Friends House (Really). Pours a rich golden color with unbelievable clarity. This beers aroma is not too overpowering to the senses, however prepares a person quite nicely for a citrus laden IPA. I have heard it described as a double IPA, however I disagree. Just because it is nearly 8% abv does not make it a double. This beer drinks very easy. The Simcoe hops that are used for bittering are acutaly very apparent. Blended with the 3 "C" hops gives this IPA a delicious balance. Not too bitter at all. The malt balances with hops, neither one overpowers the other. Not to be forgotten is the flavor of their unique burton-union system of fermentation. It is such a unique flavor addition that is sets itself apart from most other beers in its style. If you can find it fresh, go get it. I agree with bhensonb, this is an incredibly drinkable beer.

Just purchased.....I was at the brewery a few weeks ago and they did not have this on tap, which I was very disappointed. This is a decent IPA, not huge but not thin either. Good sessionable beer. Grapefruit and pine on the nose and tongue. Good but maybe overpriced at 9$ for a 6er. Maybe this is the effect of the hop/price implication. rerated- bumped from 3.6 to 3.9, this is a good tasty clean IPA. bumped up again from 3.9 to 4.1. I just did a side by side tasting of three top IPA’s and this was easily on top.

Bottle. Pours clear orange amber with a decent white head. Grapefruit and pine in the nose and taste. Medium-bodied with a nice hop finish. Re-rate: Cask at Elysian’s SBW Firkin-Firkin throwdown (vs. Big Time Scarlett Fire). Pours clear amber with a small white head. Floral/pine /funky citrus nose. Taste is pine hops and pineapple sweetness. Nice bitter pine finish. I liked this a little better than the Big Time.

Bottles of this recently showed up in the Portland, Oregon market. Colour... pours a delightful golden-amber colour with a thin ecru head. Nose... lightly piney yet redolent of a variety of hops. Palate... plenty o’ hops up front, nice malty backbone, grapefruit skin and citrus pith. Moderately bitter on the soft palate with a long, lightly resinous finish. A truly well-balanced, sessionable IPA that can appeal to hop-heads and hop neophytes, alike!

Hoppy and wicked strong. Superb head with great aroma. Lots of legs on this one. Definitely citrus and bitter hop flavor. 22 oz. @ 51F.

Possibly the best ale I ever bought - the first six pack. The second six pack seemed not as good. Like the California Pale, it was too carbonated and the flavor had slipped from that original excellent taste. Still great but somehow went from number one to number three on my list.