Double Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

suspect

New York

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

A: Crystal clear deep golden color. Aggressive pour leads to a thick 2 finger rocky cream colored head that fades so slowly and leads big thick sticky lacing through the entire length of the session.

S: Big hop profile mixed with plenty of malt to make things interesting.

T: Smooth balanced flavors start off with hops and end with malts. Like all good DIPAs should.

M: Thick, big bodied beer. Perfectly carbonated.

O: A really well done DIPA. Beautiful flavors, nice aroma, good head retention. Overall, very nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 17:28:04 | More by suspect

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz bomber into a pint glass

A - pours a copper orange. Pours produces about two inches or so of dense white head, which dissipates pretty quickly. Leaves lots of lacing.

S - piney hops and some dry alcohol. Some citrus comes through as it warms up.

T - balance. The smooth light malt comes right along with the piney hop. There is some orange peel type notes in the background. One demerit would be a slight metallic note in the after taste.

M - good. Higher side of medium on the carbonation. Slightly sticky.

O - a very good example of balance in an DIPA. The hops certainly over power to a certain extent, but the malt profile really holds it own in a very nice fashion.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 04:07:52 | More by Beerandboards

brewtus

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into tulip
A- pours orangish yellow with a nice two finger head. A little hazy.
S- a lot of pine, tropical and citrus fruits, some caramel
T- sweet tropical fruit, thick pine, biscuit, buttery biscuit, woody, caramel, very nice creamy texture.
O- got this in a trade and im so glad I did, this is packed with piney hops and delicious fruit, the texture is very smooth, there no bitter after taste. This beer is very very well done, amazing balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:45:56 | More by brewtus

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.21/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance:
Pours some very light white head. the beer itself is a beautiful and clear gold. Very little head upon pouring though.

Smell:
Grapefruit hops.

Taste:
Heavy hop. I get a grapefruit flavor and light sweet malts. The hops obviously take center stage with a very domineering presence over the malts.

Mouthfeel:
Medium to heavy bodied with very little carbonation.

Overall:
A pretty decent DIPA and one I recommend getting.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:56:23 | More by HattedClassic

pkalix

California

4.36/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

golden, transparent; little head....
smells like it's gonna be all hops on this one... it's a dipa....
tastes.... like a dipa. not my favorite style, but i can do this. strong grapefruit rind all the way around. i still argue that the ipa/dipa are covers to hide the abv. cant beat the high abv here!!!
feel is... calm and smooth. soft on the palate.
overall.... as i said, it's not my favorite style, and there are a couple of Firestone brews i have tried and did not impress me, but this is decent. it is smooth and i can appreciate the style. i can certainly appreciate the abv! even though i still maintain many brewers use the excess hops to mask the abv. nice brew; i will try a few of the others....

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:58:58 | More by pkalix

gr0g

New Jersey

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

12oz bottle, 10 weeks old.

A golden shade of amber in color with a frothy head that leaves a fat lace ring in its wake. Looks damn good. Big, bold citrus and tropical fruit aromas wafting out of the glass. Grapefruit and pineapple are the primary aromatics, with an undercurrent of resin.

Spicy hop notes smack the palate around. Amidst the puckering bitterness, you can taste the same fruit notes that came through in the aroma. Mouthfeel is oily with a fine, prickly carbonation. Malt sweetness is reigned in capably by all the hop flavors, and alcohol is felt but not easily detectable by the taste buds.

Similar in aroma and flavor profile to DFH 90 Minute but more skillfully crafted. Another Firestone Walker beer that I can enthusiastically recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:08:51 | More by gr0g

Damian

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 12 fl. oz. (355ml) bottle purchased at Julio's Liquors, Westboro, MA
Served in a snifter
Bottled on 01/08/13 07:57

Crystal clear, glowing amber appearance. The uber-filtered liquid was topped by a three-finger, tight, bubbly crown of off-white foam. Slowly, the head dissipated to a resilient frothy cap. Streaks of soapy lacing coated the glass and lasted until the beer was finished.

