Wookey Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

flydudehsv

California

5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 oz. bottle from Yosemite Valley's Village Store. Wookey Jack is the best Black IPA I've ever had. The aroma is an amazing blend of pine and roasted malt. Taste is perfect balance between malt and hops. Slight chocolate flavours with hops coming out in sweet lingering bitterness. 8.3% abv is well hidden, you'll have a hard time putting down this beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:01:40 | More by flydudehsv

Immortale25

Florida

4.98/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. Label says 11/09/12

A- Pours a 99% opaque black color with a 3/4 inch tan head that bears great retention time before slowly meandering down to an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass and full tufts of surface foam. Solid, semi-thick lacing.

S- Sharp, grassy hop bouquet that's rounded out well by the rye malt. Very pleasant actually. The hops are wonderfully floral and citrusy.

T- That's what I'm talkin' about. Flood of glorious hop bitterness that''s perfectly in contrasting unison with the rye malt. It's not quite as bitter as Union Jack, though. Much more enjoyable. There are tropical fruit notes but they're distorted, in a good way, through the semi-roasty malts. Also some light spice.

M- Delicately creamy and robust. Medium carbonation is on point.

O- Such a great beer on so many levels. I'm having trouble finding a single flaw.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 02:59:12 | More by Immortale25

elNopalero

Texas

4.98/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Review #800!

...and I already have my follow-up bottle of this waiting for me...

I’ve held off on trying this one because for the longest time I couldn’t find a bottle less than two months out. Finally lucked out—so glad they’re printing bottled-on dates now.

Finally, a Cascadian IPA that hits all the right notes. This was fantastic. Not that I expected anything less from Firestone Walker.

This poured a black coffee color with a thick cocoa-colored head. The aroma has a fantastic subdued grapefruit characteristic from the hops, coupled with a pleasing roast note. It plays well together with a balance I have found in all too few of the style. The flavor is likewise expertly balanced, with a pleasing bitterness from the grapefruit & pine notes the hops lend to the brew which is balanced by a light yet sharp roast character, all wrapped up with a delicate dry finish. Simply fantastic and I couldn’t be more pleased with this brew. Excellent job, gentlemen.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 08:10:05 | More by elNopalero

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.93/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle picked up from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA.

Pours a deep brown colour (certainly more brown than black), with a firm and frothy head of mocha foam. Body is solid, holding its carbonation nicely. Lacing is great. Overall, it's a top-notch looking beer. If it were actually black like advertised it would be a clear 5/5.

Ooh, the nose is phenomenal, and is making a good play for a 5/5 itself, straight off the bat. Big fragrant hops meander among the complex and almost unknowable malt basis. Rye gives peppery notes, which mingles with a hint of faintly smoky roast, sweetness and even a touch of salt. The hops complement this, and seemingly fill in the gaps, creating an immensely nuanced but coherent and expressive whole. Gorgeous stuff.

The taste is also complex, but excitingly in different ways than expected from the nose. Here, there is really a genuine hint of smoke, which adds a subtle comforting sweetness underneath everything, above which is layered roast, malt, bright hops, smoothness. There's spice and pepper on the back, but smooth fruitiness, and even a caressing chocolate character. Wow. It's like there's such complexity to every layer at every point on the palate. I feel like I could keep describing the exciting little things which pop up at different points, and still not scratch the surface.

Feel is smooth and rich, but never so much that it starts to overwhelm the palate—it lets the flavours of the beers talk for themselves.

Wow. Just wow. This is a phenomenally good beer. Exciting, complex, rich, but for all that balanced and exceptionally drinkable. Gorgeous stuff. Just gorgeous.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 02:23:24 | More by lacqueredmouse

AxesandAnchors

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: A one fingers worth of head, dissipated to a lacing pretty quickly, but has good retention. A pretty caramelly looking head.

S: Smells amazing, perfect mix of Rye and Hops. Chocolatey, caramel, a nice pine note without being overpowering, a hint of citrus, candied fruit, a little nutty as it warms,

T: Extremely well balanced, the malts and the hops really work well together. One of the few beers that I've had which the aroma actually matches the taste almost perfectly. I would say that the pine note is much more present in the taste than it is in the aroma, but other than that it is pretty spot on. Doesn't drink like an 8% beer (maybe 6%).

M: Nice dense mouth feel. I wouldn't say creamy or syrupy, it's lighter than that, but has a substantial viscosity to it.

O: This is the best example of a dark hoppy ale that I have had so far. Call it what you want, Cascadian Dark Ale, Black IPA, or American Black Ale...who cares, it's damn tasty!

