Pale 31 - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium bubbly golden amber with a nice two finger white head with excellent retention and lacing. Aroma of citrus hops and sweet malt. Flavor is grassy hops, light citrus, biscuit malt, finishes with a grassy hop bitterness. Light bodied as expected from the style. Flavor is light, but well balanced; an enjoyable, refreshing pale ale. After drinking some hefty darker strong ales and stouts the last week, it's nice to sit back and watch active carbonation in a nicely made light golden beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:24:03 | More by LiquidAmber

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.46/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 2/21/13 poured into a snifter glass. Reviewing this compared to other pale ales.

A: Pours a yellow golden with 2 finger fluffy white head and tons of carbonation bubbles. Fantastic head retention with lacing prominent on the glass.

S: The aroma on this beer is pretty strong, which is remarkable for a 4.8% beer. Strong citrus grapefruit, slight pineapple and lemon zest. Caramel malt backing it up. Really strong, can def tell the dry hopping. This aroma is right up there with Zombie Dust.

T: Sweet citrus flavor, refreshing as hell with just a slight bitter dry finish. Light sweet malt making itself known. On the hoppy side for APA.

M: light bodied, perfect amount of carbonation goes down easy. Leaves the mouth with a slight sweetness that coats the mouth with a slight bitter after finish.

O: A fantastic APA and one of my go to's. I would easily put this up there with 3 Floyds Zombie Dust, and an underrated beer on BA for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 19:05:32 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

blakelive784

Colorado

2.6/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle (bottled on 2/2/13) served in a pint glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a honey golden color with lively carbonation but wit only a half finger of thin, white, fizzy head. Retention is awful, especially given the low ABV. Average at best.

S - Oddly - the first notes I get are sweet honey and pale malts. Light, fresh lemon and orange zest and faint grassy notes. I'm surprised how restrained the hops are, maybe even enough to upset the balance. Pretty mild but refreshing.

T - Watery base malts open. Bland, uneventful body. Stale. No yeast character. The hops don't show up until the climax. Incredibly faint citrus is about all I can find. It's too sweet, and there's a strange metallic note near the finish. Simple and watery. Where'd all the hops from the nose go?

M - Watery and smooth.

D - I'd like to think that I got an old bottle, but It's barely a month old. Just a poor example of the style. It's easy to drink, but there's really nothing going on. Won't be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 21:24:52 | More by blakelive784

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Crystal clear, yellow with a touch of light orange. Short lived head. A few bubbles.

S - Pine, floral, citrus and soft pale malt. Faint woody funk. The aroma is nice, but on the subtle side.

T - Like the aroma with some semi-sweet grapefruit and a hint of caramel.

M - Light body. Mild carbonation. Mild bitterness with a medium sustain.

O - A flawless, easy drinking, light pale ale with a pleasant flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 23:14:03 | More by GuzzLah

Philousa

California

4.44/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Imbibed at Wine Affairs on 3/4/13.

Very pale with copper color, and clear. Head retention is great, big rocky head that laces very well for the style. Lemon and grapefruit dominate the nose with floral notes and slight biscuit. Flavor is lemony and bright with a lot of orange flavor to start as well. Fades to overcooked biscuit and slight a tartness, then floral hops, which are not heavy handed. Bitterness comes on gradually, but its definitely noticeable. Feel is middling, finish is slightly dry. This one tasted especially fresh. I could drink this all day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 18:25:09 | More by Philousa

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured two fingers of head on a medium straw colored body.
The aroma is a wonderful mix of pine, whole cone hops and honey.
The taste starts with mild sweetness and then goes to pine bitterness. The transition is abrupt.
The texture is soft with some fizz.
An enjoyable and drinkable ale at a low ABV.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 23:16:06 | More by Fatehunter

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear golden yellow with two-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted a long time and left a nice film. Great lacing.

S: Bright citrus aroma. Caramel malt.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Bready and toasted malt. Citrus hops. Matches the nose.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Very smooth.

O: I really like this pale ale. It looked phenomenal, and tasted really good too.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:46:23 | More by SolipsismalCat

hagbergl

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I've been enjoying indulging in the Firestone Walker lineup lately. Next up, Pale 31. Enjoyed in my Firestone Walker tulip glass. Review is from notes.

Appearance (4.25/5): An aggressive pour yields a thick and creamy two-finger white head. Copper-yellow colored beer, clear, tons of spider web lacing on the sides of the glass as the head dissipates. Good retention. Holding the beer up to the light, it turns a bright dandelion yellow color. Very nice looks for the style.

Smell (3.75/5): Big green hoppy lemony aroma. Fresh and slightly sweet, slightly grassy, and quite citrusy. Light malt does a nice job of cutting through. Outsized nose for a beer of this strength.

Taste (4/5): ...And outsized flavor for a beer of this strength! Very lemony, citrusy, and grassy green from the hops. Light and sweet pale maltiness makes itself known, adding some nice backbone to the beer. This is a hop-forward APA, for sure. Firestone really squeezed a lot of flavor out of this one–much better than some beers I've had modeled on a similar concept, Green Flash's Extra Pale Ale, for instance.

