Union Jack India Pale Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

ktblue22

Vermont

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance - very light orange, clear and little head
Smell - lots of sharp grapefuity citrusness, slight pine on the finish
Taste- mmm wow!! Beautifully accentuates the hops in this IPA without overpowering the palate. The grapefruit comes through in a juicy way - like biting into a perfectly ripe fruit.
Mouthfeel - medium bodied with perfect carbonation. Very drinkable.

Overall - pairing it with a sharp cheddar cheese, really really good. Very happy with this beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 22:55:43 | More by ktblue22

carrionricardo

California

4.75/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is the one that should be in your fridge at all times.just a hand down excellent display of what a west coast ipa should be.very pinkey,citrus,grapefruit and even some orange rind flavors but very well balanced. I know why this beer wins awards every were it goes.a Lil advise try the big brother.double Jack.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:16:02 | More by carrionricardo

alex_hart

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pour a clear, golden color with some amber tints to it. Great looking carbonation. A pretty beer.

Smell: A lot of the classic IPA scents. Pine, pineapple, some other citrus, and a hint of grapefruit.

Taste: Goes along with the smell in the same way, but really has nothing extra to it. Not all that exciting.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with good carbonation. Follows the style well.

Overall: Honestly I think I was just expecting more after all of the hub-bub about Firestone all the time. It is an average IPA, but nothing more.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 15:27:20 | More by alex_hart

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A good IPA, but not as good as I expected. I have very high expectations for the Cali IPA's and this fell short. I intend on revisiting, as this is always available in CO and is reasonably priced. I'd like to try this along with Odell's IPA (a "go to" beer for me), to really give a well rounded comparison.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 21:42:36 | More by DenverHopHead

n2185

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 4/17/13: probably the freshest bottle of this beer that I've ever come across.

A: Pours a clear gold with a finger of white head that fades into a thin ring with good lacing.

S: Lots of grapefruit and pine on the nose with pineapple and earthier hop notes underneath. The finish smells of sweet citrus.

T: Grapefruit dominates with pine and pineapple here. Earthy and citrus rind flavors follow with a moderately bitter finish. The flavors are pungent without being overbearing.

M: Medium body and carbonation that accentuates the hop flavors well, this beer is drinkable without being oily or watery.

O: A difficult beer to find fresh, but one of the best single IPA's out there. Very tasty!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 06:46:55 | More by n2185

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a gold/amber color with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citrus and floral hoppy notes is really enjoyable with light sweet undertones. Taste is also dominated by sweet notes with nice floral hoppy notes and some citrus undertones with limited bitterness. Body is about average with good carbonation. Well brewed with great drinkability factor and limited bitterness level.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:53:52 | More by Phyl21ca

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - Union Jack India Pale Ale - 12fl oz bottle

Look - Pours a golden amber with a full foamy head. Good sticky lacing around the glass. Minimal carbonation. Good looking brew.

Smell - Bready malts with deep resinous hops over it, a bit low-key here.

Taste - Malts are quickly subdued by bitter piney/resinous hops.

Mouthfeel - Mouthfeel is a dry bitter pine, not much else to it, a bit one-dimensional to be honest. Drinkable throughout, which is good.

Overall - Not bad, but I was not impressed overall. I think this brew is a bit overrated, but everyone has their own tastes. Firestone Walker does make amazing brew though, I highly recommend Firestone Walker - Double Jack if you want to be blown away by a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 12:02:51 | More by JMScowcroft

TheCondor

Missouri

4.29/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I recently made a decent sized run to the beer gettin' place, this is the first one for a while. As I sit and drink my beers, I am contemplating going to the American Beer Classic in Chicago. With that being said, my quest to drink the Beers of Fame continues....

Appearance - Pours a transparent, golden orange color with minimal head, which negates head retention. Very little lacing. Kind of surprised that, even with the aggressive pour I gave it, the head came out pretty flat. That is the biggest reason why it gets a 4 in presentation. Love the packaging though.

Smell - Whoa floral and citrusy aromas. Big pine, grapefruit, and citrus notes could be detected even during the pour, probably the best part of the beer. A slight malty hint could be detected as well, nothing major. Certainly smells like an IPA.

