Firestone Walker Wookey Jack

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.   Buellton, CA

Notes:

Black Rye I.P.A.

22oz Bottle

8.3% ABV

From their website:

Wookey Jack is our first foray into the dark outer world of black IPAs.  Rich dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold citrus laden hops creating a new dimension in IPA flavor.  This brew has been left unfiltered and unfined to retain all of its texture and character.  At 80 IBUs, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.

Appearance:  Pours a dark, dark brown, though I slightly can see through it…tight, small bubbled head formed, dark khaki in color, about a finger width thick…it hangs round, though it thins a bit…looks way more like a porter than an IPA…a good lookin’ brew…(4/5)

Smell:  Tons of orange, tangerine and pineapple citrus aroma up front with a noticeable peppery rye spice undertone…not overly diverse, citrus zest first and rye malt second, nicely balanced…fairly straight forward…(4/5)

Taste:  Yum! A creamy rye opening, biting and peppery, zesty and lively…tons of flavor right off the back…very malt heavy at first, runs most the sip until I swallow…the after taste is full of light citrus flavor and earthy/piney bitterness…there’s a hint licorice…mild robust earthiness grows across my palate with each sip…after about 5, I’m inundated with fresh piney resinous hops flavor…fantastic! (4.5/5)

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, medium to full carbonation…tons of fluff bringing a spicy rye pepper flavor to the palate…mildly chewy, creamy smooth with a touch of dryness to the finish…I could use a touch more citrus zest, but this is close to perfection…(4.25/5)

            

Overall:  This is a fantastic beer…I’ve been loving the rye’d upped ales lately and this one’s up there with the best of them…I’m not usually in love with black IPA’s, but creamy and flavorful with peppery rye backbone, this brew is outstanding…super drinkable, there’s not too much sign of the higher ABV…I had heard that this was good and it’s actually great…I’m definitely gonna get a couple of these for the closet to share with friends abroad…for me, this is “world class” and should be tried by any beer aficionado…there’s a born on dates, so pick it up fresh (their website says within 120 days of production) and enjoy! (4.5/5)

Score:

(4.27/5)