Mouthfeel (4.25/5): Nice light body, beautiful medium-high carbonation. Nice and prickly on the tongue. Quality dryness. The mouthfeel on Pale 31 really makes it a great easy-drinking, session-type beer. You could easily have 3 or 4 of these and not get tired of them.

Overall (4/5): Pale 31 has a lot going for it: easy-drinking, refreshing, and very flavorful given its ABV. Not too expensive for a sixer, at least by Chicago standards–$10.99 for a six-pack. I would recommend this beer to anyone looking for a hop-forward beer that they want to "session". Can't go wrong with this one for the purpose. Probably even better in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 06:30:50 | More by hagbergl

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

All the rest have 31 and seem to be getting drunker by the day... ...Wow, sorry... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear brass topped by a finger if lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises bright grapefruit zest, light orange zest, light honey, and a bristling of pine needles. The taste brings in more of the same, with the citrus blending together into a tasty little tropical smoothie, the parts indistinguishable from the whole. In a good way. The body is a rather light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a very nice pale ale, highly drinkable and even more highly enjoyable. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:17:35 | More by TMoney2591

jvillefan

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: It is a golden yellow/orange with a lace white head.

S: The is a nice subtle hop aroma with some caramel notes to it.

T: The is a nice sharp hop flavor. There is a dry Belgian character that adds nice flavored to the secessionible beer.

M: Very thin and has a great carbonation bite.

O: Good, not great. Get it if you can but there are better pale ales out there.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 01:31:14 | More by jvillefan

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a tulip glass)
Bottled on 12/17/12
A- This beer pours a crystal clear deep copper body with a slow carbonation that trails up to a sticky antique white head that fades to a thick ring.

S- The pale green hops have a papery but pungent aroma to them.

T- The hint of sweetness to the pale malt stays soft even though the pale malt flavor grows and some hints of toasted malt come though in the background. There is a full pale green papery hop flavor in the finish that has a mellow pungency in the dry finish.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a nice gentle fizz and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer has a nice fresh malt flavor that grows to over take the hop flavor. This beer is very sessionable and it would be nice to try this on cask to see if more nuances come out.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 15:21:23 | More by rhoadsrage

barnzy78

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz, bottled 12/17/12. Pours a brilliant, crystal clear golden with a frothy, white head, good retention, amazing thick sticky lacing on the glass. Aromas are floral hops, citric, plenty of grassy hop, biscuity malt in the background but hops dominate the nose. Tastes are grassy hop, floral, biscuity malt, lemongrass, so freshly dry hopped, moderate bitterness with some astringency on the finish. Thin-to-medium bodied, ample carbonation. Overall, not my favorite choice for hops, but they make it work with this well-crafted American Pale Ale.

After reviewing this beer I went to FWBC's website. I am very surprised to see the hops are Fuggle, Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook. Some of my favorites. This is why I love beer - so many different ways to accentuate flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 22:15:26 | More by barnzy78

harrymel

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled 15NOV12

Golden with a loose quilt of light cream foam. Smells of grapefruit, grass, light caramel malts, some sweet malts - a touch of lactose. Flavor is bready, bitter (lightly), hints of grapefruit pith, some pine and a touch of woody malts. Light body with low carb and a semi dry finish. Decent beer, nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 03:51:52 | More by harrymel

jb413

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Golden yellow pour, crystal clear, with spots of rising bubbles. Inch or so of white head that dropped quickly and spotty, sparse lacing down the sides.

S - Light nose with some bready malts and piney hops. A bit underwhelming.

T - Better than the nose. Smooth, with a great balance between some piney / slightly floral hops and sweet malt backbone. Neither overtakes the other.

MF - Smooth feel, light in body, super drinkable, great carbonation, and a nice moderate dry hop finish.

O - Nice dry hopped pale with a great balance and great feel. The pour and the nose left some to be desired, but a repeat pick pale for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 02:41:26 | More by jb413

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer pours a golden yellow color with a slight amount of haze. The head is very impressive and clings tightly to the glass leaving a wonderful lace.

The aroma is dominated by hops. Citrus and grapefruit really shine through. A wonderful nose.

The tastes is sweet to start with a dry and hoppy finish. Clean esters with no off flavors. A rather simple taste but refreshing.

The mouthfeel is medium and fits well with the beer.

Overall a very nice pale ale. It is a little high on the hop scale for the style maybe but it is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 02:31:44 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

beergoot

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A thick, chunky white head rests atop a golden, crystal clear body; sticky lacing on the glass. Nice, hoppy aroma; pine and melon. Bright, crisp feel with a subtle malt backbone and a bold hop bitterness rounding things out. Clean, dry finish.

A refreshing beer with good balance and taste all-around. Nothing earth-shattering or innovative per se; just a darn fine beer....

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 22:35:16 | More by beergoot

JoshuaB

3.08/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours an orangey color with a large head, which subsides in a minute or two to a steady foam top.

Very little scent, almost as neutral as water. Tastes mildly bitter and hoppy, not a lot of other flavor characteristics. Mouthfeel is pretty decent, and it lingers for a few seconds but not too long.

