Beer of the Weekend #606: Jackknife

Last night I tried another one of the “Backpocket Three” that have been chillin’ in my fridge (for way too long, I may add): Jackknife, brewed by the Backpocket Brewing of Coralville, Iowa.


Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Pours a medium amber color into a pint glass. A finger of off-white head with a light tint of tan dissipates evenly and leaves a thin skim.

Smell: Floral hops and caramel malt are the most noticeable off the bat. The floral hops give the bitterness a metallic, earthy tinge. There is also a little chocolate, toffee, toasted malts, musty grains, and perhaps some corn adjunct.

Taste: The malts are most prominent, with flavors of caramel, chocolate, toasted malts, and toffee. The floral hop bitterness is ever-present and really works the taste buds. It is really floral and earthy — almost offensively so at times. Yeah. It can be intense.

Drinkability: I like the maltiness, but the floral hops are too much. The bitterness is okay, but the flavor is over the top.

Fun facts about Jackknife:

-Style: The beer is categorized on BA as an American IPA, but for a long time Backpocket and its predecessor brewery in McGregor referred to it as a “German pale ale.”

-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 5.8 percent ABV.

-IBU: 40.

-Color: “13.36” is listed on the beer’s webpage, and I assume that is measured in SRM.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C/C+.

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