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 04:21:46 | More by AxesandAnchors

TexIndy

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22oz bomber with a foil covered crown into a tulip glass. Was almost black with mahogany edges. It had a large tan head that settled into a constant foam cap. Thick collar with lots of thick lace with lots sticking. Excellent looking beer.

The aroma was roasted dark malts, dark chocolate, rye and earthy tones. Very pleasing. The taste follows the aroma and is very smooth and balanced. The aroma led me to think it would be overly bitter and dry like several ABA's that I've had in the past with similar aroma profiles but this one was different. Smooth and dangerously easy drinking from the start with a great bitter component that compliments instead of over-rides the rest of the flavors. Very tasty. Mouthfeel is full and creamy with good carb levels. Smooth after-taste with slight bitter finish.

Overall, excellent and one of the best beers I've had in awhile. Did I mention it's easy drinking and smooth - could get into a lot of trouble with this one. Most highly recommend. Not available here in TX - got in care package from umagum. Rotation - if available here, I'd grab several and pray that this becomes a regular release. [H;Y]

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 02:15:08 | More by TexIndy

sevenarts

New York

4.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Brownish black with a big billowing tan head.

S: Big citrus aroma, loads of orangey hops with a slightly spicy edge.

T/M: Delicious and layered. Big citrusy hops dominate up front, very ripe and juicy. Underneath are some spicy accents from the rye, and it finishes up with a surprising burst of coffee and chocolate.

O: An amazing and really well-balanced beer with a ton of flavor and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 00:00:46 | More by sevenarts

Rippeddisc

Hawaii

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Flew this home with me 2 months ago...

A - poors super dark brown...2 finger head, down to thin lacing

S - bubble gum, fruit-grapefruit, malt/bread, bit yeasty, great nose here

T/M - holy monkeys. doesnt match the nose. roasted malt sweetness with bit of the rye spice, hops build in the background and make love to your mouth.

O - I'm a fan of this style...and this beer doesnt need to get any more perfect. Find it. Drink it. Sleep next to the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:28:53 | More by Rippeddisc

flayedandskinned

California

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on 1/25/13
Poured into a standard tulip.

Appearance: Pours a pitch black without any clarity. A 2.5 finger tall light khaki head quickly forms. Great head retention and leaves absolute curtains of lacing behind

Aroma: Big dank tropical hops; Papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, light lemon and pine needles. The Citra and Amarillo hop varieties truly work magic on your olfactory senses. A really interesting and unique combination of semi sweet chocolate and rye malts poke through and accent the hops quite beautifully.

Taste: Again, dank hops upfront, but the lemon-y tropical notes are really in lock step with the malt profile. The malt backbone is really nice and complex. Obvious notes of spicy rye and caraway seed with a big creamy baker's chocolate note towards the beginning of the tangy, dry, bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Robust, slightly oily and full bodied with moderate-high carbonation.

Overall: I tried this for the first time last year and was utterly blown away by the rough around the edges, yet truly balanced flavor profile of this complex and interesting brew. I would love to see Firestone put this beer on oak for a couple of weeks. Highly recommended to any beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 08:38:44 | More by flayedandskinned

Momar42

Maryland

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into Duvel tulip

Brought from California myself, its a fresh one!

A - Deep dark black with maybe a shade of brown. Light is consumed within the Wookey. Huge bubbly tan head. THICK and clingy. Drink me for the eyes.

S - Pine, roasted malt, hints of rye. Perhaps a smidge of citrus. Big lovely nose. Drink me for the nose.

T - Here goes; Oh my thats a nice blend of styles. Hops on the front, fresh and bitter...followed by a perfect blending of the rye malt...that in turn gives way to the looked for hops at the end. Perfect balance IMHO. Drink me!

M - Big carbonation but it (shocker) is the ideal amount to carry the flavor across the palate. Coats but not cloying, finishes clean and crisp. Mmmm.

O - FW is really becoming my go-to brewer lately and Wookey only furthers that path. Ideally balanced beer (as are most of theirs), refreshing, complex and just DAMN good. Find it, trade for it, just get it. Move over Stone, FW now has the best black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:07:03 | More by Momar42

IPA4LIFE

United Kingdom (England)

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pitch black with only a slight hint of red on the edges when held to the light. Ultra fluffy tan head with great retention and strong, clingy lacing. Good looking beverage.

S- Fresh hops, with some spicy, dank notes. Also some chocolate and spicy rye. Really complex. Awesome smell.

T- To taste this beer is to know what complexity really means. Citrus hops layered on top of chocolate layered on top of spicy rye and a malty chocolate coffee aftertaste. This beer has so many things going on and it does all of them well. This is a ridiculously complex and brilliant beer. Super tasty.