Overall, seems to be a very light PA, not offensive to someone like me, who rarely enjoys hoppy beer, but likely not enjoyable to someone who does.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 14:29:21 | More by JoshuaB

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a hazy yellow color with a white foamy head on top. The retention and lacing were very good on this beer. The smell of the beer gives off a massive fresh citrus hop aroma. The smell of the beer seems very fresh, bright and lively. The taste of the beer is bitter with a good balance of malt and hops. There are fruity notes in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the beer is medium bodied with a solid carbonation and a clean crisp finish to it. Overall this one is very good, it pushes the boundaries of being an APA and IPA, this beer could go either way I think. It's very good though regardless.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 02:12:00 | More by Knapp85

Beerjonny82

4.83/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hands down, this is by far one of the best beers I have ever had. Unlike most Pale ales, this beer has the clean, crisp feel and appearance of a lager, the hoppiness of a mild IPA, and the most incredible hoppy aroma you will get from a bottled beer. Along with the intense sweet, floral aroma, the dry hopped finish creates a superbly delicious dry aftertaste. Besides the hops, the beer is low in maltiness, yet has a nice light bready flavor. The low 4.9% alcohol content will allow you to enjoy more than one on a work night.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:05:07 | More by Beerjonny82

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at the khyber in philly

Pours a lightly hazed golden color with a one-finger froth of white head resting on top. Retains for a while, leaving patchy rings of lacing on the glass while drinking.

Nice punchy, tropical hops in the nose with pineapple and grapefruit. Soft sweetness twisted with toasted grain and biscuit. Very inviting.

Soft bitterness up front, mix of citrus and tropical flavors in the hop profile. Pineapple, citrus peel and mango with soft sweetness. Mild malt backbone with toasted grain and biscuit. Finishes juicy and bitter with another kiss of tropical hops.

Lighter medium body, well carbonated, refreshing and crisp on the palate. Really easy drinking, excellent hop profile - I easily took down 2 pints and could have enjoyed another without trouble. I need to remember to buy some of this for next summer, this would be perfect for backyard barbecues and sunny summer afternoons.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2012 14:43:38 | More by xnicknj

ThePaleRider

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very light amber with a thin white head. No head retention, which is to be expected.

S - Lots of bready malts combined with a light citrus hop notes. Toffee and caramel really overpowering the hops.

T - Just what you want from a pale ale. Light and refreshing. Goes down very smooth with the malts and hops making a pretty perfect combination. Great session ale.

M - Very light and refreshing. Lots of carbonation keep this tasting fresh. Not a lot of after taste to speak of.

O - Firestone does it again. Another amazing beer that seems to fit the style perfectly. Very drinkable pale ale that doesn't remind me of a pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:45:12 | More by ThePaleRider

Gstarkey

4.48/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really like this beer!. I'm from california and I'm all about ipa's and pales and this one really did it for me. The beer pours a really nice golden color and could almost be mistaken for a blonde ale. It smells real floral and has piney notes throughout with a small amount of sweet malt on the back end.

The taste is really crisp, hoppy, and a little sweetness at the end. The beer has a pleasant medium body with a really nice bitterness. I can really understand why the took gold at the world beer cup these guys know how to brew good beer. Overall really high marks all around i think they nailed it and i will be drinking more of this beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 01:14:46 | More by Gstarkey

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Beer Authority in New York, NY

A: Pours a crystal clear dark copper to amber in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall white head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of biscuit and caramel malts, some light sweetness, with stronger notes of orange/tangerine/citrus, pineapple/tropical, and floral hops.

T: The beer starts out with some light sweetness and biscuit and caramel malts. There are moderate to strong flavors of hops - orange/tangerine/citrus and just a touch of pineapple/tropical. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Very enjoyable with really good flavors and aromas. Easy to drink and sessionable. Well balanced between the sweetness of the malts and bitterness of the hops.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 21:04:02 | More by dbrauneis

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a chilled pint glass at the Rose & Crown.

A: A finger of white head tops a clear golden beer. Heavy lace.

S: Fruity, aromatic hops. Crisp, bitter, and citrusy. Very nice.

T: Mm. Delicious, light-bodied pale ale. Hops are prominent and tasty, but with little body to back it up. Light, biscuity malt. Bitter aftertaste.

M: Not the best. But maybe that's just me knocking pale ales.

O: Great pale ale! Highly recommended for the style. Highly drinkable and sufficiently hoppy. Would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 03:52:17 | More by AgentMunky

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Brilliant yellow-gold with a small one-finger white head. Lacing very minimal.

S - Cracker malt, yeast, fruity esters, and floral hops.

T - Big juicy fruitiness forward (grapefruit, tangerine, and pear), followed by some hop flower, which carries through the finish. Not much malt presence at all, just a bit of wafer resting in the background A hint of diacetyl in the mid-palate. Very clean.

M - Light bodied and aggressively carbonated. Probably one of the most carbonated beers I have had in a while.

O - A pretty well put together pale ale, but a but on the hoppy/floral side, whereas I personally prefer a bit more malt forward. But still, a decent beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 23:07:20 | More by TempeBeerMan