Pale 31 - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

GNWBC

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is a great brew to session with your boys on a warm summer night.
A: pours a golden orange with a thin white head and minimal lacing

S: lots of orange, little spice and floral hop notes

T: just like it smells, mild orange and honey, nice hop bite to it

M: goes down pretty clean, doesn't leave that funky hop resin that gives you cottonmouth.

OA: good PA pretty tame but thats not a bad thing, like i said i would gladly session with this during the summer.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 18:41:35 | More by GNWBC

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours golden orange with a slight haziness to it. Its a rather light smell, but completely hop heavy. The taste is as it smells, a good fresh hop character, lots of dry hops create a pungent taste and bold aroma. This beer has perfect carbonation and really has a good feel to it. It is a masterfully balanced pale, really hoppy but enough hidden malts to not over run the beer with bitterness.

This is an excellent pale ale, in fact, its one of the best I have ever had. Its on par with Stone's Pale ale, which is a beer I cant help to compare hoppy pale ales to. This beer is excellent and I wish Firestone was in my area but sadly, I enjoyed this beer in Utah.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 05:32:25 | More by TwelveOunces

elNopalero

Texas

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

Pours a light golden color. There’s a nice, inviting hop aroma to this. It’s sweeter than I remember, with a crisp finish. Not as hoppy as expected—or remembered. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tasty pale ale. But—I almost hate to say it but I prefer the Mission St. Ale over this.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2012 04:05:24 | More by elNopalero

Brewermeister

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a yellow color with a slight orange hue to it. Head is pretty minimal with slight retention.
Good citrus smell from the hops.
Light to medium body. Great tasting Pale Ale with a crisp clean finish. A great refreshing summer beer and a great example of a pale ale

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 08:43:49 | More by Brewermeister

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

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

Had this on 2011-12-30 in Columbia, PA

A - Very clear gold with a 3-finger white head that fades to 1-finger pretty quickly. Moderate lacing.

S - Glorious and sweet naval orange flesh, light biscuit and very flowery; almost like a honeysuckle.

T - Pale malt, less orange than the aroma, maybe a touch of stone fruit. It really dries out, somewhat puckering and leaves a bright, tart and reasonably bitter citrus finish.

M - Light body and medium-high carbonation. Crisp but not watery.

O - I like this quite a bit. Similar to a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale although with less ABV (and calories), which is pretty impressive. Great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 18:52:02 | More by Tucquan

Nugganooch

California

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz Bottle dated 11/16/11
*Notes from yesterday - Been putting quite a few of these down lately so figure time to give it a review.

A: Pours a very clear and effervescent burnished gold hue. Thin white bubbly cap. Other vigorous pours have yielded much more. Some light trackings of lace.

S: Smell is bright pines up front. Nice stone fruit accents like peach and apricot. Coupled with some citrus and grapefruit aromas. Light pale malt. Surprisingly great aroma here.

T: Tastes of grapefruit flesh, peaches, and prickly pine resins. Has a spike of bitterness right at mid-palate. Layered on a slight sweet and bready graham cracker maltiness. Very light , hoppy, and refreshing. Sessionable and well done.

M: Real light in body. Slight creamy texture. Great carbonation. Dry crisp puckering finish.

D: Total sessions time with this light hoppy refreshing Pale Ale. Really nicely balanced and well crafted.

Eerily close to the Trader Joes Mission St. Pale Ale???? Dun Dun Dunnn

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 17:20:25 | More by Nugganooch

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A bottle into a Dark Horse Pint Glass. This bottle is almost 3 months old and just came in to Philly, so im not sure if FS is up to snuff on shipping out fresh pale, i will review as is.

