Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

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

Definitely a rival with Stone for best west coast IPA. Came on the recommendation of kenb and he knows his beer! Finishes with a lovely resinous feel.

6/26/09 notes: bottle. Aroma is soapy and orangy, with a nice roundness about it. Flavor starts with orange marmalade, moves towards toffee-caramel, and finishes in clean, balanced bitterness. Very well balanced. A juicy, balanced IPA. Similar, but slightly more hoppy than Boulder’s Mojo IPA.

Bottle (in NZ). Pours a golden amber with a filmy head. Big aroma of citrus hops and caramal malt. Plenty of complex malt on the palate - earthy and nutty. The hops linger in the background at first before drying out the mouth in the swallow and leaving a long resiny finish.

Hazy gold,small lasting beige head.Grapefruit hop nose. Nice citrus/bitter hop profile, long medium strength finish

Tasted 6/15/09. 22oz bomber. Filtered with a dark golden hue. Honey, hoppy and floral aromas with a touch of toast. Full bodied with a dry body and bitter palate. Earthy malts. Earthy hops. Woody and tangy. Honey sweetness in the malt bill. This is a solid beer, and judging from the price tag, this would easily make it into my weekly rotation...were it available in my area...

A perfect "normal" IPA. Mostly dry citrusy, aromatic, soft-medium effervescence still propels a full aroma, malts are present, fresh tasting and light thin caramel and cracker. Better than a resinous sweet hop bomb for certain.

22 oz bottle via Hagen. Pours a semi-hazy amber with a decent sized somewhat chunky head. Doesn’t leave much lacing. Nose is all hops..mostly citrus..grapefruit, pine. Taste is very good. Wish they would have used some Simcoes in the finishing hops though. I love Simcoe flavor, ashamed to waste them in just bittering part of boil. I think i can almost tell they are there at least, and the the Centennial is nice along with the Cascade in the end. The tomahawks give it that extra punch in the aftertaste. THis is a very very good IPA and a half, bordering on IIPA territory, but without the high alcohol bite often found in IIPA’s. I think 7.5% in this case is just perfect. The body is just right too. Medium/full body. Malt backbone is there, but allows the hops to ride a 20 foot wave atop it. All this could use to make it perfect, in my eyes, are more Simcoe hops in the flavor profile,and more dry hopping for aroma. Not complaining though, this is better than almost every IPA out there. Well done! Now out to the freezer to get some Simcoes to drop in my Firestone! Do it yourself dry hopping!!!

Bottle at Papago. Pours a bright copper color with a frothy white head. Smells predominantly of grapefruit. Everythig starts nicely, but this one definitely drops off in flavor -- mild with citrus, flour, and grass. Was really hoping for more depth of flavor and body.