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| MidwestMicroBrews' Midwest Beer Reviews! |
MidwestMicroBrews -- contact@midwestmicrobrews.com |
Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Paso Robles, California
Double Jack Double India Pale Ale
By design, MidwestMicroBrews is devoted to promoting the great craft brewers of the
Midwestern United States. As such, we've always shied away from doing a review for
a non-Midwest beer. Sometimes though, a beer becomes available in the Midwest that
is so truly sublime that we simply cannot ignore it. Such is the case with Firestone
Walker's Double Jack DIPA.
This excellent beer -- which just became available in the Chicago area -- is one of the
best damn DIPAs we've ever had. It's right up there with Bell's Hopslam, Russian
River's Pliny the Elder and Three Floyd's Drednaught. Firestone Walker tells us
Double Jack is, "our first ever Imperial IPA. It features a big malty middle to cloak the
high alcohol and mouth puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and
juicy fruit aroma blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness of this
aggressive beer. Best enjoyed in moderation."
Sampled from a bomber, it pours a gorgeous deep golden orange with a creamy white
head, which lingers and leaves really nice lacing on the glass. Pungent aromas of
citrusy hops hit you first, but then you'll notice fresh grass, honey and an earthy
spiciness too. Gentler aromas of sweet malts are there too, but with Double Jack, the
hops are in the forefront... and rightly so. Using over 4lbs/BBL, it's clear that the
brewers want to take the drinker on a hoptastic voyage. For bittering, they use
Warrior and Columbus varieties; late kettle additions are Cascade and Centennial;
it's then dry-hopped with Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe.
Each of these varieties add their own imprint on the mosaic of tastes. The first taste
hits the lips with citrus and a deep bitterness. Once your taste buds adapt, further
tastes yield more earthy tones and spiciness. Further in, you'll notice tastes of honey,
creamy caramel and sweet breads.
Deep and thick, Double Jack coats the palate and leads to a most comforting and long
finish. Tastes of pure hop resin linger. The warmness of the 9.5% ABV paves a trail
from your mouth into your satisfied belly.
This is one California beer that I'm happy to see make its way here to the Midwest. Any fan of big, audacious IPAs will be sure to fall in
love with this hopulent masterpiece.
Double Jack Double India Pale Ale
By design, MidwestMicroBrews is devoted to promoting the great craft brewers of the
Midwestern United States. As such, we've always shied away from doing a review for
a non-Midwest beer. Sometimes though, a beer becomes available in the Midwest that
is so truly sublime that we simply cannot ignore it. Such is the case with Firestone
Walker's Double Jack DIPA.
This excellent beer -- which just became available in the Chicago area -- is one of the
best damn DIPAs we've ever had. It's right up there with Bell's Hopslam, Russian
River's Pliny the Elder and Three Floyd's Drednaught. Firestone Walker tells us
Double Jack is, "our first ever Imperial IPA. It features a big malty middle to cloak the
high alcohol and mouth puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and
juicy fruit aroma blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness of this
aggressive beer. Best enjoyed in moderation."
Sampled from a bomber, it pours a gorgeous deep golden orange with a creamy white
head, which lingers and leaves really nice lacing on the glass. Pungent aromas of
citrusy hops hit you first, but then you'll notice fresh grass, honey and an earthy
spiciness too. Gentler aromas of sweet malts are there too, but with Double Jack, the
hops are in the forefront... and rightly so. Using over 4lbs/BBL, it's clear that the
brewers want to take the drinker on a hoptastic voyage. For bittering, they use
Warrior and Columbus varieties; late kettle additions are Cascade and Centennial;
it's then dry-hopped with Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe.
Each of these varieties add their own imprint on the mosaic of tastes. The first taste
hits the lips with citrus and a deep bitterness. Once your taste buds adapt, further
tastes yield more earthy tones and spiciness. Further in, you'll notice tastes of honey,
creamy caramel and sweet breads.
Deep and thick, Double Jack coats the palate and leads to a most comforting and long
finish. Tastes of pure hop resin linger. The warmness of the 9.5% ABV paves a trail
from your mouth into your satisfied belly.
This is one California beer that I'm happy to see make its way here to the Midwest. Any fan of big, audacious IPAs will be sure to fall in
love with this hopulent masterpiece.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Paso Robles, California
Parabola Russian Imperial Stout
There's just something about a big Imperial Stout that gets us beer geeks going. It is
the style that seems to separate the craft beer aficionado from casual beer drinker. It
is also, apparently, a style that is often done very, very well. 30 of the top 50 beers on
Ratebeer are Imperial Stouts, including 7 of the top 10. There you'll find Three Floyds'
Dark Lord, Goose Island's Rare Bourbon County Stout, Surly's Darkness, and Bell's
Expedition Stout among others.
