Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

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

Bottle shared with tashi at my "All my US bottles from GBBF need drinking" tasting, 16th Aug 09. Bright lively golden amber with a thick white head. Lurking hop aroma - you know what’s coming. Dusty dry start to sip. Fruity, with nice grapefruit hints. Alcohol gives it weight but doesn’t mess with the flavours. tashi detects a hint of almond perhaps in the middle. I could definitely taste a nutty, biscuity malt, once the initial hop bombardment subsides.

Pours orange/amber with no head. Nose has caramel/toffee malt with pine & citrus hops...nothing new. Palate has alot of malt & hops, though the hops are probably alot duller than originally intended. Finished with rich malt & good hop balance but as mentioned not quite as robust. Good & would think is great fresh.

Bottle courtesy of Gator from TBS...thanks! Nice orange pour with great lacing and little islands of foam. Exactly what I was looking for with this IPA - huge pine nose, almost flowery. Citrus fruits in the background. The taste is hard-hitting pine as well. Some honey in the taste, extremely smooth, not as fizzy as i was expecting. In enjoyed this a ton.

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.

nice hop aroma hits your nose a soon as it was poured, nice fluffy white head with a golden apearance. really nice well balanced ipa, not overly bitter which was nice for a change.

I wish this were just a little more bittery. Pretty nice stuff. Grafruit , pine, toffee, toast, notes. Like it a lot

12oz bottle from bring on BA - thanks, Barry! Been wanting to try this brew for a while, so it was a mighty sweet extra. Very clean pour, clear light orange, with crisp carbonation and a thin foamy head. Bright and sweet aroma, with not much bitterness detectable. Full bodied, playful. More grass and bitterness in the taste, lending the beer a nice combination of flavors, well balanced and with a slightly dry finish (though those sweet citrus tastes are there throughout). Pretty good.

12 oz bottle Aroma- nice earthy smell with citrus hoppiness. malty caramel nose as well. Appearance- golden-orange, lingering off white head. minimal chill haze present. Taste- balanced taste up front of caramel malts and earthy hop flavors. Hops kick in, offer a bright, citrusy quality. Grapefruit bitterness comes through in the finish. bitter, lingering aftertaste not too strong. warming as well. Palate- medium bodied. slight slickness. light carbonation. Complex yet balanced and very drinkable.