Wookey Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

kojevergas

California

2.88/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

650ml brown glass bottle with foiled over pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average given the brewery.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm slightly over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger khaki head of nice cream and thickness, and great retention for the high ABV. Colour is a solid black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Appealing for the style.

Sm: Floral hops, some pine, must, dark malts, stale malts, and cream. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Unpleasantly aggressive hop bitterness atop clean malts, some floral character, and hints of citrus. Pleasant but unimpressive. There's little complexity or subtlety. It's too bold and aggressive. Overbearing.

Mf: Too sharp. Too thick. Coarse and dry on the climax, but nicely wet on the open.

Dr: Drinkable but unremarkable. A let-down from Firestone Walker, but then I've come to expect that from them.

C

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 08:40:04 | More by kojevergas

Murrhey

Montana

2.9/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had as part of the "Reserve Flight" at the Bruery Provisions for its Firestone Walker tap takeover. Poured in a 2oz taster. Reviewed from notes.

A- Thin white head, with decent retention. Deep black color with very little light permeation.

S- My buddy James and I both commented on how "dank" this beer smelled. Like pungent marijuana, rye, chocolate and dark hops. Not a bad smell, just different. Earthy tones.

T- Some darker hops and a middling maltiness. Not blown away by the taste.

M- Medium bodied and wet feel.

O- I was hoping for more, but this was not a bad beer at all.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2012 04:48:26 | More by Murrhey

kscaldef

Oregon

3.1/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark brown with garnet edges. Big think head leaves moderate, irregular lacing. Piney hops mix with toasty dark malt aromas. Medium heavy body with high carbonation. Dark burnt malts dominate the taste with a grassy hop finish. Mild sweetness. A pleasant enough beer, but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 20:45:33 | More by kscaldef

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.19/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A - pours a dense dark brown-black. Short tan head. A little bit of lacing.

S - let down. Not much going on here. Fresh beer too. Very mild floral, pine and citrus. Some woody funk that appears in many Firestone beers. The rye isn't obvious, but it's there. Mild malty aroma with a dash of hops.

T - is thankfully more robust than the aroma. There is some citrus from the hops and a mild caramel from Midnight Wheat. The rye isn't a major flavor component, but it might add a little spicyness. The flavor isn't bad, but I find it to be rather boring.

M - medium grainy texture with low-medium carbonation. Moderate bitterness with a short sustain.

O - I normally like Firestone beers, but this one was unimpressive and I won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 00:08:09 | More by GuzzLah

mactrail

California

3.2/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Handsome dark brown in the Crooked Line narrow tulip. Beige head foams up nicely. Pleasantly sudsy mouthfeel. Aroma of pineapple and resin is appealing.

The hops overwhelm any malty flavors, so it's hard to tell if there is much roasted barley taste. Has some of the herbacious flavor of many other black IPAs, but returns to the candied mango. A little charcoal. Very bitter in the aftertaste. It just doesn't know when to quit. Fruity and piney at the same time.

This seems to hit the bullseye for this sort-of style, it's black and it's totally hops. Not getting a repeat visit from me. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Liticker's in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 05:31:52 | More by mactrail

Beaver13

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a fluffy light tan head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is roasted chocolate malts, resiny hops and some spicy rye.

The flavor is roasted dark malts with a weird blend of rye and charred plasticky resiny bitterness. The bitterness is fairly harsh and lingering in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, I really wanted to like this beer, but it just did not mesh at all. It did mellow a bit as I drank it, but still was overly abrasive and unbalanced with off-notes

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 05:47:15 | More by Beaver13

Bendurgin

Maine

3.33/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. This one pourA dark brown with about an inch of frothy light tan head. Nice sticky lace.

The aroma has nice citrus malts with some spicy rye in the background. Some hints of roasted malt in the background. A bit mellow hops on the pallet with some hints of spicy rye. Roasted malts giving a solid backbone.

The body is medium and lingers on the pallet. Soft carbonation. Overall this one is enjoyable. Would like a bit more of a hop presence on the pallet but this one is sound.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 02:02:00 | More by Bendurgin

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at Fountainhead.

Figured I'd give this guy a try alongside some other tastiness at Fountainhead. It pours a dark ruby-highlighted black-brown topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, pine resin, grapefruit rind, and a kiss of molasses. The taste brings in more of the same, with the grapefruit really coming in stronger and being joined by what seems to be some lime zest. The result, though, comes across as clashing, with the roasty and hoppy factions unwilling to give ground or work together. It's not an altogether awful clash, but it's certainly bloody enough. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a generally solid black IPA, but one whose clashing flavors just don't fully do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2012 15:53:39 | More by TMoney2591

notchucknorris

California

3.48/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours black with a 1/2 finger mocha colored head.