M- Just about right for the style.

O- Awesome. Straight up.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 23:05:42 | More by IPA4LIFE

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black with a hint of dark brown around the edges of the glass. Good head, retention and lacing on the glass. The nose is a piney hop with a hint of smoked malt. Flavor doesn't disappoint with fresh pine hop flavor and with the malt brings out some candy or bit of chocolate. Sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2012 21:37:06 | More by Oakenator

aranheaney

New York

4.73/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a Stone nonic pint glass:

(Been enjoying everything the good folks at Firestone Walker do, this is amazing!!!)

A-Jet black with toffee head that hangs out and nice lacing

S-Excellent IPA with malt and rye on the back end

T-Follows the nose, but goes to another level

M-EXCELLENT!

O-A great, great beer, if you can, go out and get it...

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 21:32:47 | More by aranheaney

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.71/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bomber poured into a tulip

A- Pours extremely dark, Almost pitch black in the glass. A one finger of a lingering off tan colored head. Visible alcohol legs.

S- Super fresh citrus, oranges, lemon, mango and pine. A slight roasted malt and a warming spiciness.

T- A slight bitterness comes up at first. A wave of a fresh hop profile. There is a ton of pine in this beer. There is also an array of fresh citrus flavors. There is a lot of lime and orange and pineapple and grapefruit. Nice fresh hop flavor. There is a spiciness from the rye and a nice bit of roasteyness from the malts that are very well balanced and work tremendously well with the hops.

M- A spicy and bitter brew but very well balanced. A dry roasty finish. Not too strong. A good size and nice carbonation.

O- This is an amazing brew. Luckily my bottle is super fresh. A big and perfectly balanced ale. The best black ale I have ever had by a nice margin.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:47:35 | More by TwelveOunces

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a tulip- pours a dark brown color, charcoal in the middle, ruby brown on the edges. Has a two finger tan head with ok retention and barley any lacing.

Smells like piney hops, a little bit of sharp rye, and a little roasted malt. Nice complex nose.

Really well balanced flavor and very complex. Roasted malts up front, a little chocolate, then comes the rye sharpness, then some piney, resiny west coast hops. Finishes pretty dry.

Mouthfeel is very nice- medium bodied, a little hop resin, a little chewy, and moderately carbonated. Good stuff- get it!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:51:54 | More by Hopdaemon39

Topher78

California

4.7/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours very black with hints of brown on the edges. Half a finger of a khaki head that leaves good lacing. The Aroma has big citrus notes along with some roasted malt. The taste has similar characteristics as the aroma but with some spiciness as well. Very complex body with a medium mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 16:06:41 | More by Topher78

Steamer

Missouri

4.69/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a dark brown, chocolate color with a one-finger beige head. Nice lacing. The strong hops and rye smells hit hard like fresh pine needles; citrus overtones. The taste follows the smell up front but it is remarkably smooth. A robust, full hops burst but not at all harsh; becomes bitter as expected at the end. Medium mouth feel, like a porter more than a dark IPA. This one goes on the favorite list as one to always have at the ready!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:25:11 | More by Steamer

goosewhisperer

Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a-dark black, light only comes through when the beer is being poured. Lot's of lacing lines the glass after the head dissipates.

s-not like it looks at all. The citra and the ammarillos really are big in the nose. The rye comes out here too, but take a backseat to the hops.

t-the hops come through first, and are followed by the malts and the rye. There is a slight pumpernickel here, and the wookey dust is sitting in the background. The beer is well balanced and a good combination of the hops and malts. There is a good bitter finish that is not too strong for the style.

m-good carbonation that fits the beer. On the lighter side of medium bodied.

o-great addition to the FW line up. This beers really does it for me, and will be a regular in the FW rotation. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:00:21 | More by goosewhisperer

PeacefulHopFrog

California

4.65/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

650ML bottle, no bottling date, even though there is a space for it.

A - Dark chocolate brown, to the point where light only shines through at the bottom. Thick, dark golden-brown head lingers to a light brown layer after 10 minutes.

S - Roasted malt and hop resin flood the nose with a hint of citrus fruit.


T - Roasted, malty flavor with a touch of chocolate that hides behind a subtle smoky background taste.

M - Very mild mouthfeel for the aggressive appearance and smell. A longer finish is present, but it is not one of those finishes that feels like all you can taste is floral hop. A very drinkable beer indeed.

There are so many incredible beers out there, but Firestone Walker continues to impress me with every new addition to their line. I have never had a black rye IPA before but this one has set an incredibly high standard for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:02:51 | More by PeacefulHopFrog

steelerguy

New York

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours black...wait, if you tilt the glass you can see that it is actually slightly translucent and a deep walnut color. Tan head, that fades quickly leaving just a covering on top with a few unfortunate large bubbles.

