Double Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

ubenumber2

Arkansas

4.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into glass , super clear beer that is pale in color with lots of carb bubbles floating to the top , a one inch head that disapeared quick and not much lacing

The smell is just wonderful , super hoppy with the citrus hitting first, a little pine then the sweet malt ends it all

The mouth on it is great , nice and heavy with enough carbonation to lighten it up at the end

A well balananced flavor for a double , the hops and malt seem to trade places through the drink with a nice dry bitter finish

Overall this beer is on my list to keep around the house from now on , going to enjoy drinking more of this in the future

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 19:13:43 | More by ubenumber2

MikeCactusGordon

Ohio

4.59/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

22 oz bomber
Monks Pub in Chicago
5 weeks after bottling date

A- light bronze w/ thin head

S- citrus hops

T- mango, pine, honey, bready, grapefruit. Slight lemon. Earthy malt balance.

M- dry, above average bitterness.

O- very good and would recommend. In the conversation w/ best in class depending on your preference.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:08:52 | More by MikeCactusGordon

ikantspel

California

4.8/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12 oz stubby into a duvet tulip

Bottled 1.30.13

Pours a honey golden color with a small beady head

Aroma of heavy citrus zest, pine, earthy tones

Wow. Amazing strong yet subtle hop taste, with lemon peel, and a great pine aftertaste

Pliny who? This was awesome

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 23:30:03 | More by ikantspel

iSip

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Firestone Walker Double Jack: Pretty fine double IPA. Got this as a birthday present, and its a nice one! Peachy color to the body, with a faint haze. The head is thin and fades. Fruity aroma earns big points. But ultimately the flavor rules. Nice apricot sweetness, smooth, and a slight bitter in the aftertaste only. Very good double IPA by any standard. A define must try if you like this type of beer. Good introduction to double IPAs, but do not expect them all to be this good!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 00:40:05 | More by iSip

cvm4

Mississippi

4.09/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours copper in color, semi-translucent with an eggshell head. Decent lacing down the glass.

S - A citrus bomb in the nose with grapefruit/pineapple, a touch of pine hops along with light sweet malts in the background.

T - Resin & citrus with a good malt bill. Not Overly hoppy or a palette wrecker but does have a good hop bite finish.

M - Medium bodied/carbonation with a wet finish.

O - FW did things right with this beer. The taste left me wanting a little more though.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:05:05 | More by cvm4

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

4.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- Aggressive pour gives way to a mid copper color beer with a creamy 2 finger offwhite head. Good lacing and terrific retention.

S- Hop explosion. Tons of fresh citrus- ruby grapefruit, tangerine, tropical fruits, juicy as hell. Carmel malts as well.

T- Some hops up from as smelled, but the chewy crystal malt base makes its presence known before a surge of alcohol warmth comes barreling through as the hop bitterness creeps back in. You can feel the 100 IBUs, but does an impressive job of mainting balance.

M- Super dry. Mid body. Creamy and wet start with a dry finish. Drinkable given the 9.5 abv.

O- I love beers with warrior bittering hops. This one is quite aggressive and enjoyable. Super balanced. Similar to Mercinary from Odell imo, but just a notch better. FW makes it seem effortless.

Bottled 1/30/13
Consumed 5/9/13

$12 for a 4 pk

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 21:17:44 | More by Bosoxfan20

bianchibuddy

Colorado

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I find all Firestone Walker beers to be of only the highest quality in all respects from packaging to bottom of the glass lacing. I put them in the A+ category for everything they do. Double Jack is no acception and in this fine product I find true beer utopia.

I buy the 4 packs and find the packaged good finish to present very well from labeling to the caps with the lion head on two and the bears heads on two. Very high class even before you crack a bottle!

I love the first whiff I get once the bottle is opened, the pour, the color, oh and the taste! Everything about this beer makes me happy and I want one right now!

My wife thinks the cost at just over $3 per bottle is kinda steep, but I would pay the same or more for a lesser quality beer at my local brewery. I think it is a good investment as I generally only drink a single bottle in a sitting. I have enjoyed two in a sitting and love the after effect!

If you have not had the luxury of a Double Jack, do yourself a favor and pick up a 4 pack!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:08:51 | More by bianchibuddy

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.88/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Hazy copper pour. Thin layer of off white head sits atop but falls quickly

S: Fresh, bright west coast hop aroma. Grapefruit, pine and citrus.

T: Strong dank pine bitterness on the first sip, as the pallet gets used to it the bready toasty malt comes through. Piney grapefuit comes through from begining to end in a very smooth way.

M: Mouth tingling bitterness, moderate body, sticky and middle of the road carbonation.