Taste - A tasty concoction indeed. The hops are the primary palate stimulation, coming on strong in the middle and finish of the drink. There is a sweetness to the drink as well, likely from the malt balance. Pretty well balanced brew, good level of hops and bitterness for me.

Mouthfeel - Finishes with a bittersweet pop, much as I expected. Leaves that bitter taste on the palate for a little while after the drink. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall - This is a great beer, no doubt, but not the best Firestone Walker has to offer. For that, I would recommend their Walker's Reserve porter, which I found to be fantastic. I love Paso Robles, the brewery is in a great spot. I would highly recommend this brew, even to those who aren't the biggest hop-heads like myself.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:00:12 | More by TheCondor

smiga

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Whole Foods sells singles so you can try a great variety for a small premium. Buy as part of a set of 24 and get a 10% discount on all. Freshness on this one was a bit long: 11-16-12, poured on 4-27-13. that's 5 months bottle aging!

A: Poured into a Leffe chalice, and I'm beginning to think a big .5l glass cylinder is better for bringing out the best in these crafts. Pours a bright pale copper color, clear, with amazing lacing... all the way down the glass. Great body, great pour.

S: Piney hop, subtle California herbs and coastal trails. But not a strong waft.

T: Beautiful flavor arc. Sweet, pine/citruis, arcing to hoppy, bitter, and lightly malty. Sweetness breaks through in a perfect way. Pine hop flavor dominates mid taste, but all is lovely balance. Fruity, complexity too in the late alcohol estery finish. Great mouth feel as it exits. Great with food (Pizza, aparagus, shrimp)

M: Carbonation rises in your mouth, slowly taken over by a mid to solid body. Great finish.

O:Nicely complex and balanced with a lovely see-saw arc, the hops outweight the mildly sweet malt character. Beautifully made.

Will definitely come back. A must for hoppers. will try again after it warms...

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 22:53:57 | More by smiga

Mosstrooper

California

4.76/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 22oz bottle into Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass.

Appearance: Golden-orange color with vigorous bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Creamy white head stays around for a long time, leaving a thick ring of lace around the glass.

Smell: Heavy on grapefruit, melon, and piney hop aromas.

Taste: Lots of hops. Citric flavors to begin before rounding out to hints of melon and blood orange, before finishing with a piney and slightly nutty bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Full body with balanced, natural carbonation. Finish is very smooth, rounding out to dryness.

Overall: I'm surprised that this isn't considered a DIPA. I would definitely count this as one of the better and definitely more hop-intensive IPAs out there. The name of the beer led me to believe it was more of an English style IPA, but I was pleasantly surprised by all of those American hops! This is truly excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 23:12:40 | More by Mosstrooper

WalterHeisenberg

New Mexico

4.98/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured into giant beer mug
A: Hazy yellow. Nice foamyfat head. Good lacing. Some carbonation.head dies to a foamy cap. In my opinion a sign of quality.
S: malty citrus hoppy orange lemon bready! Smells good
T:Orang citrus hoppy first bready maltycitrusy finishes malty bready bitter orande rind Minimal bitterness.Very nicely balanced. Lingering bitter aftertast.Smooth rich tasty. No hint whatsoever ever of the 7.5%. Nice!
M:Thick smooth
O:Nice high abv!looks tasty IS mighty tasty. I feel like this drinks big more like a a DIPA Verybalanced. Not a hop bomb or maybe the bitter is well balanced.but really excellent smooth smooth smooth. A bit spendy but you what you pay for.Can't wait to get ahold of a double jack !!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:09:35 | More by WalterHeisenberg

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a semi hazy orange, nice head great lacing
S - No really potent strong smells here, but you get some nice citrus hops, a little sweet caramel malt, and some pine.
T - Solid, good balance of hop bite and malt, fresh lemon zest, a light floral touch and a mild caramel malt to smooth it out.
M - Great feel, just the right amount of biterness, some more resin hop feel comes in as it warms up.
O - Just a good solid IPA with well blended ingredients.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 00:20:39 | More by Omnium

BeerBeast

California

3.49/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Surprised and disappointed that this one does not nearly live up to the hype, I am flummoxed that this entry earns a 95 in BA.

Bottled on 3/14/13, so it's approx. 5 weeks old; reviewed live. Poured into a Sam Adams glass.