S: At first, I was picking up a lot of tropical notes, especially lychee and overripe mango. As it warms a bit, it begins to smell more of rustic rye, cracked black pepper, some faint overripe mango and a bit of something kind of woodsy that smells a bit like aftershave. Guessing that's the rye too.

T: Starts soft and sweet with mango and honey and some faint citrus hop notes. Finish brings darker flavors of roasted malt, anise, coffee and char. There's a lingering sweetness throughout that isn't helped by the seeming lack of carbonation. It's not a bad beer, but it's not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 20:46:57 | More by notchucknorris

far333

Connecticut

3.56/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Deep mahogany colored and opaque. A beige thick head settles out quickly. Low aroma of citrusy hops. Flavors of citrusy hops, morphing to orange rind pith, mix of pine and rye spice. Good balance of hops and malt, leaning more towards the hops, but good presence for the roasty dark malt. Rich and full mouthfeel, creamy, finishes a bit tannic. Good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 22:37:17 | More by far333

Lordquackingstic

Italy

3.6/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber poured into a snifter.

A: Dark black with almost no light penetration with three fingers of an off white head. Tiny bubbles emerge and dance up the side of the glass. Spectacular lacing.

S: Smells like a spicy and tropical IPA to me!

T: Big on the spicy malt notes with a bit of hop bitterness. Not a lot of tropical flavors that the nose had. Good, but sort of weird.

M: Tingly spiciness with a little bit of heat. Medium carbonation.

O: This was my first black IPA, and I can't say I'm a fan. Not bad, just not what I'm in the mood for on a summer night. The nose on this is really awesome and it looks beautiful. Sadly it goes downhill after that. Not much downhill, but still enough to not be my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 04:14:15 | More by Lordquackingstic

ccrida

Oregon

3.61/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Dark chocolate brown with a small light tan head leaving very intricate lace.

Smell is cat pee and skuny hops, a little bakers chocolate, which grows as it warms

Taste is big hops, herbal and morso citrus flavor with a big bitter finish. Taste is rich and malty, dark chocolate. Alcohol is a bit to prominent.

Mouthfeel is malty, off dry, med+

Drinkability is pretty good, it's on the big side, more DCDA. Alcohol is spicy and drying, it gets a little tiring after a while.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 02:15:23 | More by ccrida

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.61/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown/near black with a reddish mahogany tint, nice thick head. Looks thinner and somehow different from a stout or porter, but very dark.

Smells of dark piney hops, hints of sweet dark malt, some orange citrus. Pretty pungent hop aroma.

Taste is more of a balance of sweet rich malt and hops; pine again, some chocolate malt, mild bitterness, a little smoke. Not a lot of citrus in the taste, more piney/grassy hops.

Mouthfeel is a little thinner than I expected. Pretty good carbonation, just not as thick a body as a lot of beers in this style.

7.3/10

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:58:44 | More by AlexFields

srandycarter

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Yep, it's black, or damn close to it. Off white head leaves to ring and islands of head. Some spotty lace.

S - Wow. It is ALL about the hops. Once you get over that, you can pick up some charred malt.

T - Something like a hoppy porter. A little washed out, IMHO.

M - Lighter on all accounts than I had hoped for. Balance veers to the hops. Good carb.

D - Glad to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 05:06:28 | More by srandycarter

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint glass

Appearance: dark-brown in color, 1/2 inch head, opaque, high carbonation

Smell: sweet malt, pine, tropical fruit

Taste: chocolate, pine, charred malt, and cream

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy bodied, moderate carbonation, sweet start with underlying bitterness

Overall: A good not great Black IPA. I like the way the pine and cream interact. That said, I have been blown away by just about every other beer I have had from Firestone Walker and this beer, while good did not do that.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 15:29:44 | More by tigg924

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1 1/2" tan head over the cloudy reddish brown brew. Head lasts and lasts, with chunky lacing. Aroma is pine and spices.

Taste is spicy rye to start, citrus in the middle, and dominant pine bitterness through the close. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, and drinkability is okay. Wish there was a bit more maltiness to support all the bitter.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 22:51:18 | More by ppoitras

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A – Black with just a hint of brown on the edges of the glass. Massive, meringue-like three-finger head of tan foam with good rentention. Great lacing, but the head sticks to itself more than it does the glass.

