The Legend Returns
You asked for it, and the Wookey answered the call…
“The Wookey never dies… it just hibernates,” says our Brewmaster, Matt Brynildson. “We’ve produced periodic small-batch runs over the years, and people keep asking for more. It’s time to release it back into the wild.”
For those who need the short notes: this is our way of announcing that our mythic Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA is once again back on the big stage with a new release for the winter season.
Yes, seriously. Wookey Jack is back.
Wookey Jack now reclaims its title as Firestone Walker’s wildest and woolliest IPA, offering big, toasty malted rye flavors with a balanced bite on the finish. It is, in Brynildson’s words, “gnarly on the outside, yet refined on the inside.”
This latest edition of Wookey Jack remains faithful to the well-beloved original recipe, which includes loads of pearled dark malts with rye adding a rustic grain element. The hops are dank, sticky Citra and pungent Amarillo, both of which are incorporated into a massive dry-hop regimen.
Wookey Jack is now available at our Paso Robles, Venice Beach, and Buellton locations and is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in six-pack (12-ounce can) and draft formats, adding to the legend of this three-time gold medalist at the Great American Beer Festival.
Wookey Evolved
Need an update on just what the hype is all about? Well, take a seat and get ready to crack into a history lesson about a beer with one of the most dedicated followings in all of craft. Yeah, that’s right, we said it. And if you don’t believe it, just take one sip of Wookey and learn for yourself.
We first released Wookey Jack back in 2012. For Matt, it was a beer designed to quiet the naysayers.
“At the time, there were a few beer geeks out there saying that Firestone Walker still had yet to really make a truly over-the-top hoppy IPA,” Matt recalled. “We took that as a challenge and Wookey Jack was going to be the answer. We dug into the hop closet and pulled out the stickiest and most pungent hops available. We found a blend that really popped and applied it liberally to the brew.”
The resulting beer was an immediate sensation that helped drive the black IPA movement, and that endured for five years before succumbing to cooling demand for the style.
Over the past year, however, there has been a resurgence of appreciation for black IPAs, which Matt feels best lends itself to a seasonal format. “It may not be the type of beer people want to drink year-round, but it just seems right for fall and winter,” he said.
The revamped Wookey Jack also marks the return of the packaged six-pack, 12-ounce can format too. Why? Because you can never get too much Wookey, of course. We also kept the last Wookey run’s revamped art, a primeval new design that reflects our affinity for live music and concert poster art, as rendered by artist Juan Marente, going strong as well
“We didn’t mess with the liquid,” Matt said. “But we’ve evolved everything else, which to me makes this the best Wookey Jack ever.”
Wookey Jack is available in our taprooms and select markets now. Find the closest can or glass by you with our Beer Finder today.