Wookey Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

AltBock

Ohio

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz. bomber bottle with the typical Firestone Walker label with the lion and bear getting ready to duke it out. In between the fighting beasts is the name of the beer in big bold black letters. In the lower left hand corner in the small black strip along the bottom was a bottled date of 1/10/13. Around the cap is an easy to open piece of plastic.

Out of the bottle into a Big Eddy Snifter came a beer that was as black as a moonless night in the desert. It was as thick as oil, but they both have the same color. I was in denial of the blackness of the beer. Every time I put this beer to the light, I kept on seeing a reflection of myself in the glass. On top of this solid black brew was a 1/2 an inch light beige head of foam. Great retention that left behind a beige film and a ton of spots and streaks of lace around the glass.

When I got that hissing sound from the cap, that's when I got a strong whiff of pine. It wasn't a straight up pine aroma. I could detect some grapefruit mixed in with the pine. When it was poured, the grapefruit/pine didn't settle down. Behind that was some orange, a drop of tangerine, and some lightly bitter citrus/ herbal hops. After all that, the beer finishes up with nice roasted rye malt backbone. The hops won't jump out at you. The rye toned the hops down.

While the pine/grapefruit kicked off the aroma, it was the roasted rye that kicked off the taste. The rye lasts a few seconds before it lets through this interesting dry citrus fruit hoppy taste. It wasn't one taste after another. It was one big mixed taste. This mixed ball of taste contained slightly bitter citrus hops, a hint of black licorice, grapefruit, pine, and a splash of orange peel. Very good and very flavorful.

This was a medium bodied Black IPA with a long lasting dry and roasted aftertaste. The aftertaste was all about the roasted rye. There were some citrus elements in there as well, but I could tell that the aftertaste was all about the roasted rye.

Thanks to this beer, I'm starting to like the American Black Ale style. The malted rye in this beer mixes well with the citrus hops, grapefruit, and pine. It was also nice that its not an expensive beer. You don't need to break the bank for this beer. Would I drink another one? I could go for another fresh bottle in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 23:24:46 | More by AltBock

sethmeister

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours nearly black with a hint of red at the edges when held to the light. A thick creamy tan head shrinks slowly, paneling the glass in lace.

Scent is slightly phenolic at first. Linseed oil? Oranges. Sticky pinesap. Pineapples.

Taste is pineapple. Orange and grapefruit. Lemon / lime. Momentarily salty-sweet on the lips like sugar-sprinkled grapefruit segments. Hop flavors are intense and complex. Spicy rye grain present but clearly playing a supporting role. Very subtle roasted notes. As the beer warms a hint of bitter chocolate malt emerges.

Mouth is a juicy and oily medium.

Really a fantastic beer. Bold and intense with a lot going on yet the end result is very satisfying and drinkable. This here is a great big smelly hairy wookey of an ale and I like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 01:32:39 | More by sethmeister

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.24/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz served in a Sam Adams perfect pint

A - Dark brown with a small mocha colored head. The head stays active and forms a thin ceiling of bubbles that stays until the last sip.

S - Pungent hops, green pine, orange, grapefruit, rye really comes out strong as it warms up.

T - Roasted wet grain, orange and grapefruit oils, some sappy pine mixed in, sharp rye really stand out and adds a sharp earthiness. There's a faint smokey character, some sweet citrus, finishes with green, resinous, hop bitterness.

M - Medium carbonation, medium body, dry finish.

Nice pungent hop aroma with a nice roasty background. The rye really shined here and mix well with the hop profile. Good stuff. I did a blind taste test with another Black Rye IPA and the Wookey was the better of the two.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:13:06 | More by StaveHooks

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle with 01/25/13 on the bottom of the label. Pours a black color with a medium brown head. Fair amount of lacing. Aroma is citrus hops, pine, earth and some malts. The taste is piney hops and hints of sweet citrus and roasted malts. Earthy. Nice alcohol presence. Bitter and chocolatey at the finish. Creamy mouthfeel. Tastes boozier as it warms. This is a well crafted Black Ipa for sure. Overall, damn good and worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:56:05 | More by PicoPapa

mdaschaf

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes.

