Firestone Walker Double Jack

Recently I participated in a beer trade conducted over HomeBrewTalk.com with rlhvegas of No Limit Brewing out of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Over the exchange of numerous private messages and emails, we settled on a trade consisting of Russian River Brew Company's Pliny the Elder and Double Jack by Firestone Walker Brewing Company in exchange for a variety of Surly beers.  I want to thank rlhvegas for initially contacting me about a trade. Firestone Walker's Double Jack is a highly acclaimed Double India Pale Ale big brother to Union Jack.  Firestone Walker's Union Jack won gold medal in the category of IPA at the Great American Beer Festival two years in a row.  Double Jack is brewed with the same malt bill and hopping schedule as Union Jack but instead of collecting 50 barrels of wort, only 35 barrels are collected.  This condenses the sugar content in the pre-fermented beer (called wort) making it a Double IPA.  The Brewmaster at Firestone Walker is Matt Brynildson and he is known globally in the brewing industry.  His previous work at Goose Island Brewing Company located in Chicago, Illinois helped him gain his reputation.

Firestone Walker Double Jack

• style
  American Imperial IPA
• abv
  9.5%
• fermentation
  100% Stainless Steel Fermentation
• malts
  Premium Two-Row (Metcalf & Kendall varieties), Munich, Simpson's Light Crystal
• hops
  4+lbs/BBL: Bittering—Warrior, Columbus; Late Kettle—Cascade, Centennial; Dry Hops—Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe

Label Close-up

Appearance: Nice rich amber, golden orange color with about an 1/8" of off white head. Very clear, no haze at all. I notice that there is not any bubble formation throughout the beer. Good lacing and head lingers.

Firestone Walker Double Jack Bottle with Sniffer Glass

Smell: Huge citrus nose, with notes of grapefruit, floral, pine, and a little grassy smell. Very little smell of alcohol from the 9.5% ABV.    But really it is almost pure hop aroma!  It's like smelling a handful of hops with a little caramel sweetness from the malt.

Taste:  Starts out tasting just like it smells with the taste of piney, floral, grapefruit, citrus fruitiness and finishes with a sweet caramel malt backbone. The initial bitterness is noticeable but not overwhelming.  

Mouthfeel: Medium body with no burn or heat from alcohol. The 9.5% is very well hidden behind the well balanced malt backbone, hop flavor, and aroma. Finishes dry with a little oily mouthfeel.

Overall: This is a very good Double IPA! It is one of the best I've ever had!!!  Very well balanced.  The hop flavors pair very well with the malt sweetness.  22oz. bomber went down so smoothly and was so tasty, I wish I had another!