Firestone Pale Ale comes into the glass a whistling golden slight copperish color with a nice amount of white suds up top leaving nice streaks. Smell is very citrusy and biscuit malt forward, a nice breadiness comes up. Taste takes a backseat from the scent. Flavors include biscuits from the pale malt, light pine over citrus from the hops. Feel is light and refreshing though with spot on carb. Finishes clean as can be. I drank this very quick and I hope to god FS sends very fresh stuff by the time summer comes around.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 02:09:13 | More by onix1agr

coldriver

Texas

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

12 oz bottle pours a medium amber with sufficient head and lacing. Grapefruit and berry aroma. Taste is subdued tart blackberries, caramel, and grapefruit. Light mouthfeel, rather thin. Overall a decent beer, certainly sessionable but not something I'd typically keep stocked in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 21:59:23 | More by coldriver

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliantly clear light golden amber color with a medium size head. The foamy cap is fairly dense and has a tan color. Carbonation is medium to weak. This is quite a pale pale ale. This beer does not lack for aromatics. The hop bouquet is big and bright with aromas of grass floral and pine. Malts are understated and weak. Flavor finds a nice hoppy ale, just right I think for a pale ale. Malts and hops balance nicely with a godd biscuit malt finish. Unfortunately on the palette the beer presents itself as watery and rather weak. Its smooth with a semi-dry finish.
This is a California style APA and I couldn't find any info about that style. Maybe a hoppy steam beer. I thought this beer pretty good even with the lighter taste, could be a session or yard beer perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 13:16:07 | More by micromaniac129

airforbes1

New York

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear light orange color with fizzy effervescenc; the bubbles remind me of sparkling wine.

The aroma is dominated by hops...I smell grass and grapefruit. I'm expecting this to be a hop-forward pale ale like Sierra Nevada's.

The taste is better balanced than I expected. The hops are more piney than grassy with a mild grapefruit sensation. The finish is pretty watery, however.

For me, this beer is a tweener. It tries to be hoppy like an APA but also tries to be smooth and highly drinkable like an English pale ale. It's tasty, but if I wanted something more hop-forward I'd go with SNPA or Liberty Ale, and if I wanted something smoother or more sessionable I'd go with an English-style pale pale.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 20:10:46 | More by airforbes1

denver10

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

4: Bright, yellow with a tint of orange to it. Minimal head with slight retention.

S: Strong citrus rind smell that I associate with pale ales. Carries.

T: Taste follows the nose pretty well, a little more umph to the flavor, which I think is coming from the nice layer of malt, than the typical pale ale which I totally appreciate. Refreshing to boot.

M: Creamy and nice medium body to it.

O: Solid, but not a personal favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:07:10 | More by denver10

ely2000k

California

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Overall I like this beer. It's fairly easy to drink, and thought it is 4.8% alcohol, it has a good bite of bitterness to it, and the hop profile is more in vein of an IPA, though probably more drinkable to the average beer drinker. I think beers like this are really important for the craft beer market... a mid priced 6 pack, that is quite drinkable, and could possibly win over some drinkers of more commercial beers. Taste wise I feel like this tastes like a very mild IPA, and because I love IPAs, I think this is a great introduction to stronger and more hopped up beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 05:06:20 | More by ely2000k

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bright yellow-orange, very clear, great head. Smells very hoppy for a pale ale, citrus fruits like lemon and orange come to mind. Flavor is more of the same but this is not an IPA, it feels lighter in body and so easy to drink. I think I found my new go to pale ale because this has less alcohol than Sierra Nevada and I might just prefer the hop profile, great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 04:59:59 | More by ArrogantB

dmcbeerington

California

2.55/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Maybe I should go back to drinking orange juice or coke. This beer doesn't taste good at all. it doesn't taste like a normal beer. It is very hard for beginner drinker, and I have been drinking beer for 2 years now.

First thing about this beer is that it is hard to drink. normally this is because the beer is too bitter, but not the case here.

A, good color, head disappear in seconds.

S, I was sick, and my nose can't smell anything

T, Hard to drink kind of taste, some people may like it, but not me, not much sweetness. I will say on the bitter side.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 23:12:03 | More by dmcbeerington

Tilley4

Tennessee

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

Surprising little Pale Ale here...

Very pungent citrusy hoppy aromas roll out of the glass with this one... Very similar to Alpha King to be perfectly honest... Rather pungent...

A nice little blend of citrusy American hops blended with a smooth sweet caramel maltiness... Quite balanced with the hops taking over on the finish... very sessionable...

I liked this one... even following Union Jack and Double Union Jack, this one was assertive and tasty..

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 04:11:30 | More by Tilley4

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz stubby brown bottle, capped. Pours out a much lighter yellow than I expected for a Pale Ale. I would simply call it "yellow". Lovely large, fluffy white head that seems to keep growing.

