Double Jack, Firestone Walker

After a bit of a hiatus from the blogosphere I've got a bit of a backlog of beer reviews that I'm going to start sifting through. I've been enjoying a lot of Imperial/Double IPA's in the last couple of months, Hoptimum (Sierra Nevada), Hopslam (Bell's), Oak-Aged Unearthly (Southern Tier), Maharaja (Avery) and Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA (Laughing Dog) - are a few that spring to mind. I'll  attempt to do a more diligent job of keeping this site updated going forward. As you may know, IPA's are not my preferred genre when it comes to beer selection but I do love me an Imperial IPA, anything around the 10% ABV (session beer as I like to refer to them as)! First up...

Double Jack Double IPA, Firetone Walker

This is part of a beer stash that a friend brought back from a trip to the West Coast. It's part of the "Proprietors Reserve Series" from acclaimed brewery Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA). From the label - this is described as a Double India Pale Ale, 9.5% ABV. 650ml bottle (1 pint, 6 fluid ounces). Retails for about $9. Bottling date is located on the neck of the bottle - this one is stamped 6/24/11 - yikes, this is pretty old for an Imperial IPA!

Pours a hazy orange with a crisp, white head.
Smells delicious - sweet, candi sugar? Taste is overwhelmingly boozy - mango, tropical fruit, caramel, toffee- but the booziness just overwhelms and overpowers this beer. This is a serious beer! I know it's listed as 9.5% ABV which is manageable but I have a feeling this one has refermented in the bottle. It tastes more like 12-14% ABV, it's so thick you could cut it with a chainsaw. Nice lacing though.

Rating:
B-
Honestly, I'd like to try a fresh bottle of this, I'm sure it would offer more complex flavours. To be fair, the site does recommend consuming the beer within 120 days of bottling date - this bottle being almost a year old is well beyond it's prime which is a shame. Like I said the alcohol is just dominating. Oh well. I do have a bottle of their much acclaimed Parabola RIS that I'm looking forward to trying, I'm guessing that will age a little better than this Double Jack!

More bollocks that may just interest me :
*Founded in 1996 by Adam Firestone (yes, he is related to the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company) and David Walker.
*Located in Paso Robles ("The pass of the oaks") in Central California, population is around 30,000. City is known for it's hot springs and wineries.
* World beer champion mid-sized breweries 2004,2006 and 2010. Awarded "Mid-Size Brewery of the year" 2007 by the Brewer's Association.

More about the beer from the brewery. "Double Jack" Double IPA.

Double Jack IPA is our first ever Imperial IPA. It features a big malty middle to cloak the high alcohol and mouth puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and juicy fruit aroma blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness of this aggressive beer. Best enjoyed in moderation.

Brew Notes :
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

availability
CA, NV, OR, WA, AZ, CO, MO, Chicago, MA, NJ, NY, VA, PA, DC, MD
22 oz bottle/draft

I so want this bike jersey! How cool is this?



More info about the brewery:
www.firetonebeer.com
Firestone Walker Brewing Compnay
1400 Ramada Drive
Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo County, CA
(805) 225-5911