Santa Lucia IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Crowler from CopenRoss. Bright, medium amber, nice big initial head, fades, leaving rings of lacing. Woody, hoppy aroma. Taste adds some orange zest, sweet caramel malts and a gentle but pervasive bitterness. Everything comes together wonderfully.

This pours a clear golden tan. Nice foaming. Fresh aroma, with lightly floral hoppy notes shining through. There’s a real friendly flavor profile on this, with some juicy berry notes to the hops. Seems less malty than its Union Jack counterpart, which speaks to the differences in the hops and bittering. Tasty.

 

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Clear 16-oz. Bruges beer glass
From: VONS in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $10.97 for a mixed 12-pack with the app ($8.02 off the regular price of $19.99)
Purchased: Aug. 23, 2019
Consumed: Aug. 23, 2019
Reviewed as: American IPA
Misc.: Packaged on June 28, 2019 at 11:39 p.m. PT

Finally got to try this. Never really wanted to pull the trigger on a mixed 12-pack of Firestone because the price was usually $19.99. Today it was $15.99 (maybe $14.99) with the Vons card and then I saw something about the app when I went to pick up a 6-pack of Luponic Distortion. Quickly downloaded the app and paid just $10.97 for the 12-pack. Online description read, “Santa Lucia is a next-generation unfiltered West Coast IPA inspired by Firestone Walker’s flagship Union Jack IPA—but with its own unique blend of Cashmere, Azacca, Amarillo, Hallertau Blanc and El Dorado hops. The result is a fresh twist on a Firestone Walker classic, combining a bold malt foundation with a progressive hop profile.” Damn. That’s a lot of hops.

Poured a light amber clear color with four fingers of rocky off-white head. Lots of bubbles coming up from the sides and bottom of the glass at different speeds. World-class uneven foamy lacing. Perfect retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Could pick out Azacca, El Dorado and Amarillo for hops. Also herbal, candied tangerine, orange zest, papaya, mango, pineapple, purple grape, sweet tea, melon and lime. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste was not as good as the nose. Very malty. Also herbal, melon, caramel, bitter tangerine peel, candied orange, Amarillo, Huell Melon, El Dorado, pineapple, papaya, mango, lime, hints of purple grape and apple and black pepper. Grew on me a bit as it went down. (Taste - 3.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Dry, malty finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was very good overall. Grew on me as it went down. Didn’t really see the resemblance to Union Jack though. (Overall - 3.75)

3.74 | 84 | B

Picked this up as part of a sixer mixed pack from the Safeway in Sedona on 4-20-19 for $11.99. Bottled on 3-20-19; consumed on 6-19-19.

Beer poured golden-orange with a beautiful white head that has some nice hang time. Beer was crystal clear, nice!

Nose gives me hints of floral and citrus hop additions.

Taste is a moderate pale and caramel malt base with a nice touch of floral, orange, mango and peach. Finishes with a moderate citrus rind, 5/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with a nice refreshing crispness.

Overall another high quality product from FWBC!

 

 

Filled a growler with this fairly decent IPA at Finger Lakes Beverage Center to drink with an Ethiopian Eid al-Fitr celebratory supper at Hawi Cuisine downtown. It went well with injera, and the lamb, beef and vegetable stews we often enjoy at that fine restaurant. But on its own, this brew is underwhelming: very gently hopped with no lingering bitterness. More for the malt lover than the hop head, this one. Call it a mild ale for those who don't enjoy hop bittering.

Looks: dark golden, slightly hazy. Almost copper.

Smells: Biscuity sweetness and slight hop blend of dank pine and citrus and overripe fruit and some floral orange zest.

Taste: A blend of “softer” hops with floral and zesty citrus....

Mouthfeel: Great medium round feel with a semi-dry finish. Awesome!

One of my new favorites from this great brewery.

 

12 oz. bottle - Part of variety 12-pack. Bottled on 02/12/19:

Pours golden with a head that thin and stays. Some web-like lacing sticks.

The smell is of grapefruit, orange, melon, a bit musty. A hint of cracker.

The taste is of grapefruit, orange, a hint of melon. Cracker-like backing with a subtle sweet kiss gives enough balance. Spicy bitter bite in a refreshingly dry finish.

Smooth despite the bite. Hop goodness lingers on the palate.

Personally, I prefer the Union Jack (also included in the variety pack) - this is a bit softer in tone. Shouldn't compare though. This is still a great hop-forward (with enough malt backing) American IPA! Enjoyable!

Nicely carbonated, rocky head, nice lacing on the glass. The beer is dark walnut (think a shade darker than Allen Edmonds)
color and hazy, just how I like it! Floral smell, almost like brief hits of poppy and chamomile tea before it dissipates. The malt character combined with the floral hops tastes very sweet to me, although it is pleasant. There is strong a slight astringent note when aerated over the tongue. Overall this is a pleasant IPA but I wouldn't want to drink more than one at a sitting.

 

Pours an unfiltered orange gold with a thin head

Smells of grapefruit, lemon zest

Has a bready sweetness that really complements the orange presence. Balanced with lemon and grapefruit to keep it fresh.

Moderate carbonation, nice clean finish.

Really a well crafted beer....lots of layers of flavor, but still balanced

drinking to St. Lucia on this first day of Lent!

A just a tiny bit cloudy, stadard honey color, respectable 2 finger bone white head that stays, and solid lacing as well

S SLIGHT ipa to the nose

T grapefruit and hops

M standard only

D not bad! but that's the best I can say

Bottled 01/05/19

Appearance - Pours clear and pure gold in color with an off-white, finger width head. Good retention before dying to a thin, consistent layer of surface suds. Nice lacing with broken sheets, lines and spotting.

Smell - Strong bready aroma, with lesser citrus and tropical fruit.

Taste - Follows the nose. Bready malts at the forefront while hoppy notes of citrus, peppery spice, guava and a hint of banana play off that solid malt base. Finishes much the same.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with fair carbonation. Slick, easy drinker.

Overall - Good, interesting brew. Not the hoppiest IPA out there, but it drinks nicely. It certainly won't deter me from picking the mixed 12 pack, though the Easy Jack might.