A: Poured a dark color, pretty much black with a one finger tan/brown head on top. Thin lacing forms on the sides of the glass.

S: A combination of chocolate/roast with some pine and grapefruit.

T: Similar to the aroma, a good bit of roast and chocolate. Grapefruit, a little pineapple, and some pine round it out. Not much in the way of rye or spice though.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: Good for a black ale, but still not really something I want to be drinking all the time.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 20:23:45 | More by mdaschaf

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

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

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

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a dark, dark brown, though I slightly can see through it…tight, small bubbled head formed, dark khaki in color, about a finger width thick…it hangs round, though it thins a bit…looks way more like a porter than an IPA…a good lookin’ brew…(4/5)

Smell: Tons of orange, tangerine and pineapple citrus aroma up front with a noticeable peppery rye spice undertone…not overly diverse, citrus zest first and rye malt second, nicely balanced…fairly straight forward…(4/5)

Taste: Yum! A creamy rye opening, biting and peppery, zesty and lively…tons of flavor right off the back…very malt heavy at first, runs most the sip until I swallow…the after taste is full of light citrus flavor and earthy/piney bitterness…there’s a hint licorice…mild robust earthiness grows across my palate with each sip…after about 5, I’m inundated with fresh piney resinous hops flavor…fantastic! (4.75/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium to full carbonation…tons of fluff bringing a spicy rye pepper flavor to the palate…mildly chewy, creamy smooth with a touch of dryness to the finish…I could use a touch more citrus zest, but this is close to perfection…(4.25/5)

Overall: This is a fantastic beer…I’ve been loving the rye’d upped ales lately and this one’s up there with the best of them…I’m not usually in love with black IPA’s, but creamy and flavorful with peppery rye backbone, this brew is outstanding…super drinkable, there’s not too much sign of the higher ABV…I had heard that this was good and it’s actually great…I’m definitely gonna get a couple of these for the closet to share with friends abroad…for me, this is “world class” and should be tried by any beer aficionado…there’s born on dates, so pick it up fresh (their website says within 120 days) and enjoy! (4.5/5)

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:33:40 | More by SerialHiker

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Nearly black with a thick tan head.

Lots of grapefruit and citrus aroma with sappy pine, roasted malts, coffee.

More notes of pine and dry grapefruit with moderate bitterness, roasted character, very light smoke.

Slick, medium bodied.

Nice black ale but I wish the flavors developed more.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 04:31:16 | More by TheMultiYeast

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Very dark copper brown. Ok lacing and very little foam.

Smell: Fruity rye, fairly rye-whiskey-like. Also very peppery.

Taste/Mouthfeel: The most licorice I've ever had in a beer, followed by plums. I like this a lot better in hindsight, making me want it again. Feels a bit thin and doesn't hold up to the flavor and smell.

Overall Drinkabiity: Another great example of a great style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 23:57:53 | More by tjsdomer2

scratch69

Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Dark brown color with a half a fingers worth of tan head.

Smell- Pine and grapefruit aromas.

Taste- Hop bitterness at the start that fades into dark roasted malt with spicy rye note throughout the swallow. Flavors blend together nicely.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation. Smooth and crisp.