Near perfect aroma. Super punchy and bright. Lots of C-hop notes. Tons of tropical fruits. Mango dominated. Papaya. Good amount of tangerine and orange zest. Hint of caramel-like sweetness. Nicely balanced. Some resiny hops appeared as the beer warmed.

The flavor profile was respectible yet quite different from the nose. It was much drier and more bitter with strong white grapefruit notes. Orange peel and tangerine were evident. Some lemon in the center. Slightly tart. The finish was punchy. Pithy, dry and bitter with lots of grapefruit rind. At 9.5% ABV, the alcohol was remarkably well masked.

The liquid was medium bodied and pillowy soft on the palate. Creamy, smooth and supple with a crisp, somewhat lively effervescence.

All in all, Double Jack is a very impressive beer and definitely one of the best widely available double IPAs on the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:51:35 | More by Damian

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle served in a snifter
Bottled on 1/4/13

A - Pours a clear brassy amber with a tight knit white head that retains well through the entirety of the glass. Pretty drops of lacing.

S - Sticky pine fills the nostrils, mandarin oranges, red grapefruit, dried stone fruit, pineapple, alcohol, has a bit of woody potpourri aroma as it warms up.

T - Sweet tropical and citrus fruit with mix of smooth green pine bitterness, mango and dried papaya stand out alot, candied lemon peels, the steely caramel malt has a cotton candy-like sweetness and rounds out very well. Finishes clean and semi dry with a green piney bitterness. The aftertaste consists of sweet citrus and thin caramel.

M - Very smooth feel, medium chewy body, micro carbonation, very nice mouthfeel.

A well crafted beer indeed. The aroma and feel are the beers strong points. A solid dose of hop flavor with just the right amount of bitterness. Citrus overtakes the pine as it warms, the malt is steely and sweet but has a lightness to it as well as a high quality character. I love every beer I've had from this brewery so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 23:03:16 | More by StaveHooks

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.29/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle, dated 1/8/13, into a Duvel tulip. Thanks Drew!

A: Pours a bright, crystal-clear pale copper body under two fingers of dense, creamy off-white head that demonstrates excellent retention and leaves lots of lace. Stunning.

S: Richly aromatic, tropical hops. Lemon, grapefruit, and ripe mango. Almost strawberry sweet. A hint of caramel malt on the tail end. Excellent.

T: Grapefruit pith and resin up front, followed by toasty malt, moderate booze, and a gigantically bitter finish. I wish the fruity hops came through more, but it's a deliciously aggressive DIPA in any case.

M: Frothy medium body; a trifle prickly, but not bad.

O: Excellent, straightforward hop bomb. Even with about 7 weeks on it I could smell it the second I cracked the crown, and the aroma was definitely its strong suit. I would have liked more complexity to the hop flavor, but it hit the spot all the same. Great beer.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:46:19 | More by woosterbill

57md

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This offering completed a trifecta of excellent hoppy brews from Firestone Walker (started with the Union Jack and followed it with a Wookey Jack).

Appearance is clear and copper with a thin layer of head. Pine and hops notes are distinctly featured in the nose. There is a very modest malt sweetness up front. The finish is dry with hop flavor that is clearly present, but not quite the level I expect in a DIPA (especially after having their VERY hoppy single IPA). The finish does get more hoppy as one drinks, but I still think it falls short of exceptional.

Maybe after the Union and the Wookey, I was expecting too much.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 06:58:08 | More by 57md

weonfire

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Darker amber, opaque, finger head, altho not much head.

S - Sweet carmel, grapefruit, lemon

T - Sweet hops. Almost a toffee? Bitter initially, sweet finish. Very very good. ABUs hidden superbly.

M - Frothy, thick, love the malt used.

