Leo V. Ursus: Wookus
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Can from Brewers Haven. Ebony pour with thick, fluffy beige head. Rich toasty aroma, chocolate, coffee, burnt toast. Taste is immediately bitter, sharp, roasty, sweet tinge at the end. Despite the bracing bite, it's super smooth, almost creamy.

 

Here I am, CANming late to the party once again. 8=( The backlog here at Chez Woody may keep me homebound for quite some time to come, but at least progress is being made for The CANQuest (tm) as well as the backlog's eradication.

From the CAN: "Chronology"; "Imperial Black India Pale Ale"; "Beer Before Glory."; "[Art:] Todd Francis".

A Cascadian AIPA?!? And what is so rare now as a day in June? Gott im Himmel! I was never a fan of the style, but Lee Marren used to flog Stone's Xxxx Xxxx like it was going out of style, which it thankfully was. My problem was & is that the roasted malts get in the way of the precious, delicate hops. 8=(

I Crack!ed open the vent on this last venture before my afternoon nap in advance of an evening out & CANtemplated my next move. A slow, steady, gentle C-Line Glug seemed to be just the thing & so that is how I CANducted myself. I was pleasantly surprised by its quick production of just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-tan/light-brown head with decent retention. Color was Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration & evincing garnet highlights only at the edges. Nose had the standard smoky roastiness, but where were the hops?!? 8=( Mouthfeel was medium, but solid. The taste was that of the style - very dark, roasty coffee-chocolatiness with a light mintiness from the overwhelmed hops. I used to liken the beers in this style to a liquefied York Peppermint Patty & this was more of the same. It was bang-on for the style, but for my personal taste, it was not allowing the hops to shine. 8=( Finish was dry, smoky, bitter & actually closer to my morning coffee than a beer, but that may just be me. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

From Firestone Walker's Leo vs. Ursus series, Wookus is the reincarnation of Wookey Jack--which I haven't had. But no matter. I've had Wookus, and that's quite sufficient. Few Black IPA's have made an impression on me, but this Imperial Black Rye IPA stands apart. This is a remarkably good, 8.2%, exceptionally well-balanced beer. Color is black at first glance, but deep garnet flashes come through when held up to the light. Nose has some piney hops, some rye and some subtle coffee/chocolate notes. Palate features the same, but the chocolate is a bit more pronounced. What's nice is the blend of flavors, with no one flavor predominating, and the mouthfeel was exceptionally smooth. A delicate spicy sweetness appears in between sips, too., and is present in the finish. Very pleasant. I'd like to say i'm surprised by how good this Imperial Black IPA is, but, then again, it's Firestone Walker. One of the few beers I'd pay $18-20 for a four-pack (provided I could be assured of its freshness).

 

Wookey Jack reincarnated! Awesome beer, really hoppy, dark and smooth, spicy rye flavor. Happy to see it is brewed again.

12/2/18
Draft at Tommy’s
4.5 rating

16 oz'er on tap from the Craft Beer Quick Stop on 11/1.

16oz can

Pours a finger of light brown head into my tulip. Somewhat pillowy. Body is jet black, with small hues of mahogany when held to the light. Head retention was above average, and has left an impressive film, and initial lacing. Looks pretty nice so far.

Piney hops on the nose. Hop presence is pretty good. A little rye. Definitely spicy between the hops and rye. Not too roasty underneath, more of a sweet undertone, which is actually kinda nice here. Perhaps some faint chocolate. I want to go 4.5, but it's not quite there.

The beer hits the tongue so nicely, no flavor overpowers, they all blend from beginning to finish. Some would prefer isolated flavors during different parts of the palate, and I like that as well, but this is just as good. Piney hops, a touch of rye, some chocolate, and a little roast. Finishes not too sweet, not too dry. Just extremely well balanced here. This is a great beer.

The mouthfeel is quite nice. Hops are very present, but don't really linger. The body is not silky, but it is very smooth. Carbonation is about medium, pretty lively though, feels like an IPA, while it is definitely also dark. Really a lovely feeling beer.

The drinkability is great, this is a seriously tasty beer, with no heat or booze.

The appearance turned out pretty great. The lacing was thick from top to bottom. Body was impressively dark, and head stuck around a decent while. Good looking beer.

Overall this is one of the best beers I've had in quite some time. Flavorful, tasty, and extremely well balanced.

Picked-up a single can as part of a mixed six-pack at Kappy's in Norwell for $11.99. Canned-on date of 12/17 - thanks Kappy's. Have had a few brews from these guys before, am a fan. Not a huge black IPA fan, but this was solid, even at 10-months old.

 

Visually it’s spot on. Nice initial head but dissipates quickly. Mouth feel is silky and lasts long after the swallow. Seriously... nice finish. But, the taste is a little thin. Tastes like 95% IPA and a splash of something imperial.

Ok, so before I hit “submit” I waited. No reason. Just got distracted. Anyway, as I worked my way through the 16 ounces, something changed. It’s richer now. And the finish is really nice. Finish reminds me of Stickee Monkee. Up front is still classic IPA, but the back end is sweet, brown sugary and long. Nice. I just increased my taste rating. This is a fun, evolving beer. It seems to breathe like a red wine. Or maybe it’s just better a little warmer.

Found a 16 oz can at the supermarket. I like IPAs and I like this beer. This goes down like a porter with a bitter finish and citrus notes. Very interesting beer. I like it as a slow drinker.

A: opaque; very dark brown in color; 1 finger medium brown head that receded to a splotchy cap; very nice lacing;

S: chocolate is predominant with pine in the background;

T: chocolate and pine are balanced up front; a little orange gets added in at the middle; finish is moderately bitter and tastes of spruce;

M: medium to full bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: complex aromas and flavors;

L - Deep black with notes of mahogany highlighting the edges along with a large, thick tan head that sticks around and leaves lacing behind.
S - notes of piney hops, roasted malt and barely, chocolate, caramel. The smell is good, but not particularly strong.
T - Follows the nose with medium piney hops and rye up front followed behind by roasted malt and barely, with notes of chocolate, toffee, and caramel. Incredibly easy to drink.
F - Leaning on fuller bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Full, thick, and creamy.
O - A really great and well put together black IPA that hits all the right notes - hops, roasted malt, rye, caramel, chocolate, etc. Incredibly solid effort from Firestone Walker and would be a go to if it were brewed more than once.

Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head that has good head retention.

Smell: It has a strong citrus and grapefruit aroma to start. There are some low notes of floral in the background. It also has some moderate roasty malts and spiciness of rye blended in with the hops. There is also a very low hint of burnt.

Taste: The flavors pop with spicy rye mixed with citrus and grapefruit. The secondary flavors are roasty with a slight hint of burnt with a sharp bitterness to it. There is also a very low floral element.

Feel: It has a moderately full body with the roast flavors the most dominant in the finish with some moderately high bitterness.

Overall, a very flavorful black IPA that is further enhanced by the addition of rye.