Overall- An easy drinking Black IPA. Easily in the top 3 of this style for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:03:41 | More by scratch69

57md

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is dark brown to black with less than a finger of tan head. There is good retention to the head, however and it leaves rings on the glass that are almost as thick as those left by a nitro-tapped beer. There are certainly hops present in the nose, but there are also roasty notes that make for a complex olfactory experience. The flavor includes roasted malts combined with some decent hoppiness and accentuated well with a touch of smoke (a pleasant surprise). The finish is not super hoppy, but the bitterness is enough to round out an exceptional drinking experience.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 06:50:13 | More by 57md

deebo

Minnesota

4.39/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bomber of this bad boy on recent trip to CA. Bottled on 1/25/13. Poured into a pint glass I can smell the hops a mile away...wow what an aromatic brew! Very heady, bubbly and dense with a light tan color. The liquid is black with a garnet hue and clear when held up to light. The whiffs of aromatic citra and amarillo hops. That characteristic rye spice is also quite pronounced but takes a back seat to the juicy citrus (apricot) aroma. Taste is indeed hoppy but there is a big malt bill here. Nice roasted notes with a rye spicy zing. Plenty of carbonation and medium bodied the high alcohol content is definitely not obtrusive and hidden well beneath the ample hops and malt. Their is a slight bitter bite in the aftertaste but it cleans up very nicely. While enjoying the first pint there is some beautiful lacing present and a chunk of head remains. This is a good looking, unbelievably aromatic, well done brew. I've only had a few of the offerings from FW but am really impressed! Superb. The best black IPA I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 04:01:46 | More by deebo

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 11/20/12

Pours a scarlet tinged mahogany with 3+ fingers of mocha colored head. Eoic lacing & good head retention

S: Pineyness & grapefruit, not as assertive I would've hoped

T: Follows the nose, plus roastyness up front & little bit baker's chocolate as well. Roasty bitterness & grapefruit as this warms, then pineyness kicks in & grapefruit acidity. Finishes roasty with mucho grapefruit

MF: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation, good balance for the style, a bit of warming booze

This is good but not upper ecehelon, give me a Stone's itteration on this style any day, but pretty nice & very drinkable; the abv is well disguised. Will try this again if I can find a super fresh bottle. Had this on tap & this compares favorably to that if memory serves me...

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:51:18 | More by russpowell

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly opaque cola with moderate tan head.
S: It smelled like licorice and strong pine, with some herbal hops and spicy rye and dry dark chocolate.
T: It tasted like bitter herbal hops and spicy rye, with some pine and licorice and unsweetened dark chocolate. It had a lasting bitter aftertaste with a little alcohol heat.
M: It was oily with moderate carbonation. Nice body.
D: This was a very nice rye IPA with a strong scent and taste, and a solid body. The finish was a bit harsh, but it was not difficult to drink. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:14:35 | More by Pencible

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.86/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a soft black color with brown hues around the edges. Good clarity and a soft off white head.

The nose is light overall. Some hints of malt and bready undertones. A light toast and maybe a hint of rye on the side. Some hoppy notes with more of a piney and earthy herbal characteristic. No real yeast notes, very clean.

The taste comes out a bit more versus the nose. More malty flavors with a light astringent roast note. Again a hint of rye but could be a softer malt accent. The hops also come out a bit more with more of pine and wintergreen-esk like flavor which lingers into the finish. Again no yeast off notes and very clean overall.

The body is moderate to light. Some astirngency in the finish but blends well with the hoppy herbal. piney notes. Some carbonic bite as well. Would like to see a bit more complexity but an easy drinking beer for sure

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:55:04 | More by Oxymoron

illidurit

California

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From growler. Dark brown clear pour. Nice citrusy aroma, grapefruity in essence but not a totally generic C-hop profile at all. Flavor is citric up front with a malty finish that screams ’rye.’ Not very roasty. It’s a nice idea -- many black IPAs have a hollow roastiness that doesn’t mesh with the hops, but Wookey Jack’s main malt note in the flavor is rye, a tried and true hop complement. Well done.

Serving type: growler

02-20-2013 23:50:04 | More by illidurit

weonfire

Kentucky

4.51/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Mahogany/ almost a dark purple. Great Lacing. Off white head. Pencil think head is retained around rim.

S - Lots of rye, wood, earth and sweetness.

T - Frothy almost a velvety feel- something very unexpected in an IPA. Almost a chocolate taste. Love the rye and bitterness. 8.3ABVs hidden very well.

