Homebrewers Association | AHA Forum
General Category => Commercial Beer Reviews => Topic started by: roguejim on October 27, 2010, 06:44:11 pm
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Maybe I'm losing my taste for AIPAs, but I could barely get this one down. The sweetness was killing me, even if the bitterness was assertive. Maybe I don't like munich in AIPAs...
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I'm pretty sure that's classed as an EIPA, not an AIPA. I tried really hard to like it. Didn't work for me.
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Weird. I think it's an excellent beer, I like it a lot. I think it's nearly as good as Pliny.
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I too love this beer! And I here their is an Imperial version called "Double Jack". I want to try that one!
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Maybe I'd better try to find some and give it a second chance.
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Or maybe I do, it's been several months since I've had it at least.
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Within the last year or two, Union Jack won a local blind IPA tasting that featured most of the big name contenders. I am a fan of this beer myself, and if you ever get the hankering to put together a blind IPA tasting with friends, this beer is worth throwing in the mix. Like most IPAs, I do think it is much better fresh.
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I have liked all the FW beers that I've had. I wish they were available locally.
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I remember liking it, but my socks never left my feet...YMMV
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I had it for the first time back in April, while on a long Califirnia road trip. The first (or 3) was at a place on the square in Paso Robles. The next day I had some at the brewery tasting room. Great beer (won best IPA at the GABF 2 years in a row). They say it is an American IPA on the web site. They do use an English yeast strain as the house yeast, but everything else is American.
Click on Union Jack for the list.
http://www.firestonewalker.com/index.php?c=our_pale_ales
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Came across a bottle of this at the grocery tonight and decided to try it. I really like it. Does anyone know what kind of hops they use? Also, curious is Tom or Denny have tried it again since posting your comments and if you feel the same about this beer?
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I haven't, sorry. I looked for it at the beer store a while back, but they didn't have it.
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Came across a bottle of this at the grocery tonight and decided to try it. I really like it. Does anyone know what kind of hops they use? Also, curious is Tom or Denny have tried it again since posting your comments and if you feel the same about this beer?
This should give you an idea of the hops used in Union Jack. This is from the Brewing Network CYBI shows on Firestone Walker. Matt Bryndelson was interviewed in the first show, and this was based on his interview and the clone the BN guys did.
2010 Union Jack Clone
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 10.50 Wort Size (Gal): 10.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 26.25
Anticipated OG: 1.074 Plato: 17.90
Anticipated SRM: 5.9
Anticipated IBU: 51.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 82 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Formulas Used
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Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.00
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
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81.9 21.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
11.4 3.00 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8
1.4 0.38 lbs. Carastan Malt Great Britian 1.035 34
5.2 1.38 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
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1.40 oz. Simcoe Whole 13.00 25.9 90 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 8.8 30 min.
1.50 oz. Centennial Whole 11.00 16.9 30 min.
4.00 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 0.0 0 min.
4.00 oz. Centennial Whole 11.00 0.0 0 min.
3.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 0.0 Dry Hop
3.50 oz. Centennial Whole 10.50 0.0 Dry Hop
2.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 0.0 Dry Hop
2.50 oz. Centennial Whole 10.50 0.0 Dry Hop
1.50 oz. Amarillo Gold Whole 10.00 0.0 Dry Hop
1.50 oz. Simcoe Whole 13.00 0.0 Dry Hop
Yeast
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White Labs WLP002 English Ale
Mashed at 145 for one hour and then ramped up to 156 for 15 minutes, mashed out at 168.
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I don't think it is sweet at all. Certainly less so than Hopslam or Maharaja and you can see in the recipe above that it has less crystal malt than the PtE homebrew recipe.
It is very malty compared to Hopslam, Maharaja, PtE and most other IPAs.
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The recipe above was brewed a while back, and turned out pretty good. The Cascades in that brew were homegrown, and had a little grassy flavor. I have commercial Cascades now and all of the other hops in freezer. Will brew this next, as I need one IPA to have on hand for the summer to mix it up with the lagers.
As for the maltyness vs sweetness, I think it is malty and finishes fairly dry.
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Thanks for the recipe Jeff! Wow, that is a pretty intense dry hop schedule, seems like a lot of good beer could be lost if you weren't careful. What is your dry hop method?
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Weird. I think it's an excellent beer, I like it a lot. I think it's nearly as good as Pliny.
The Union Jack is OK, but it's the Double Jack that I really Love. Great stuff.