A: Nice pour, with a friendly and active one-inch head, which dissipates fairly quickly; typical lacing for the style.

S: Nothing special in the nose, in fact a hint of the somewhat unwelcome malt presence to come is in evidence. Was hoping for more of the citrusy odour typical of the best examples of this style.

T: The flavor here is surprisingly tame and leans more towards the malt side; the hops character is stunted and fails to distinguish itself.

M: The alcohol (a robust 7.5% ABV) makes itself felt in the swallow, leaving a respectable but unspectacular taste in the mouth. Absent are any distinguishing flavors to separate this from your standard issue IPA.

O: I approach any Firestone Walker entry with a bit of trepidation, as I have not yet been blown way by any of their entries. I want very much to support the brewery, as Firestone is quite local to me here in Ojai. But this one is fair to middling, and hardly lives up to the promise of the advance hype that led me to buy it ($8.99 for a six-pack). I notice that many reviewers located outside of California are tripping over themselves to heap praise on this one. Me thinks these people need to come to Cali and see how well this style can be done. ^_^

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:53:58 | More by BeerBeast

GPHarris

Alabama

4.54/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a - poured a one finger thick tan and bubbly head into a snifter that left great lacing throughout. the body was a bright amber color.
s - big resiny pine aromas with some grapefruit as well. very tempting aroma.
t - pine, grapefruit, spicy with some caramel to balance it out.
m - creamy and medium.
o - stupendous. complex and hits all the right taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 20:29:33 | More by GPHarris

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass. Bottled on 3/6/13

A- Poured a clear orange color with forthy off-white head with big bubbles

S- Strong pine and some orange citrus and grapefruit notes. Quite a bit of sweetness. The aroma is a little muted.

T- Big pungent Simcoe hops,, very astringent. Some orange citrus, pine, and peach hop character. Lot of sweetness from the malt bill. Pungent hop character all around and an assertive bitterness on the finish

M- Smooth, highly carbonated, finishes sem-dry, pretty refreshing

O- Overall a very solid IPA with huge Simcoe presence. Lots of sweetness from the malt, but also an assertive bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:56:37 | More by Hoptometrist

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz, bottled 3/26/13. About 2 weeks old.

A: Clear body, typical color for the style. Big foamy head with excellent retention.

S: Lot of alcohol in the nose, I'm also getting some apples and caramel malt.

T: For a 2 week old west coast IPA, I want more hops. Maybe Sucks has spoiled me. There's some bitterness up front, but then the malt takes over. Still though, it's a nicely balanced brew.

M: Nice carbonation, really easy to drink in that regard.

O: Above-par IPA, but nothing special. My memories of drinking this last year don't quite align to what I just experienced, but maybe my tastes have changed.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 00:58:59 | More by hoppytobehere

Bauzen

New York

4.56/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is a big IPA, but not over-the-top like a double or an imperial variety. It pours a deep amber color, leaves fluffy white foam that laces along the glass nicely, and offers aromas of a full floral bouquet. The most prominent notes of citrus are unmistakable. There's also some pine, and a touch of bitterness on the nose, but it's refined and pleasant.

The taste is powerful. This is a full-bodied beer, but doesn't kick your butt like some with heavier ABV content. You'll probably be sad when it's over... I certainly was. Exceptional IPA from a brand that makes it hard to decide which of their recipes is your favorite. Well done, Firestone.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 23:20:48 | More by Bauzen

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.19/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanx SammyJaxxx for sendin' this one North:

Bottled on 02/07/2013:

Into a pint glass:

A: copper colored body with a one finger white foamy head that quickly concaves leaving some nice clingy foamy lacing in its wake

S: pine/grapefruit, subtle orange peel in the background and comes out more as it warms, decent malt background yet ever so subtle

T: mainly sweet through previously mentioned flavors, yet subtly spicy at times but there is a decent bitterness quality coming out through pine/grapefruit (hops, still learning my hops, bear with me)

M: medium, smooth for an AIPA - no worries, under-carbonated - maybe, but perhaps wasn't expecting that.