If there is a new contender out there worthy of joining this list, it's Firestone Walker's
latest release, Parabola.
Firestone Walker describes it thus: "Parabola has been a major component of past
anniversary blends and is one of our most aggressive offerings. This beer features
bold bourbon and tobacco aromas and a rich dark chocolate, charred oak flavor.
Parabola is best enjoyed in moderation and is a perfect beer to pair with those
chocolate dessert favs."
Firestone Walker was kind enough to provide a sample to the MidwestMicroBrews
roundtable for review. We found Parabola to be among the best of best of Imperial
Stouts. It poured a thick, viscous black as dark as starless midnight, with a thin
caramel head. Immediately, we noticed aromas of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon,
roasted nuts, blackberries and currant.
In the mouth, Parabola is force to be reckoned with. It has a thick mouthfeel with big
tastes of espresso, dark chocolate, charred oak, fig and good bourbon. If ever there was
a beer meant to be sipped, Parabola is it. The first few drinks attack the senses, but
never -- more importantly -- overwhelm them. It is a a punch-in-the-mouth to be sure,
but the senses stay in tact to explore the subtleties and nuances within this beauty.
The alcohol of the 13% ABV is inescapable on the finish, but it doesn't burn. Well-
balanced, it leaves lingering tastes of cocoa, ash and chocolate on the palate and tongue.
Bottled in 22-ounce bombers, Parabola is a beer best shared among good friends, preferably over dessert.
Parabola is a limited release, but readers in the Chicago area should be able to find it at their fine craft beer stores. Our recommendation:
buy two bottles. Drink one now, and cellar the other. This is one beauty that will only get better with age.
Parabola Russian Imperial Stout
There's just something about a big Imperial Stout that gets us beer geeks going. It is
the style that seems to separate the craft beer aficionado from casual beer drinker. It
is also, apparently, a style that is often done very, very well. 30 of the top 50 beers on
Ratebeer are Imperial Stouts, including 7 of the top 10. There you'll find Three Floyds'
Dark Lord, Goose Island's Rare Bourbon County Stout, Surly's Darkness, and Bell's
Expedition Stout among others.
If there is a new contender out there worthy of joining this list, it's Firestone Walker's
latest release, Parabola.
Firestone Walker describes it thus: "Parabola has been a major component of past
anniversary blends and is one of our most aggressive offerings. This beer features
bold bourbon and tobacco aromas and a rich dark chocolate, charred oak flavor.
Parabola is best enjoyed in moderation and is a perfect beer to pair with those
chocolate dessert favs."
Firestone Walker was kind enough to provide a sample to the MidwestMicroBrews
roundtable for review. We found Parabola to be among the best of best of Imperial
Stouts. It poured a thick, viscous black as dark as starless midnight, with a thin
caramel head. Immediately, we noticed aromas of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon,
roasted nuts, blackberries and currant.
In the mouth, Parabola is force to be reckoned with. It has a thick mouthfeel with big
tastes of espresso, dark chocolate, charred oak, fig and good bourbon. If ever there was
a beer meant to be sipped, Parabola is it. The first few drinks attack the senses, but
never -- more importantly -- overwhelm them. It is a a punch-in-the-mouth to be sure,
but the senses stay in tact to explore the subtleties and nuances within this beauty.
The alcohol of the 13% ABV is inescapable on the finish, but it doesn't burn. Well-
balanced, it leaves lingering tastes of cocoa, ash and chocolate on the palate and tongue.
Bottled in 22-ounce bombers, Parabola is a beer best shared among good friends, preferably over dessert.
Parabola is a limited release, but readers in the Chicago area should be able to find it at their fine craft beer stores. Our recommendation:
buy two bottles. Drink one now, and cellar the other. This is one beauty that will only get better with age.
Read more MidwestMicroBrews Reviews... Arbor Brewing Company - Ann Arbor, Michigan Capital Brewery - Middleton, Wisconsin Central Waters Brewing Company - Amherst, Wisconsin Copper Canyon Brewery - Southfield, Michigan Detroit Beer Company - Detroit, Michigan Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Paso Robales, California Goose Island Brewing Company - Chicago, Illinois Grumpy Troll Brewpub - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Herkimer Pub & Brewery - Minneapolis, Minnesota Onion Pub & Brewery - Lake Barrington, Illinois Round Barn Brewery - Baroda, Michigan Shmaltz Brewing Company - Brooklyn, New York Short's Brewing Company - Bellaire, Michigan Sprecher Brewing Company - Glendale, Wisconsin Stevens Point Brewery - Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stone Cellar Brewpub - Appleton, Wisconsin Summit Brewing Company - St. Paul, Minnesota Sun King Brewing Company - Indianapolis, Indiana Titletown Brewing Company - Green Bay, Wisconsin Upland Brewing Company - Bloomington, Indiana |