O - Glorious. Flavors shifting is excellent. Very good feel. Best IIPA I've had to date. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:39:56 | More by weonfire

dar482

New York

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

This pours out in a light brown amber color with a thin head and a gentle trickle of carbonation rising. Pouring it, there's a wonderful hoppy smell with aroma of fruits like grapefruit.

The hops and bright fruits at the beginning make this beer quite enjoyable. The taste starts off with lots of pop and citrus, but then it settles on a strong resin and grassy flavor. The bitterness of a fruit rind sticks on the tongue for a while. Despite the ending flavor, this surely has a strong hop punch at the front, which makes it one of the better IIPAs I have had.

The body is thin, which makes it really drinkable, despite the 9.5% ABV and it does not come off boozy. I do wish it had more roundness to it. The body and flavor could be more "complete." On the other hand, that makes this IIPA dangerously drinkable and still delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 06:22:15 | More by dar482

vkv822

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

12oz : tulip
bottled on:

Clear, bright copper with a foamy off white head, light lacing.

Big citric, grapefruit notes and piney hops. Light boozy heat in the finish.

Medium body, with very slight mouth coating feel. Prickly carbonation.

A well done DIPA, right about average though overall. Enjoyable, but nothing particularly memorable or exciting about it.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 09:34:14 | More by vkv822

Fusion7777

Virginia

4.69/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a glowing copper with a thick white head. Reflects beautifully in the light. Aroma is pine/resin, fruity, and floral. Taste is nicely balanced and complex. Just the right amount of bitterness and sweetness and nothing overpowering. Pineapple, grapefruit, and tangerine supported by sweet malt. Feel is smooth, dry, and moderate in body. Lures you in and alcohol can sneak up on you if you're not careful. Definitely a classic from FW.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 19:13:21 | More by Fusion7777

StuporJew

Texas

3.96/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 Oz. Bottle into DFH tulip. Excited!!!

A - Pours a light amber, with a thin, one-finger head, leaving behind thick clinging lacing as the head fades. A good amount of bubbles hint at a decent amount of carbonation for a double IPA.

S - Pine, Grapefruit, and Persimmon. Hints of Alcohol and fruity esters, as well as an underlying apricot/pineapple tone. NICE.

T - A citrusy monster of a beer, with nectarine, pineapple, and roasted pine-nuts leading the way. SUPER resinous, with a ridiculous astringency that hangs on to the back of the palate for just the right amount of time. Not as thick as some other double IPA's, like Sixpoint Resin, or Wasatch Hop Rising. A little more approachable. An IPA for people who need a good place to start, for sure.

M - Light, and slightly abrasive, with a nice amount of remaining alpha-acids that cling to the back of the palate. GREAT carbonation, that tingles all the way to the back of the tongue, that makes this beer far too easy to drink for the ABV. Very similar to Jai Alai from Cigar City, without the weird creaminess. (Not that that's a BAD thing... I LOVE Jai Alai. It's one of the ONLY reasons I would EVER move to Florida!)

O - A damn fine beer! The fact that it isn't available here in Texas alone makes it a tasty bonus, although it's recently been picked up by Ben E. Keith, and should be available here in late April. (I'll believe it when I see it.... we're looking at YOU , TABC!) If this is a textbook example of FSW beers, I can't wait to get my hands on more. DFH 90-Min may be another good Double, but this one is great. Grab as many as you can, or thank your pals that have enough dough to bring you one.... It's like Tits on a Ritz. CHEERS!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 06:24:41 | More by StuporJew

ktblue22

Vermont

4.84/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Really well done IPA with a strong hop profile. Goes very well with smokey habanero chili! A big beer with high ABV, I was not able to finish even half the bottle on my own. Light and clear slightly orange. Smell is crisp and hoppy. Great light body despite the high attenuation. Overall a really great beer just be careful as it is an almost 10% ABV

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 00:47:06 | More by ktblue22

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.36/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Double Jack pours a clear light amber/orange color with a creamy finger thick head on top. The foam fades slowly leaving a coating of lace on the glass. A flurry of bubbles slowly rises from the bottom.