O: In the modern east coast v west coast battle it won't be the hip hoppers that battle it out, it will be the IPAs. More specifically Dogfishhead 90 v Double jack. In that battle I vote Double Jack by a slight margin. big ups to FW.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:49:58 | More by guityler83

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

3-20-13 bottling date. From Belmont Station

A: Pure copper color with a firm 1/4" head. Carbonation is drawn throughout the body. Slick off the glass.

N: Hops and malt in concert. Pineapple, spruce, and hints of mango. There's an earthiness here, along with some honey melon, some sugar, and some grass. Not very strong or altogether alluring, though.

T: Quite bitter with only a hint of sweetness. There's a lot of the dry pine floor with a heavy leaf quality. Can be rather sharp around the edges.

M: Some alcohol. Dry with a medium-heavy body.

O: A good beer, but it's missing a second gear to get it to the next level. Might be a lesser batch, too, as I recall having some that were a lot better. Would prefer a Union Jack to this one, though.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:39:55 | More by writerLJBerg

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Another great California Imperial IPA! Had this along with Lagunitas Sucks, and the two were evenly matched, for the most part. Rated the smell for Sucks higher, but Double Jack held its own nicely. A great beer to have on a warm Spring day while grilling out or simply relaxing on the patio. Well Done!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 17:52:25 | More by DenverHopHead

Hopinista

Nevada

4.68/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12 oz bottle dated 1/30/13 poured into delirium snifter.

A: A nice golden yellow/orange with active carbonation and a good thick pure white head. Minimal lacing.

S: Upfront I get pine and resin notes(my favorite). A slight hint of grapefruit citrus. I know some get a malt back but I don't detect it at all. (which isn't bad)

T: Amazing. In your face resiny/citrusy hops. I like how this beer is in your face with the hops but it's still amazingly balanced and not overpowering.

M: Smooth and velvety. It's amazing for the style. A lot of double/imperial IPA's can be "sticky" and cloying, which to me really detracts from the experience. But Double Jack manages to bring the hops without the stickiness which is really hard to do, and makes it so unbelievably enjoyable.

O: I'm new to Firestone Walker and if this is any indication of what they do they might give Dogfish Head and Unibroue some competition in my fridge space.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 06:37:39 | More by Hopinista

watsonmd

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Found this gem on a business trip, and shared the 22oz bottle with 2 friends. Kept in ice-bucket, served into small goblets.

A: deep golden yellow, "glowing," with an inch of thick head, and persistent lacing.

S: balanced, hoppy clementine, grapefruity citrus, with a hint of some pine.

T: liquid heaven. mouthwatering citrus, not to biting, nice balance of citrus and pine, but mostly citrus, with a nice grapefruit finish.

M: perfectly carbonated, and slightly sticky on the finish, with a lingering hop on the tongue, but not overpowering.

O: Would but this often if it was in Georgia. Can't wait to try the Parabola I found on the same trip!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 14:49:39 | More by watsonmd

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

4.56/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into Green Man goblet. 12/31/12 is the bottled on date.

A-A nice fingers width dense foamy head forms ontop of a hazy burnt orange body. Leaves nice lacing while I drink it.

S-Citrus notes are abound in the nose. Clementine, tangelo, mango and orange rind. With the citrus notes there are piney, earthy resin hop aromas. With the mild toasted malts I am getting vanilla notes as well. Great stuff!

T-As with the aroma the taste is a whopping mouthful of citrus goodness. Dank resin earthy flavor is mixed well in there with the citrus hop notes. Very good balance however with the malts and is not extremely bitter through the palate.

M-Medium/chewy body with just the right carbonation. Not a very dry finish at all, more on the sweet savoring side. Leaves a great after taste.

O-This beer is at the top of the imperial ipa category for me. Have had it on draft and this is my first time buying a bottle of it. Buy it, drink it, enjoy the shit out of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 23:40:13 | More by mikem0487

RaulMondesi

California

4.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This hot dog thang just may be the sleekest son of a gun west of the Mississippi! Hot damnnnn! Wooo doggy! Like Sammity Sam on roids, this bad boi is poppin! Raul is floored like Spinks vs Tyson in the first round! Glorious tropical notes, sleek and sexi on the tongue... It just doesn't stop!

Get it my children. Get it well and good.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 05:07:47 | More by RaulMondesi

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.46/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a perfectly translucent gold with orange and amber hues. There is one full finger of pure white head that settles fairly quickly leaving a nice frothy ring along the edge of the glass. Great lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is wonderful. I get slight sweet malt, a ton of orange citrus, and some slight grapefruit notes. It smells juicy and inviting, not stinging and harsh. There is a touch of dank skunky hops in there as well, but it doesn't overwhelm the citrus in this beer.

