Union Jack India Pale Ale - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

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

Dave1999

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a transparent amber with a white foamy head.

The smell is full citrus hops, strong oranges and grapefruit.

The taste is similar to the smell, citrus hops, a little bitter.

The mouthfeel is smooth with medium carbonation.

Overall this was a great citrusy hoppy ipa, a fantastic example.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 04:31:44 | More by Dave1999

Tchfunkta

Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a bright golden color with pale copper tones

S: Piney hop hits the nose.

T: Slightly malty. Sweetness pokes through but it is subtle and not caramel or crystal in nature. Slightly resinous pine hop flavor plants itself firmly mid tongue, just in time to cover up any boozyness.

M: A little carbonation pop hits your mouth, slowly taken over by a moderate body.

O: Nicely restained hops characters only slightly overpower a mildly sweet malt character.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 04:22:00 | More by Tchfunkta

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly cloudy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and a two finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting collar. Very good retention with rings and streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

Slightly earthy floral hop aroma that's bursting with tropical and citrus fruit sweetness before being countered by subtle sweet malt backbone. Dank, oily and resinous with fresh buds and grassy pine followed by hints of grapefruit, mango, pineapple and orange peel. Slight caramel malt presence with toffee, biscuit and graham cracker. Very inviting.

Medium bodied with a perfect balance of dank, sticky hop bitterness, sweet citrus/tropical fruit notes and a sweet malt backbone. Dry, earthy bitterness up front with a spicy/grassy flavor along with pine needle and alpha acids. This is countered mid-palate by a juicy tropical and citrus hop flavor with notes of blood orange, grapefruit, pineapple and mango. The perfect amount of fruit sweetness without taking away from the bitterness. Decent malt backbone balancing things out without interfering with the hops. Subtle caramel sweetness along with toffee, bread, biscuit and graham cracker. A little heavier and a touch more malt than most west coast IPAs but its perfectly balanced without losing the delicious, complex hop flavor. Exemplary for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 07:07:58 | More by corby112

fx20736

New York

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a nonic, served at fridge temp.

appearance: hazy, semi transparent lemon yellow with active carbonation and a 3 finger linen white head. more than abundant, gorgeous lacing

aroma: awesome blend of fruitiness; papaya, peaches in syrup

mouthfeel: a little on the thin side.

taste: great blend of fruit juices; pineapple, papaya and a splash of grapefruit.

notes: one of the best IPA noses I have smelled since Flower Power or Celebration. Very nice flavor profile. definitely seems like a strong English IPA to me. Alcohol seems well hidden. this is a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 05:46:22 | More by fx20736

TaySuth

California

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type: Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled on 7/13/12.

Appearance: Hazy, light amber color with a nice white head that slowly dissipates into a thin film with moderate lacing. Nice but not overly impressive.

Smell: Huge punch of aroma. Grapefruit and orange dominate with a nice pale malt aroma in the background. Very impressive.

Taste: Extremely well balanced IPA. Citrus dominates from the hops and is backed up by a delicious pale malt backbone. Very bitter with a smooth finish. Absolutely excellent.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Semi-dry. Medium to high carbonation. All around great for this style and beer.

Overall: Excellent, excellent beer. An absolutely go-to for IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:05:01 | More by TaySuth

rringler

California

4.14/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: A slightly hazy, dark straw/light amber appearance, with a thick one and a half to two fingers of slightly off-white, medium-bubbled head, that laces well. Clarity seems to be about middle of the road with this one.

S: Moderately malty, but with some pine resin, fruits, and hoppy aromas.

T: Starts malty as it smells, but then things get weird; I notice some additional sweetness (though more like fruit than caramel) before a mild hop finish. It's the mid/late sweetness that is confusing my tongue. Covers the 7.5% alcohol well though; no boozy taste.

M: Medium to medium- thickness. A little slicker, but perhaps that's because I've been drinking DIPAs lately. Carbonation is great.

O: Interesting IPA. The hops don't quite assault your tongue like a DIPA, yet it keeps things interesting by deviating from the malts->caramel->hops formula of a lot of IPAs/DIPAs. It's an interesting change of pace, but not a staple for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:05:17 | More by rringler

TheSixthRing

California

3.99/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Re-review. Bottled date of 12/27/12

Appearance - Pours a clear, bright orange amber, white finger width head, Good retention. Fair, sticky lacing on the glass.

Smell - Spicy, hoppy pine aromas. Touches on grapefruit. Strong bready, sweet caramel malts in the background.

Taste - Follows the nose. Hits on pine hop at first, with lesser notes of grapefruit. Sweet bready and caramel malts provide a strong, complementary backbone and shine mid-taste before fading near the finish, leaving a mild citrus pith aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Moderate carbonation leads to a decent bite. Smooth. Goes down easy enough.

Overall - My tastes have certainly changed. What I once thought was an okay IPA, I know find quite enjoyable. While I'm still not sold on pine forward IPA's, I'm now able to look past that dominant aspect and take in the lesser characters of the beer. I think this is a beer I'll be drinking more of as time rolls on.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 05:44:33 | More by TheSixthRing

champ103

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear deep orange color. A tightly packed, pillowy, white head forms with excellent retention. Rings of spiderweb lace clings to the glass.
S: Hops, lots of them. Grapefruit rind, resiny pine. Grapefruit dominates.
T: Again, lots of hops. A get a bunch of grapefruit rind again. Resiny pine, oily and a lingering bitterness that is a bit to prevalent for me.
M/D: A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation. A bit to oily for me. I wish it was a bit more crisp. Not hard to drink. Though the alcohol is strong, along with the large bitterness. Which for me detracts a bit.

Certainly one for the hop head. This is a very good beer, just no for me. I do like it. Though surprisingly I love Double Jack. I think that has more tropical fruity and juicy flavors than Union Jack. Which is what I like more than the large and lingering bitterness here. Still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:42:23 | More by champ103

dar482

New York

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A very light amber color. It has a decent amount of head and a good hop aroma.

Drinking it, it reminds me a ton of the Double Jack, but with more subtle flavor and much, much less bitter and alcohol notes. It tastes almost subdued with that comparison. By it’s own however, it has a great well balanced round flavor. It starts off with grapefruit and then splashes you with a bit of a bitter grassiness.

It has a light to medium mouth feel. It moves off the tongue very well. It’s so extremely drinkable that it reminds me of almost an extremely hoppy pilsner. It has a fantastic gentle complexity and is one of the most sessionable and wonderful to drink IPAs.

Update: Having getting into so many IPAs and DIPAs, this really hits where I want a drinkable IPA to be. It has a huge wonderful malt backbone along with that wonderful bitter strong upfront grapefruit. One of the best IPAs around.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 05:11:23 | More by dar482