The aroma is very hoppy. Lots of orange and grapefruit citrus with a touch of pine. A little tropical fruit (mango) and a touch of caramel malt is also present.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is chewy with moderate carbonation. The flavor is bitter, hoppy with a fair amount of malty sweetness. It begins with orange citrus, lemon rind and pine. Some tropical fruit (mango) appear in the middle. A nice caramel and bready malt backbone helps balance out the hops. It finishes bitter and grassy. Once gone the citrus and sweet bready malt lingers on the palate.

Lots of flavor in this beer and it's surprisingly drinkable for nearly 10% abv. It's worth sipping though to savor every sip.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 19:16:29 | More by WanderingFool

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This is a bit out of my comfort zone price wise. But when I saw this was bottled less than 2 weeks ago, I couldn't resist.

a: This was a clear golden color, on the pale side. It poured with a moderately sticky, medium sized head.

s: Huge tropical fruit aromas. Some sugary caramel underneath, but this is all about fresh hops. Mango, pineapple, and citrus all leaping out of the glass. Awesome.

t: Hop dominant from start to finish. Tropical fruit like pineapple and tangerines up front. Some sweetness in the form of caramel towards the middle. The end brings huge, flavorful bitterness that goes on and on.

m: On the lighter side, given the high abv. Drinks like a smaller IPA.

o: A great DIPA that is damn near worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:56:25 | More by DIM

Doc_Hops

Pennsylvania

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

A- Pours a beautiful hue of pale amber/ orange that is completely clean and clear. The head is nice, smooth and creamy.

S- Really surpising here. Not the huge bold aroma I was expecting. Quite light on the hops with a small amount of citrus grapefruit.

T- Crisp and clean and dangerously easy to drink. Lots of hop juciness that have a nice balance of malt. There's practically no resin finish to it as well.

M- Quite smooth here. Nice bubbly carbonation. Medium boddied moving to the lighter side of that, which is surprising considering the style.

O- Thuroughly enjoyed this beer. For me, the jucier the IPA the better, and this brew didn't disappoint. Lip-smackingly good and packed a nice punch. I would like to have a little bit more in the nose but I'm guessing a majority of the hops were added early in the boil. Still, well done FSW.

Serving type: 12oz bottle poured into a Yards pint glass. Thanks for reading.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:32:56 | More by Doc_Hops

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a light golden orange, fairly transparent, this was filtered clean…a good amount of off white, big bubble head formed but settled to a thin layer that rests a bit “flat”…(3.95/5)

Smell: Grapefruit and pineapple heavy citrus hops up front…I’m getting some mandarin and tangerine, a little orange peel…a little bit of piney resin in there…classic light, sweet, caramel malts playing supporting roles…it’s sweet, it’s good, but it lacks the zest that makes greatness in this class…(4.25/5)

Taste: Yum! As it smells, citrus and resinous pine hops heavy…sweet caramel/pale/bready/earthy malts balancing things nicely…it’s light and delicate and while it is a hoppy, it’s not a tongue shredder…there’s more bready malt flavor than I typically find…it’s good…(4.25/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body…light carbonation…mildly resinous, chewy for it’s lightness…piney bitterness coats my palate in the after taste…(3.95/5)

Overall: This is a good brew…I’ve been drinking a plethora in this genre and they can begin to blend together, leaving the truly exceptional standing out…while this is good, it’s not outstanding and blends somewhat into the lower portion of the upper tier of this class (if that makes sense)…the bready malts create a slightly unique flavor…it’s good and for the price tag, $7.99, it’s definitely worth purchasing…this would be a great brew while playing some poker, a loud, talkative poker game…maybe with some chips…(4/5)

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:48:37 | More by SerialHiker

teromous

Virginia

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

A: The beer is a shade of burnished gold, with a very substantial fluffy white head. Perfect lacing, great carbonation visible through the wonderfully transparent body.