T: Mmm. This one follows the nose to a T. I get a quick bit of sweet malt, and then I'm hit with a huge amount of deliciously juicy citrus. Big orange, and a touch of lemon. As the beer moves to the back end, I get a blast of grapefruit bitters that last after the beer is gone.

M: Full bodied beer. Sweet for a second and then the palate is overwhelmed by citrus. It's wet and juicy to start but gets sticky towards the end. The bitter, almost skunky, hops linger on the palate for quick a bit after the beer is gone.

O: Great beer. It's super citrusy and drinkable for a DIPA. My only fault with this beer is that it gets a bit harsh and boozy on the back end. Hard to complain though, it is super drinkable and delicious from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 20:31:40 | More by trxxpaxxs

312HopBomb

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Nice head with a quick pour into the Sierra Nevada IPA glass. Light orange/straw color. Light lacing.

Aroma consists of intense piney fresh hop. Smells very fresh.

Taste explodes with more resinous pine. Malt takes a back seat to intense bitterness but not in a bad sense. Light onion mixes with the pine. Not much citrus here.

Mouthfeel is on the light side with low/moderate carbonation.

One of my favorite of the west coast piney DIPA's. A Luxurious hop bomb! Kudos to Firestone Walker Brewery!!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:49:42 | More by 312HopBomb

LCB_Hostage

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an imperial pint glass

A: Nice rich orange, with a bit of haze. Modest head. Strong lacing

S: Hops, orange-citrus, some malt playing around in the back. Complex, but thoroughly inviting.

T: Heavenly. Exceptionally well-balanced for a DIPA. The hops dominate as they should for the style, but there's plenty more going on -- enough malt to make it rich and tasty. Not a lot of alcohol burning through, but enough to add another element to the mix.

M: Crisp, with an ideal level of carbonation. Leaves a clean tingle on the tongue with no stickiness.

O: This is a great, great beer. I'd expect nothing less from a jacked-up version of UJ. I love me some hops and so uber-hopped DIPAs like Palate Wrecker are right in my wheelhouse, but I have to say, the balance of this beer is a wonderful testament to the brewing arts. It fulfills my hop requirements while giving me an even more complex experience.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 15:43:25 | More by LCB_Hostage

atigerlife

Hawaii

4.3/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thank goodness for airplanes and Bevmo!!

Pours a clear dark golden. Beautiful head: Fluffy, slightly off-white and creamy. Good retention. Lots of tiny carb rising. Georgeous to look at!

Aroma of grapefruit, honey, piney.

Taste is grapefruit, bitter. Malty. Definitely dominated by the bitterness [not suprising with the style].

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and cleansing.

Overall, a wonderfuyl beer. Cleansing and refreshing. Not really sessionable, but what the heck...not expected to be.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 16:33:04 | More by atigerlife

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber. My deepest gratitude to the good doktorzee for procuring this for me on his most recent trip to SoCal. The sparring lion and bear of this brewery's labels continue to fascinate me - I suppose I should look into that sometime.

This beer pours a clear, very pale golden amber hue, with three fingers of puffy, foamy, and tightly bubbly ecru head, which leaves a nice array of cloistered bonsai tree forest lace around the glass as it slowly sinks away.

It smells of semi-sweet orange rind, acerbic ruby red grapefruit, and a boozy pineapple and tangerine tropical fruitiness, sort of like those alco-pop Breezers of too many years' past dance club specials, a mildly bready pale maltiness, and some further leafy, perfumed hoppiness. The taste is sugary pale malt, with a heavy dose of bready caramel, zippy, somewhat candied grapefruit and orange citrus flesh, guava and dense lychee - rendered almost in the form of succulent nectar, with further exotic fruits that start with Apricots and end with crazily odd Zinfandel spicy red vinous notes, which goes a fair way in writing off the muddled alcohol essence that seeps in under the guise of a floral perfumed essence.

The carbonation is fairly restrained, and generally innocuous, the body a sturdy medium weight, not needing of any more to prove its point, with a straight-up smoothness that belies the maelstrom brewing just under the surface. It finishes more off-dry than I was anticipating, as the supporting-cast malt doesn't really seem to have that extra gear, one necessary to tamp down the now free-range hops.