S - Get ready to enjoy as soon as you open a bottle, the citrus hop aromas that immediately escape are divine. Once poured, the hops are still present, but joined by a lot of chocolate and a bit of roasted coffee.

T - This is first and foremost an IPA, even better a rye IPA. The hop delivery is smooth with lots of citrus and a touch of floral. There is a sweetness and a bit of spice from the rye that plays perfectly with the floral notes of the hopes, and then the chocolate comes on as you finish, with just a hint of roasted coffee aftertaste.

M - Mediums bodied, velvety, and warming. Just enough alcohol and carbonation to linger.

O - This is one of those beers that should be a standard. If you want to make a black IPA, Cascadian ale, American Black ale...whatever you want to call it, this is it. There are lots of black IPAs out there since it became "the thing" to do, but this one does it right.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:48:26 | More by steelerguy

OStrungT

California

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours an inky black color with a creamy light brown head. the head fades slowly, leaving an impressive lace.

This beer smells citrusy with some grapefruit, and lemon. I get a slight piny aroma as well as some spicy rye. A subtle malty caramel aroma is also present.

This beer pretty much tastes exactly like it smells. Citrus hops with some spicy rye and sweet malt.

This beer is crisp and refreshing. The 8.3% ABV is well hidden in both the aroma and the taste. Carobnation is perfect.

This beer would make a good session beer. It tastes great. The higher alcohol content might make it a little tough to enjoy more thana few bottles though.

Overall: This is the first good beer I have had since I cam back form Afghanistan, and I am glad that it was. I cant think of a better way to welcome myself back into the world of amazing beer than with a beer like this.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 18:19:54 | More by OStrungT

blankust

Oklahoma

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

served from bottle into chalice style glass

Odor: piney, hoppy aroma
Appearance: black with 2 finger mocha colored head, plenty of lacing
Taste: nice citrusy start, very smooth, hops throughout, can fell 8.3% warming at end, spicy on tip of tongue, can taste molasses as beer warms.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:25:56 | More by blankust

brewtus

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured 22oz into tulip

A- pours black with a nice two finger light beige head
S- piney hops, some coffee, roasted malt, some chocolate, floral (weird combo right?)
T/M-starts with a dry toasty smokiness, leads into a nice warm hop flavor complimented with some dry rye. Finishes with chocolate, coffee, and smoke like a porter. Texture is just thicker than an ipa, as expected.
O- this is one of the best black IPAs I've ever had, the smell and taste are just amazing, west coast style ipa mixed with Midwest style porter. it's flavors balance out perfectly, not too bitter, not too dry, not too roasty, and not too hoppy, very uniqueand extremely enjoyable. Got this in a trade and really wish I had access to get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:09:15 | More by brewtus

PerHops

California

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- This is pretty dark, but has a little bit of a brownish hue, not quite black.

S- Lots of hops, a little roasted malt

T- Minty, spicy, citrusy, a tiny bit of roasted malt. Exceptional. Maybe the best I've ever tried of this style.

M- Drinks very well. Maybe a touch high on the carbonation.

O- Very solid beer. Best thing I've tried from firestone

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 02:48:20 | More by PerHops

farrago

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Even a slow, measured pour yields half a glass full of deep tan foam, decent density with an island of bigger bubbles remaining at the pour point, retention is very high, to the point it annoys as you can’t get at the liquid to sip it, the lacing is haphazard but what’s there is thick splotches. Dark, opaque brown hued liquid, slice of zinc orange at the glass bottom, few if any bubbles visible inside the glass. The rye is indeed present in the nose, however, on the whole it is sweet in a clean manner, pine, grapefruit, caramel, chocolate, scone crumbs wrapped around a core of apricot, peach, pineapple scents, fresh hops give it penetrating punch without unnecessary bite, admirable for its sinewy linger which never seems forced. Medium-bodied, the carbonation creates a tight weave but its active and keeps things bubbling along. Some rye, pumpernickel notes yet not very bready, once more relies on grapefruit, orange citrus, pine and flowers for most of its initial effect. Chocolate, molasses, anise only bring mild softness, instead it wants to stay erect as the leafy herbaceousness dries out the mid-palate. The roast mostly present as aftertaste. That pineapple, nectarine, apricot to papaya fruit drier here and thus further into the background. Taste-wise not boozy but there is a certain headiness to it. It crackles with the kind of energy and verve which makes you want to gulp as much as sip.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:52:10 | More by farrago