S: As soon as I opened the bottle cap I could smell hops. It was like I had opened a bottle of pure hops or something. There's a some soft pine, some dank earthiness, some mossy scent...it smells fantastic.

T: Mellow bitterness. There's some pine in here, some toast or bread crust flavor, there's a tree resin flavor. It's very nice. I can taste the water as well, a bit minerally but not metallic or anything...just kind-of like the way mineral water tastes.

M: It's bitter, but not overpowering. The body is medium, well carbonated, and pretty easy to drink. It's not something I could chug, but it's not something I'd have to sip every now and then.

O: I really enjoyed this beer. I will be adding this to my list of beers that I will continuously buy. This is the kind of beer that I could buy and have no regrets. It has the smell and flavor that I look forward to in a really good double IPA. I am excited that there is another great beer out there that I can get my hands on!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:03:25 | More by teromous

Rathsbone

4.24/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

We poured this into a Footed Ale Glass from a bottle.
Golden amber in color with a thin, 1 finger of head; leaves a lite lacing.
Strong scent of citrus with notes of grass and pine resin.
Tastes like a west coast IPA but more balanced with some malt character yet still nice and bitter throughout.
Even though it has a high ABV and is somewhat bitter, it is still smooth and easy to drink.
I've tried every IPA I could get a hold of for the past 10 years and this is definitely one of the good ones.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:25:30 | More by Rathsbone

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from 12 oz bottle into Corsendonk chalice.
Pours a bright yellow gold...clear...modest head of different size bubbles.
Aroma of melon rind, rhubarb, hay, candy sugar (though I doubt it's in there), subtle medicinal but this is dated 10/3/12, I'd say a tad beyond it's fresh prime.
Significant carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of citrus hops, cream of tartar, rich malts, alcohol...lets let this open a few minutes...
OK...8 minutes or so later!...small head, melon rind & hay aroma, rich, full body with lots of hops and significant malts.
I've been drinking this and most FW beers for years...picked up a case of the anniversary in 2007, have had Union Jack on tap, in a 22 oz, and in these little bottles. All in all it's a brilliant hop monster...lots of body and hop richness for a hop head, but enough malt and alcohol to make it stand out. While there's some melon and cream of tartar, the malt and hops balance these like peanut butter with jelly! There's a bold balance that's satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 04:14:23 | More by DenverLogan

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Picked up a single bottle of this in Totowa recently, not having an American Double/Imperial IPA in quite some time. Most of these tend to be pretty aggressive with lots of citrus and with a resin consistency to them and this was no exception to that. I could have easily mistaken this for a Sierra Nevada brew and even though this was quite similar to that, I still enjoyed it immensely and had to pace myself while drinking this!

The pour to this was a dark goldenrod with a bit of head and hardly any lacing to be seen. Lots of orange zest, floral hops, and booze in the nose with a strong grassy taste and slight metallic tinge when I took some sips of this. This wasn't as oily as other West Coast IPA's that I've had but it was on that level and the light carbonation only added to the mouthfeel since it lingered well into the aftertaste. This was quite strong but it didn't feel that way while I was drinking it, as only the flavors and mouthfeel could be detected.

That's not to say that the alcohol wasn't there. This quietly crept up on me and it would be quite hard to have more than one or two of these in a session. While this was enjoyable, this category has a lot of heavyweights that this doesn't quite measure up to. It's a textbook example of what a good Double/Imperial IPA should be without being too bitter or dark and it would be tough to find a hophead that didn't enjoy this at all.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 22:39:51 | More by JerzDevl2000

dougfur

New York

4.46/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great DIPA. It deserves the high rating, though the hop flavor is a tad on the skunky side, so beware if you don't like that.Overall, not terribly bitter, with a lot of late-addition flavor. It's pretty darn expensive around here, but that's the only reason I would hesitate to drink more...

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 17:07:43 | More by dougfur