Wookey Jack
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Wookey JackWookey Jack
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Black IPA
Ranked #4
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
94
Ranked #1,931
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 8.71%
Reviews:
731
Ratings:
4,671
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 05, 2024
Added:
Mar 11, 2012
Wants:
  350
Gots:
  975
Big toasty malt flavors with balanced hop bitterness and spicy rye offer a full and complex texture with a refined bittered finish. A truly different IPA for dark beer fans.
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Ratings by HopsAreDaMan:
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

3.97/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
(Written July 23rd, 2015) My first Review!

22OZ bomber. When I bought this it was sitting in a refrigerated cooler at a grocery store, and the date on it was 12/19/14 (at over 7 months old); my guess is, being chilled, it retained most if not all of it’s hopped flavor. It was a very good beer, with lots of hop flavor, and a very heavy mouth-feel. It poured very dark, with a nice, light, caramel-colored head. It is one of the better (if not one of the best) IPA type beers I have had.
Jun 13, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.75 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Jan 05, 2024
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
draught
IBU: 65
Creamy, light tan head. Very dark chestnut, that appears almost on the border of black, for the appearance. Co-mingling of pine, grapefruit peel, with the lightest touch of medium dark roasted malt, rounding out the aroma. A touch sweet, mild grapefruit peel, pine and ample malt, for the taste.
May 09, 2023
Photo of MaltsOfGlory
Reviewed by MaltsOfGlory from Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12oz can, about 3 months old

Pours over two fingers of fluffy brown head into my snifter. Retention is amazing, after a solid few minutes there is still a sturdy finger of head. Lacing is perfect. Body is pitch black, even when held to the light. Looks magnificent.

Nose is very spicey, paired with a full dose of fresh baked bread. Almost a candy sweetness, but it doesn’t come across gross at all. Smells fantastic.

You get that rye in full force on the flavor, they really didn’t hold back here and I love it - rye is often hard for me to pick up. You also get some of that breadiness, the roast doesn’t come out until it gets a good while to warm. The black characteristics aren’t huge, but there is a deep maltiness that borders on molasses - it’s not gross or out of place at all. This might be a touch old, maybe that’s why some sweetness is coming out, but it’s aged quite well and has a nice smoothness once the eccentric spice passes - both being welcome.

Carbonation is medium-low. Has a somewhat heavy body that is just the slightest bit cloying - some sugars are present, but mostly subdued by the substantial spice and moderate bitterness. A lovely mouthfeel.

The drinkability is phenomenal, especially for a beer at this ABV, with this much going on. Neither the sugar, nor the spice slow me down one bit.

A lovely little beer that starts with a hoppy rye kick, and transitions to a smoother darker offering.
Apr 17, 2023
Photo of LifesAnesthesia
Reviewed by LifesAnesthesia from Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L - Deep black with some mahogany highlights with a light tan head that leaves behind a solid amount of lacing
S - fresh bitter, piney hops, roasted dark malt, rye, slight hints of chocolate, floral notes and earth
T - follows the nose: fresh piney butter hops up front and throughout intermixed well with roasted dark malt, rye, light chocolate bites, floral and earthy notes. Some citrus notes as well as hints of coffee
F - Medium leaning towards full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy
O - A truly great black IPA
Apr 07, 2023
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
12oz can from a 6pk canned 11/23/22 into a 12oz tulip glass.
L: Pours jet black w a 1.5" med khaki crusty, pock-marked semi-creamy head w VG retention to thick, drifty edge foam, low carbo visible but it's there, thick sticky lacing w banding.
S: Toasty caramelized chocolate malts, a hint of black bread, light char, distant fruits, earthy.
T: Roasted toasted chocolate malts, malted milk ball candy, an earthy hop bit combined with bitter & dense rye grains, unsweetened bakers dark chocolate, a hint of citrus zest, pine resin, plum, berries, dark fruit, gently woody. Finish is robust bitter.
F: Firm, brisk, well carb'd then curves to a lightly churned, whipped, fluffy & plush, gently wet medium bodied mouthfeel w a med-length finish robust finish.
O: Incredible tasting and feeling. Complex, deep & dynamic flavors that shift places to & fro esp in the center of each sip. Curious, delicious and has the appearance of a Porter or a Stout. I wish there were more beers in this style. Wookey Jack is outstanding.
Apr 05, 2023
Photo of brewerburgundy
Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz can, wine glass, canned 12/22/22.