S – Burnt grains, charcoal, grapefruit, and pine. Slightest hint of caramel and cocoa.

T – Big burnt grain taste upfront. Notes of charcoal, bakers chocolate, and ash. Piney hops take over in the mid-palate. A spicy rye note becomes present in the finish. One of the better blended black IPA’s I’ve sampled.

M – Medium bodied and carbonated. Works with the flavor profile. Finishes dryer than the desert.

O – No doubt one of the finest examples of the style. Personally, I have never found black IPA’s to my liking, and I've always found the charred grain + super piney hops flavor combination to be a little abrasive. Personal tastes aside, a quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 01:55:15 | More by TempeBeerMan

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, split with my brother, my portion poured into a New Belgium Globe.

A: Dark brown with lots of khaki head, good lace, carbonation visible on the sides of the glass.

S: Tons of herbal notes, resinous and dank...bitter, earthy, and a bit piney. Chocolate, roasted malt character underneath, just hints of sweetness really. Fairly unique.

T: More of the same here, Zeus hops in this bad boy? Earthy astringent notes, hints of mandarin and blood orange and grapefruit as well. Minimal sweetness as the malts are uncovered, faint bready notes and a distant roasted malt character.

MF: Medium mouth, no alcohol really detected, good carbonation, and good bitterness on the back end.

O: Not sure I care for this one, the hop profile doesn't really do it for me. Seems pretty one-dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 14:16:24 | More by Scotchboy

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours reasonably dark. Not black, but very dark brown. Light penetrates the beer's edges. Head is about a half inch high and retains very effectively. Head leaves spirals of lace.

S-Nose is interesting. Sudsy, soapy hops. Also some grapefruit and pine hoppiness too. Spicy rye is not super intense but it is clearly detectable. Light chocolate, coffee and cola. Not sure that I love the hop profile here. I actually find the nose to be an overall slight disappointment.

T-The flavor has a clear beginning and an end. The is an obvious transition too. I enjoy the beer's ending flavor more than its initial taste. It starts off initially bitter with pine and soapy hop then comes the cola and darker malts. It finishes nicely with a more lively burst of citrus hop and a light dabbing of rye.

M-Body is lighter than the ABV would suggest initially. Tingly carbonation. A bit resinous. Pretty dry.

O/D-Not in love with this one. Was expecting to enjoy this more. The flavors aren't my favorite, and they seem to clash with one another. Worth a try but I am left a bit disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:45:00 | More by VelvetExtract

rawfish

California

3.7/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a touch lighter than black coffee with mahogany highlights. Forms a two finger high creamy toasted marshmallow head, and an attractive ring of lacing. Good retention.

Hops dominate the aroma with a blast of grapefruit that is floral and pungent with a pine accompaniment. No malt discernible on the nose but ends with a slight coffee.

Bright hop notes are set off right from the start that allow a hint of nutty malt complete with a bit of coffee and ash. The bitterness and acidity from the dark malt play nicely with the Cascade hop character. One dimensional, the dark malt plays almost no part, even as the beer warms.

Creamy with a touch of prickly carbonation. Sticky malt offsets the drying hops with a medium body. Alcohol is well hidden.

Bright hops are the center piece of this beer adding aroma and bitterness. Smooth even mouthfeel with a well hidden alcohol shows the FW craft. I didn't get much of the dark malt and felt it was rather pointless to brew this as a black ipa if the malt just gets buried under.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 05:29:19 | More by rawfish

beergoot

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, dark mahogany red/brown with a thick, chunky head; clots of lacing along the pint glass. The nose is all bright, floral hops; spicy and citrusy. The taste reinforces the hop presence with a relatively thin malt note; strong hop bitterness. The feel is also fairly light, slightly over-carbonated; crisp, clean, and dry.

The rye and hops really standout with the aroma and taste. But the balance seems off. The malt characteristics seem fairly weak and the mouthfeel thin and watery. Still, if hops are your thing, this is one to check out.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:46:52 | More by beergoot

socon67

New York

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Black pour with a high brown cola colored foam that held nicely. Slight carbonation noted. Minimal lacing.

S - Has a very aromatic hoppy smell. Almost a floral scent. Notes of spices as well.

T - Tasted like a typical black IPA. Had a pronounced hoppy bite typical of an american IPA but tempered by some earthy spcies and a flavor of dark wheat bread.

M - I was pretty content after one of these. The scent was more potent as it warmed and the bitterness was perfect with my BBQ. Felt light for the ABV.