M - Frothy. Viscosity is medium. Cover mouth really nice. Alcohol give a tiny, tiny burn on tongue initially.

O - Excellent. Rye is outstanding. Alcohol is hidden soo well. Frothy taste is amazing. Certainly buy and drink this again. Best Black IPA I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 02:05:23 | More by weonfire

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.34/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A- poured into tulip glass. Pours black with just a bit of brown on the edges of the glass, huge and creamy light tan head with incredible retention, leaving thick patches of lace as it reduces. A perfect looking pour.

S- huge piney hop notes, slightly toasted malt with a bit of sweet caramel

T- piney and citrus hops give way to a slightly chocolaty sweet dark malt with just a hint of roasted notes, provides a bit of toasted flavor. Piney resinous finish that is dry with some caramel notes.

M- medium body with low carbonation, smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a silky finish, perfect balance of alcohol

O- the is a style that I haven't had much, but I'm really liking it. This one has superb balance of piney hops and toasted dark malt. Would gladly drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:47:12 | More by Treyliff

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I poured the Wookey into a tulip style glass. The initial pour left a couple fingers of foam which stuck really well to the side of the glass. This is a very dark beer, almost no light comes through.

The Jack smells really good. I like the hop prevalence coming off the top. The flavor is pretty well balanced. The hops come through really well. I also like the lighter coffee presence.

This is a very good black IPA. It is unlike any black IPA's I've had before. This makes for a worthwhile pick up.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 18:42:41 | More by ummswimmin

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

arlingtonjoe

Illinois

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

pours dark reddish brown with a decent tan head. settles nicely with moderate lacing.

piney-citrus nose with a slightly roasty smell.

citrus-grapefruit up front, followed by a nice roasted malt flavor with a slightly bitter malty finish.

decent mouthfeel, thickens as it warms

a nice rye-pa from firestone and worthy of trying

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:48:00 | More by arlingtonjoe

Efay

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- About 1 head of mocha foam. Not much retention, and not much lacing. Looks black, but you can see a chestnut hue in the light.

S- Agressive piney hops that attack your sinuses. A light citrus background and you can smell a light amount of earthly dark malt.

T-Not as aggressive as the nose. Initial smooth piney taste that ends with hoppy bitterness and bitter dark coffee malt taste after it all goes down.

M- Night and light with moderate carbonation. An easy drinker.

O- I'm not the biggest fan of the style, but this was quite excellent. I usually feel that the abundant amount of hops and dark malt don't go well, but this is the contrary. The hops and malt compliment each other to make a very drinkable beer. However, I feel like it's lacking some complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:04:42 | More by Efay

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle purchased somewhere in the greater Washington D.C. area (Cleveland Park Wines and Liquors representin'!) in 9-10/12, birthed on 8/21/12, poured into ma tastin' 3Fs Teku long-stemmed glass, drank 2/13/13 over ~one hour.

A: 5- dark brown coloration, unfiltered haziness swallowing the light; creamy/frothy tan 2 finger head that lingers with tight bubbling, try to find the alcohol legs in the darkness --> awesomeness alcoholified!

S: 4.5 - dank, cat piss/almost bleachy (in a good way) --> definitely Amarillo and Citra in the flame out/dry hop additions; booziness but little maltiness/roast to my nose

T: 4.5 - PW bitterness (Warrior?), back of the tongue finally picks up the roasty brown ale qualities to balance out the dank, atringent dry aftertase; rye finally on display puttin' up the STOP sign, slight alcohol notes but danger, danger high voltage at 8.5%!

M: 4.25 - full body, moderate carbonation

O: 4.5 - I know that many beer nerds including me aren't crazy about the lack of commitment from black IPA/CDAs but this one might have changed my mind; the hop character ~six months after brewing really impressed me and makes me eager to try a fresh bottle or on tap; although to my buds it's the best of the style on the market, it's really an imperial rye black IPA; makes me want to try to brew one just like this; Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 04:40:22 | More by MNishCT77