Firestone Walker to Release Leo v. Ursus “Wookus” Imperial Black IPA

We brought you this news already, and an early peek at the beer in Oct, and now the full PR from Firestone Walker:

Paso Robles, CA : Firestone Walker’s Wookey family has returned from the brink of extinction and is now roaring back with its wooliest progeny yet: Wookus, the next release in the brewery’s Leo v. Ursus Chronology.

Indeed, Wookus is an offspring of Firestone Walker’s dearly departed Wookey Jack imperial black IPA, which was discontinued last year. While exhibiting DNA from its Wookey Jack ancestry, Wookus offers next-generation attitude with amplified hop aromatics and a touch of rebellious dankness.

Wookus will be released at all Firestone Walker locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice on Saturday, December 16 and will begin rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets starting next week in both draft and 16-ounce can (four-pack) formats.

Wookus marks the fourth release in the Leo v. Ursus Chronology. The chronology is composed of limited one-off beers released on a quarterly basis. It will be available for a short period before yielding to the next release in the Leo. v. Ursus Chronology.

Wookey Reimagined

“The Leo v. Ursus Chronology not only allows us to explore new brewing directions, but also to temporarily revisit and reimagine old favorites,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We were pumped to take another crack at Wookey Jack and bring it back with a few new twists.”

Brynildson noted that the original Wookey Jack used “the gnarliest hops we could get our hands on at the time,” including Amarillo and Citra. With Wookus, Mosaic has been added to the double dry-hopping mix. “Mosaic is fun by itself, but once you blend it in with the other hops, it has this way of intensifying all of their characteristics.”

Also, as with the original Wookey Jack, Wookus is brewed with five percent rye malt. The result is an imperial black IPA that is wickedly hoppy, righteously spicy and fearsome in flavor.

“Wookus is a chip off the old block, but it also has a punchy quality that is all its own,” Brynildson said.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a pioneering regional craft brewery founded in 1996 and located on the coast of California. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. For more information: FirestoneBeer.com.