Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

Beer Name: Union Jack IPA
Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)
ABV: 7.5%
How sold: Six-packs (12 oz. bottles or 12 oz. cans); 22-oz. bottles; or on draft
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $2.07 for 12 oz. single

Date Bottled: February 17, 2015. Firestone suggests to drink within 120 days of the "bottled on" date.
Date Purchased: April 11, 2015
Date Opened/Drank: April 22, 2015
IBUs: 70
When brewed? Year round beer.
Where distributed: Firestone Walker distributes to several states.
Awards: Union Jack IPA has won 16 awards from 2008 to 2013.

What's on the Website: "An aggressively hopped West Coast-style IPA. Union Jack showcases exceptional dry hop character with stunning pineapple, citrus and piney aromas on the nose accompanied by honey-like malt aromatics. Double dry hopping brings bold grapefruit, tangerine and citrus flavors that are contrasted by pale malt sweetness to balance this intense brew. A true tribute to the style that put the West Coast on the craft beer map."

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured orange-light amber into a pint glass. Significant carbonation; white head dissipated to a slightly sudsy surface after a short time. Some lacing stays on the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Light balanced combination of pine, citrus-hop, and malt. A bit of pineapple. Yes. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Sweet-malty and piney upfront, with a controlled citrus-bitterness on the back end. The aftertaste reminds me of grapefruit. Clean and delicious. Drinks far easier than the 7.5% stated on the bottle. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium to medium-light malty body, very easy to drink. Some carbonation on the tongue. 4.5/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding IPA. In an April 2015 article, where a panel blind-taste-tested 116 IPAs, Firestone Union Jack IPA placed ninth. The amazing balance of the malts, pine, and citrus, combined with how easy it drank for 7.5%, simply stunned me. This is a beer to be proud of. 5/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.763/5