O - Not my favorite style, but I did appreciate this beer. Another nice offering from Firestone Walker, and for the brand alone I wanted to try this one. Lovers of black IPA's should enjoy this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2012 19:27:02 | More by socon67

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

We crack our grumbler and pour a brew of the deepest chocolate amber. It holds a brief one finger head of soapy tan bubbles. This leaves spots and jabs of lacing down the sides of the glasses, with a foamy ring circumferentially to crown. Carbonation appears mild, while a chill haze permeates the liquid. No sediment is noted. The aroma is surprisingly fruity. Notes of fusel booze, strawberry, big pink bubblegum esters, floral and citric hops, and tangy sweet pineapple all mix off the bat for a refreshing pop. To balance is fresh dill, caramel and pale malts, chalky coffee roast, and a zesty soured bite of yeast. Our first impression is that the malts are much more present in the flavoring than in the nose, curbing some of that sweet and tart fruitiness with puckering bitterness. As we sip, both pale and roasted coffee malts are apparent. Waxy lipstick-like flavors, along with some puckering but juicy citric hops, bubblegum essence, chalky yeast, sweet booze, lemon rind, and butter-flashed figgy syrups mix and bring us to the peak. Here, we get a pale muskiness, plum and honeycrisp apple sweetness, and a sweeter, balancing side to the caramel malty base. The finish is a wash of bitterness and pucker, with huge citric hop bite, medicinal phenols, booze fumes, tannic dryness, and the thick roast of raw coffee. The aftertaste breathes of citric hop cone and stem, bittered minerals, herbal bitterness, booze, more charred malts, and the drying, tannic astringency of black tea. The body is on the full side, and the carbonation is light to medium. There is nice slurp, pop, cream, smack, and froth to each sip, with a nice coating and initial pucker. This drips down to wetness, but the mouth is left with a final drying bite on the breath. The abv is appropriate, and the beer sips a bit more slowly.

Overall, what we liked best about this beverage was its boldness, and nice mix of flavoring. The nose painted the picture of something curiously sweet and fruity, which was nicely intriguing. The flavoring, however, was a departure from this, with big hoppy bitterness, and drying pucker by the end of the sip. This made for a nice contrast, and kept you guessing throughout. This bitterness might get to some who may not be expecting such a bite on such a sweet-seeming beer, but this guy remains drinkable, and is a tasty treat.

Serving type: growler

01-17-2013 02:29:13 | More by TheBrewo

HalfFull

California

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Capped bomber served into a wine glass, the village of Wookey finally gets its 15 minutes of fame here in the New World from our Union Jack guys. Pours a nice dark brown and fairly clear and bright for an unfiltered ale. Offers crimson highlights and an inch of pourous tan foam. Good retention and rings of lace.

Aroma is a pleasant blend of hops and roasted/chocolate malts. Bit resinous but not too potent. Good balance for the style as hops aren't too blatant and malts are more complex than just making the beer dark like a few I've seen.

Taste of roasted malts with a background of hops. Finishes with a bit of char and a rather light bitterness but a good dose of texture to the base grains. Touch of dark fruit as the pour settles in exchange for a bitter hop finish. Does offer some bitter chocolate on the close which keeps the feel from being too thin.

Overall hoppy but not, malty but not. So I guess that's good for a Black Pale Ale. Auto logged off again a minute ago and data lost. Why do I review live??

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 04:20:32 | More by HalfFull

mrmkahn

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this out of a tall boy poured into a snifter at about 54*F.

A- The beer poured a deep brown with a slight transparency. There was a quarter-inch, off-white head. Virtually no lacing.

S- There was a strong aroma of floral hops when I opened the bottle, but once poured, the hops aroma virtually disappeared. In the snifter there was a rich roasted scent followed by a dark chocolate essence as well.

T- When the beer first hits the palette there is a strong taste of spice and roasted malts. There is a slight taste of molasses and chocolate but those quickly fade into the background. There is virtually no floral hop profile as the beer goes down. I was left with a strong bitterness on the front of the tongue and a slight alcohol flavor in the back.

M- The beer was smooth and balanced if not a little thin. No resiny character to it nor was there much carbonation.

O- Having tasted some of the other Firestone Walker offerings, this was just okay for them. I'm glad I tried it, and it stands as a solid sampling of a Rye IPA, but not my beer of choice for Firestone Walker or the style. It's worth a try, but I don't think I'd grab it again, particularly if the Double Jack is available.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:03:16 | More by mrmkahn