O: this is a very good AIPA and am certainly glad I acquired it as Firestone Walker does not come to Maine, I will definitely have this again

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 16:52:44 | More by kangarooAdam59

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.01/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Excellent looking beer. Pours clear amber with about 2 fingers of fluffy eggshell head. Very inviting. The nose is very clear, crisp, simple, and big. I smell fresh cut pineapple, flowers, and pine. I didn't really expect the flavor after smelling the beer. Pretty typical west-coast hop flavor. A dry ipa, which isn't terribly balanced. I like the juiciness of the beer, but I was looking for more sweetness. Hop resin lingers on the tongue. The body is medium and highly carbonated. Leaves a little weight after the finish. Overall, a very good beer. Not a great beer, but it's very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:44:04 | More by lunarbrew

vicg12

New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

Solid IPA. Got a nice bite to it, smells freaking awesome, ok head, good looking brew. Leaves an excellent lace. First try of Firestone. Picked up a six-pack of this which means I have 5 more delicious beers, good idea me. Hope they all are this good.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:31:46 | More by vicg12

Uncleserg

California

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden amber with lively carbonation and a medium white head. Sticky spots of lacing down the glass. Smell is nice with spicy, earthy hops up front. Some tropical fruits and sweet scents. Pineapple with a little caramel. Taste showcases more hops. Some grapefruit, orange, and pine. The malt reinforcement is there but lets the hops show through, simply providing an underlying sweetness. Great mouth feel and despite ABV, it's a very easy beer to drink. Well-crafted and a solid all around beer. A standard of what true sessionable hoppy beer should be like.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:30:49 | More by Uncleserg

chrisgalvin

California

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Every time we drive down to Santa Barbara we have to stop at the Firestone Walker Brewing Co. brewery and have a few of these - and a Red Nectar. Perfectly balance of hops and malt and mouthfeel and overall just a really nice, somewhat 7.5%, "session" beer. The brewery dudes are cool too. Always a good time at this place when drinking these.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 04:52:30 | More by chrisgalvin

Hendry

Vermont

4.73/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Firestone Walker beer takes some effort for me to get since it is not distributed in Vermont.
I wanted to love the FW Double Jack IIPA, but I'll admit it left me a little flat and disappointed despite packing a wallop with a 9.5% abv and smooth drinkability : it was the hop selection that left me yearning.

Union Jack revived my respect for this brand: where Double Jack failed to deliver, Union Jack, at $11.99/6-pack (Double Jack was $12.99/4Pack) was a great find and grabbing the last 6 pack was a wise move.

Copper colored in hue and crystal clear, there wasn't much of a head but what was there left decent lacing. While this isn't a tropical assault on the nostrils when taking in the aroma, there are most certainly some piney grapefruit and naval orange peel overtones in there amongst the malt backdrop: It has the aroma of a winner by my tastes.

Over the palate Union Jack dances gracefully with some subtle citrus that you pick up in the nose, carbonation that does this IPA justice, some oily resins that are present, and there is a pleasant and relatively long lasting aftertaste. I was dreading that dough and cantaloupe aftertaste I got after the Double Jack, and this shared none of those characteristics. There is a delightful light graham cracker flavor mixed with the hoppiness of this IPA that makes Union Jack vey appealing.

A really well balanced IPA worthy of high scores all around, and a rewarding choice especially at the price point. Union Jack is a winner and beats the majority of West Coast IPAs that I have sampled so far. Go buy some and enjoy it!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:31:58 | More by Hendry

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.21/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottled 3/07/13

The beer comes out looking golden orange with a fluffy white head that leaves some sticky lacing.

The aroma comes with sweet fruity hop with orange, grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine. Some more piney hops.

Great smooth medium bodied beer. Dry with a lingering bitterness. Big fruity hop flavor of orange and pineapple and the resinous pine.

Oh man this is a great IPA. Just bought a single to sample it. It’s time for a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:20:07 | More by MattSweatshirt

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Beer Authority in NYC.

Beer is orange/golden in colour. Moderately-sized off-white head. Good lacing, decent retention.

Smell is sticky (excuse the synaesthesia), with bright citrus scents. Grapefruit, orange. Pine resin.

Very tasty. Large citrus flavour, grapefruit and a touch of mango. Quite bitter. A bit of sweetness in the finish, a touch of caramel. Very bright hop flavours that really pack a punch. Resiny.

Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation. Quite oily.

Overall, very, very good. A terrific IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 01:28:38 | More by jrenihan