Firestone's Union Jack IPA (A-)

Okay, so I really don't know what I'm talking about, but here are my impressions. I really like this beer. It gets a solid A-. Firestone is out of Paso Robles, CA. This is the first beer of theirs that I've tasted, and I am excited to try more.

The front end is malty and almost sweet. It is vaguely reminiscent of a barley wine, but still quite light, and not syrupy. The middle shows the hops a bit, but with very little harshness. The bitterness was pretty spot on where I like it-- just enough to show you that this is indeed an IPA, but not a showy bitterness like Stone's Arrogant Bastard. It rolls into the finish smoothly. I know that this is a cheesy thing to say, but it is really well balanced. Also, it clocks in at 7.5% abv.