Aloha! It’s my 9th day in a row of my 50 day beer challenge and today I’m heading to Hawaii. Well, I’m not but my mouth did as I tried out Fire Rock Pale Ale from Kona Brewing, brewed in Kona, Hawaii (well they also brew in Portland, Oregon and Portsmouth, New Hampshire but are headquartered in Hawaii).
If you’re ever in Hawaii on the Big Island, you can always stop by for a brewery tour which are offered 7 days a week, twice a day. I love that most breweries offer tours, so it’s great to see Kona Brewing stepping up and letting people experience the brewing process with them. That seems like a better vacation destination to me than going for a massage (but that’s just my preference).
Anyways, on to the review of this “Hawaiian-style” pale ale, which is what they call it. Who knows what that really means?
Fire Rock poured a somewhat thick looking amber color which was too thick to see any carbonation. It almost had that look of fresh motor oil (luckily it wasn’t quite that syrupy). There was a thin finger width layer of tanish-white head on top that quickly dissipated, but left some nice lacing on the glass.
The aroma wasn’t too strong, but was very nice. It has a fairly sweet smell with some nice hop presence, orange, light maltiness, carmel, and even a touch of hay.
The flavor isn’t too bold, but definitely has me thinking Hawaii as I would describe it as laid back. It has a smooth, but carbonated mouthfeel that gently gives you a nice nutty hop flavor that turns to some bitterness before easing into a gentle citrus, malt, and carmel trio. I’m left with thoughts of sitting on a sandy beach with this beer in hand watching the waves lightly caressing the shore with the sound of ukulele music in the distance.
Overall this is a pretty enjoyable beer. Like I said though, it’s not that bold and not a beer that would jump out at me in a lineup of other pale ales. It’s worth a try though.
My Kona Brewing Fire Rock Review: B+
Here are the details:
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 35
Style: American Pale Ale
What’s your thoughts on Kona Brewing Fire Rock?