A stellar West-coast DIPA, the malt mostly overridden by the big-ass, bitter, sassy hops, and when combined with the trailing, understated ABV, creates the semblance of a more standard hopped-up IPA experience than that of the proclaimed style. Good on 'em for this obfuscation, one that I fear I may be the veritable end of my night, smiling all the way.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 05:40:29 | More by biboergosum

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.39/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- poured into a tulip, pours crystal clear golden color with carbonation bubbles floating to the top, a nice two-finger foamy white head that retains long after the pour with some good lace

S- oily pine and citrus hop, lemon grass, a bit of tropical fruit and fresh mint

T- clean pine resin with lemon and grapefruit citrus hop flavors, grassy and clean mint, the malt adds just a touch of sweetness at the end to provide a nice balance, clean alcohol with pine hop linger on the finish

M- medium body and moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel with a smooth finish and a touch of warming, clean alcohol on the finish

O- a superbly balanced DIPA, fresh and pungent piney hop notes with just enough sweet malt to balance it out. Another fine beer from Firestone.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 02:41:34 | More by Treyliff

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance – Pours a clear orange amber color with a decent head and nice lacing.

Smell – Pine, citrus (grapefruit), and a very strong hop scent.

Taste – Hops and pine.

Mouthfeel – Nicely carbonated, but like many IPAs, it leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Drinkability – To me this is a typical California IPA; a bit overhopped. Tastes good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 06:06:25 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

Hendry

Vermont

4.51/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

FW does not distribute to my state, so during a trip to New York I managed to located a few 4 packs of Double Jack, and they had a six pack of Union Jack that I grabbed as well.

The creamy white 3 finger head atop the clear as a bell amber/copper hue is impressive and leaves some nice lacing. The nose was not the tropical fruit bomb I was expecting from this uber rated DIPA, but it didn't go the way of a malt bomb either. While the hops are present in the nose, the aroma seems more muted in the tropical fruit arena: cantaloupe, honeydew, with a Bavarian soft pretzel dough background.

Nicely carbonated, and somewhat oily, the flavors coat the palate with a balance of malt and hops, in that order. Has that cantaloupe and soft pretzel aftertaste more so than a tongue slapping tropical infusion. The smoothness and drinkability factor are what deserve high marks more so than the nose and aftertaste: at 9.5% abv, Double Jack is criminally consumable and potentially dangerous.

My sample was born on 12/26/12 at 10:00 and does not seemed to have suffered over the last 3 months although other reviewers claim freshness is crucial. This is a quality DIPA with a high ABV and smooth drinkability, worth a try but pricey for what it is. After sampling Union Jack the next night, I felt it was superior to Double Jack and a much better bang for the buck by a mile in terms of flavor and value. I love the label on this beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 06:02:59 | More by Hendry

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ba Review #269
Served On: 4/06/2013
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 9.5%
Date/ Code: 02/05/2013

This was a 22oz bomber from A.K.A. Friscos in Frederick.

Look: Fairly clear golden-copper color with a fluffy beige head. Carbonation bubbles were plentiful. Lacing was sort of minimal.

Smell: Sweet mango and pineapple. Aroma was very tropical. A great smelling West coast DIPA.

Taste: Upfront had very juicy tropical fruits with some heavy hop resins that seemed to play on a malt bill that created a brief cream-sickle sensation in the middle. The finish was a slight bitterness that quickly faded into a lingering sweetness leftover from the fruity hop profile.

This was a very enjoyable DIPA. The juiciness was probably the best quality. There didn’t seem to be much balance between the fruity sweetness and any obscured bittering hops present, but I still think it worked well.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 16:48:35 | More by CraftBeerTastic

HarryPotHead

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

ST - bomber into pint glass. 12.24.2012 date on bottle.

A - somewhat cloudy copper - amber hue. 2 finger head from hard pour with lots of sticky lacing to the bottom of the glass.

S - typical citrus and pine, but done right. Very nice.

T - subtley hidden malts counterbalance the citrus. Sweet with a dry and mildly bitter finish. ABV is masked very well. This is one good take on the style.

M - heavy carbonation with a slick, oily feel. Still feels crisp and refreshing.

O - love it...big hop flavor. Big flavor period. Up there with some of my favorite IPA's. We don't see many west coast IPA's in Baltimore, but this is as good as any I've had (still love my DFH 90 minute though!) Well done Firestone Walker!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 21:40:20 | More by HarryPotHead

RattleheadKV2

New Mexico

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from bomber with bottled on date of 1/18 into Duvel tulip

Appearance: Pours a beautifully clear orange/copper color, with about a finger and a half of dense offwhite head that sticks around and leaves some very nice lacing.

Smell: Piney, resinous, dank hops, grapefruit, tropical, and citrus notes, with a touch of bready malt sweetness.

Taste: Very much a carbon copy of the nose on this one. Nice clean bitterness up front right before you get that nice piney, earthy, dank taste. Towards the finish more of the tropical, and citrus notes pop out more (I imagine the age of my bottle has these subdued).

Mouthfeel: Nice full body with very nice prickly carbonation, that finishes bone dry.

Overall: Very solid DIPA for sure, will deffinitely be trying to track down some fresher examples for proper tasting/reviewing.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 06:01:45 | More by RattleheadKV2