Firestone Walker: Union Jack IPA (USA:IPA 7.5% ABV)
Visual: Clear gold. Small burst of white to caramel edged frothy head.
Nose: Smooth and creamy. Key lime pie. Butterscotch and buttery shortbread. Sugary dried apricot.
Body: Smooth but with a hop kick and big bitterness. Buttery shortbread and lime jelly. Kiwi fruit cheesecake. Juicy peach. Lots of hops. Toffee.
Finish: Big hops. Passion fruit. Butterscotch. Creamy.
Conclusion: All that time in the USA and I finally find this beer back here in the UK. Sod me this is good. The smoothness of the texture is the first great thing. The hops prickle and tingle but the beer itself just slides down. Oh aye this is a good ‘un.
Then the flavours, smooth citrus and sweet biscuit dessert flavours mix. The bitterness is bracing but despite that is but a backbone to the key lime pie aroma, kiwi cheesecake flavours and a whole host of subtle crafted elements. It is a perfect match. The residual bitterness on the finish should be enough for any hop head. It is never excessive nor ever lacks a punch. The wonderful thing is that the flavour is that bit more graceful and better defined than usual, creating these citrus dessert images on drinking.
Frankly this is probably the beer that finally takes the old school Punk IPA from my top spot of IPAs to drink. It is just perfectly balanced, surprises you at every turn and kicks when needed. If only it was easier to find it would quickly become a standby beer for me to drink
Frankly excellence in a glass expressed as an IPA.
Background: I’ve been hearing things about Firestone Walker for a while, from their use of connected oak barrels for fermentation, to their amazing reputation. I missed their beers in Brewdog Camden so when I saw this in Brewdog Bristol I leapt at the chance to try it. Apparently the Brewdog bars are the only places in Europe to have got their hands on the beers for now. I tried it a few times before tasting noting it, only pulling out my notepad when the staff mentioned they were nearing the end of their supply!