Wookey resembles an imperial stout; no highlights and a magnificent cappuccino head.

Christmas tree, peppermint patty, lavender. There are layers of chocolate behind all the pine and herbal hops.

Malted milk balls and almost a milk stout richness, though much more bitter and hopped than you’d find with that style. The pine returns in the backend, accompanied by more floral flavors like lavender and lilac, and earthy rye.

Creamy medium body, medium carbonation. It’s silky but balanced.

Definitely a good Black IPA with strong and interesting hopping.
Apr 02, 2023
Photo of TBoneJones
Reviewed by TBoneJones from Texas

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
About pitch black with a robust sticky deep tan head.
Nose is a pleasant blend of hood and malt/ caramel.
Taste is like a toasted, charry beer that happens to have hops in there, like a dark pine forest. It all works, somehow. I never seek dark IPAs but made an exception when I saw this and having heard of how good it is. Toasted rye and tingly hops, slight hints of sweetness, maybe some coffee, but this is mostly an earthy beer.
Feels medium- full and silky smooth yet with good carbonation.
This surprised me a bit. Not my style, but this is just a very well-made beer. Don’t expect complexity or many different discernible flavors. This is mostly about crafting balance to a simple yet flavorful conclusion. Going forward if I ever try another “black IPA”, WJ is the beer to which it’ll be measured.
Apr 01, 2023
Photo of izraelc
Reviewed by izraelc from New York

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark. Tan foam. Heavy hop aroma. Big hop flavor and bitter finish. Not much malt profile to speak of. Pretty one dimensional. Not overly impressed.
Mar 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

Mar 23, 2023
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.49/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12oz canned on 12-27-22, opened 3-18-23.
1+ finger beige sand colored head on a dark brown and opaque body. Good retention and early lacing. Big nose of leafy and earthy hops (I'd never place Citra and Amarillo) backed up solidly by roasty, and also earthy malts. Hint of menthol and coffee in a complex swirl of aromas. Flavors of mild citrus, lemon, and bitter/spicy malt. Medium (bright) body and carbonation, substantial bitter punch and a long, roasty and hoppy finish. Outstanding.
Mar 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Mar 14, 2023
Photo of MutuelsMark
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

4.49/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark as coal with a tan head. Nice lacing caresses the glass. Nose is strong on the malts. Taste is piney and roasted malt. Very nice bitter bite on the backend.
Feb 22, 2023
Photo of highdesertdrinker
Reviewed by highdesertdrinker from Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark brown with a thick finger of tan head. Smells like rye, hops, dark malt. The flavor is rye with good bitterness, dark malts, herbal, citrusy, it’s a tasty concoction for sure.
This is one of the best in the Black IPA category and the rye addition makes it great IMO and I admit that rye beers are usually my jam so take that for what it’s worth and a great beer, cheers!
Feb 20, 2023
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

4.49/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Dark as a stout with a large tan head and very good lacing. Complex aroma. Not just the smokey, roasted malts but also licorice, dried fruit, pine and herbal hops. Taste keeps pushing the envelope as well. The resinous base pairs with the solid array of malts, especially the rye. The focus shifts with each sip and cannot be easily pigeonholed. Full bodied but not heavy. Bitter but not palate numbing. A good alcohol bite but not head spinning. Overall, it's not just about balance but how everything comes together
Feb 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by MonkeyPilates from Minnesota

Feb 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by SFNC from North Carolina

Feb 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.79 by Humanusfermentum from Virginia

Feb 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.49 by TryThemAllOnce from California

Feb 04, 2023
Photo of Whyteboar
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

4.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Got a few cans sent to me by @JonPhisher, beer nerd extraordinaire.
Poured very dark brown (black with dark brown edges) and had a *very* ambitious beige head which left sheets of lacing.
The aroma, to my damaged nose, was coffeeish with a vegetable/plant like accent. Wet hay maybe? I figured I was smelling it wrong as I generally don't smell much at all.
The taste was at first brash and harsh; all the bite of the roasted rye and copious hops were dominant. As it warmed the malts came out to play with rye bread and roasted grains, with almost a sweetness at times. The coffee and hops definitely shine the brightest, but are well supported by the other ingredients.
The feel was lively due to the carbonation, added to the bite I enjoy so much in rye beers especially, didn't distract from the sweeter aspects though. Well done.
OA, Very glad to have been able to try this, outstanding beer.
Feb 02, 2023
Wookey Jack from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 4671 ratings