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Those soaked up some for sure. I recommend listening to the podcast for deeper insights to the beer.
One thing I did not have on there is the first listing of Cascade/Centennial are were in for 7 days. Then the last round including the Simcoe/Amarillo went in. I put a fine mesh nylon bag that has been boiled over the racking cane as a filter when racking. The whole/pellet hops are free in the carboy. Once the hops are no longer floating, I slow the racking rate to allow the beer time to flow through the hop bed. Helps get some more of the beer out of the hops.
The Knockout addition is pretty big, and on of the keys to this beer is a long whirlpool. I recirc. using the March pump, and stir on occasion for 45 minutes. The temp is about 175F at the end so I am not worried about infections. Then chill as normal from there. This also helps to get the bitterness up.
I looked at some of the online specs for the beer and it finishes about 1.014. A little higher than Pliny the Elder, but there is no sugar in this beer.
Had Double Jack the last time we were in Chicago, and I have to say that is another good one from Matt.
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I really like the Pale 31. Honest, solid, drinkable APA.
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We stopped by the brewery in Paso last April 2010. The whole lineup was very solid. The Firestone Union system looks to be a lot of work. The DBA and Pale 31 make the Union worth the work. Matt is one heck of a brewer.
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another sampling from the distributor. i really enjoyed this beer. i thought the hops were appropriate. i did not notice the residual sweetness that someone above mentioned.
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I have liked all the FW beers that I've had. I wish they were available locally.
+1
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Firestone is one of my favorites, love Union Jack. Always felt that style wise it was somewhere between an American and English IPA. DBA is my favorite from them though, really love that beer. I go down to the brewery every couple months or so and they often have an unfiltered DBA that they only serve at the brewery. The Double DBA which they came out with last year is also fantastic.
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Love the Union, Double AND Wookey Jacks. Great beer by FW. There is some sweetness to the UJ, but I think it's balanced by the intense hopping and bittering. Double Jack is one of my favorite IIPAs.
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Union Jack is my hands-down favorite American IPA.
That said - it is a pretty big disappointment when its not fresh. I can get it when I'm in St. Louis, and I've found a few stores who keep it cold and go through it fast. If its warm and >2 months old, I pass it by.
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Union Jack is my hands-down favorite American IPA.
That said - it is a pretty big disappointment when its not fresh. I can get it when I'm in St. Louis, and I've found a few stores who keep it cold and go through it fast. If its warm and >2 months old, I pass it by.
That explains why I didn't like it. We recently started getting FW distributed out my way in the past few years, and I had heard a lot of good things about Union Jack, but it was pretty blah when I tried it. We have quite a few stores with a wide selection of craft beer around here, but the wide selection comes at the expense of freshness. I'd like to try it again if I was sure it was in top condition. Judging by the grain bill, it looks like my kind of IPA.
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Union Jack is my hands-down favorite American IPA.
That said - it is a pretty big disappointment when its not fresh. I can get it when I'm in St. Louis, and I've found a few stores who keep it cold and go through it fast. If its warm and >2 months old, I pass it by.
That explains why I didn't like it. We recently started getting FW distributed out my way in the past few years, and I had heard a lot of good things about Union Jack, but it was pretty blah when I tried it. We have quite a few stores with a wide selection of craft beer around here, but the wide selection comes at the expense of freshness. I'd like to try it again if I was sure it was in top condition. Judging by the grain bill, it looks like my kind of IPA.
+1. The 1st time I tried it, I wasn't impressed - it was ~ 2 months old IIRC. Took a trip out west later on and got it fresh and it blew me away. I think FW and Alpine make maybe the 2 best AIPAs.
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Double Jack is my favorite imperial
"REMEMBER: Watch for bottled on dates located on the necks or bottom left corner of the label for each of our beers. Our beer is not pasteurized, so it is best when stored at 44F or below, out of light and within 120 days of the bottled on date...this ensures freshness and ultimately a great Firestone Walker beer!"
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I just had a bottle of double jack night that I found in the beer fridge that I didn't even realize I had. It's been in my fridge for about three months and was bottled in December. I thought it was probably going to be overly sweet and oxidized but when I cracked it open I was pleasantly surprised. Really nice flavor with a good balance of bitterness and residual sweetness. I had no problem finishing the bomber. I'll definitely buy another one.
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The six-pack of Honkers I got two weeks ago was bottled on April 12. Pretty darned fresh.
Should I feel guilty for enjoying an Inbev product?