Smell is hoppy and grainy. Classic American citrus hops are what come through most for me. I also pickup some lemony citrus notes. Taste is again on the lighter side and really adds to the drinkability. Solid grainy malt middle that leads to a perfect balance of hops and bitterness.

This is a very easy drinking beer that is on the dry side. This is a beer that you could really drink a few of as it's lighter in body but full of flavor. They call it a California Pale Ale but I would like to make it my House Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 01:13:39 | More by CharlesRiver

hiku7

California

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

Pours a very inviting clear gold with a moderate off-white head.

Aroma is grapefruit citrus and piney hops, but as it warms, some caramel malt comes through. Not a lot, but just enough to foreshadow substance.

The flavor is a moderate but crisp hop bitterness, plus some of the citrus that came through in the aroma. At the outset there is a slight caramel sweetness, but that gives way to a fairly dry finish. Seems very balanced despite the bold hopping. Medium body at most, moderately carbonated, and a dry finish.

Overall, a solid west coast pale ale with a fairly assertive hop presence but still an easy drinking pale ale feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 03:31:31 | More by hiku7

Brent

Kentucky

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

Tap handle only read "Pale Ale," which is apparently the alias for this beer. Bright amber pour with moderate, fluffy head. Nice bittering up front, leaning toward herbal. A touch of fresh hop oil flavor popped in the background. Drank much bigger than the 4.8% abv would suggest. Had I known it was such a session candidate, I probably would have stuck with this for another pint (or two).

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 14:54:06 | More by Brent

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA.

Pours a very clear, bright golden colour, with a fine body and a pleasantly thick white head that leaves complex lacing. I love the bright, yet light colour of it—it makes it look vibrant and inviting. Yeah.

Nose follows on with this vibe of brightness, with a really lovely crisp citric hoppy nose, layered with sweet-savoury pastry tones and a touch of apricot. It's fruity, but layered and complex. Ooh, yeah. It doesn't break the boundaries or make you question your assumptions about the style, but it's brimming with character and about as good as you can imagine an APA nose being. Awesome.

Taste is a lot lighter, as probably was to be expected, but it continues that nice apricot flavour while not spiking it with any bitterness. Also carried along is the slight pastry character, which is what gives its lightly sweet basis. The back drops out a lot, not giving the pleasant staccato bitterness which would cut it off and round it off nicely—instead, the sweetness sits around and fades away rather limply.

Still, this is a nice APA, and a cracker for such a rather ubiquitous brew, at least around these parts. Very drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 21:51:40 | More by lacqueredmouse

uawildcat

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I feel as though I have been rating beers highly lately. Maybe its just because I have had so many good beers. Had a pint of this on-tap at Sushi Garden.

A - Came to me with a one figer white head and the typical straw color of the beer. Head had nice retention and lacing

S - The smell departement is average for this beer. Has a nice predominantly cirtusy hop smell to it.

T/M - Taste has a bunch of upfront cirusy hops and piney hops that is balanced out with a cereal sweetness on the end. Creamy carbonation goes well. Leaves a slight oiliness on the palate.

O - I think this is another great pale ale. Seems as though I can't go wrong with this style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2011 05:19:41 | More by uawildcat

RJLarse

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I bought a couple of bottles of Pale 31 in a grocery store while traveling in Nevada.

Pours a pale gold color and is clear. Modest while head, leave a little lace on the glass.

Smell is sweet and fruity, with a hint of sweet vinegar. Soft fruits like pears and melons.

Taste is a cereal flavor up front followed by a soft fruit flavor, and mild bitter/sweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is very thin, light and crisp.

A very drinkable brew. If it were available in my area and at a reasonable price it could be a staple at my house.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 00:47:43 | More by RJLarse

hoppyweasel311

California

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

Pours a nice golden amber color with a quick disappearing head. Smells like bubblegum.. kind of a sweet aroma. But the taste is not sweet at all.. has a ok mouth feel.. nice hop flavor with out being too bitter.. I don't really like this beer that much... it's not bad or anything... I would just rather drink a Sierra Nevada pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 04:59:10 | More by hoppyweasel311

womencantsail

California

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

A: The pour is a hazed golden orange color with a sticky white head and nice lacing.

S: Smells a bit sweet, but there's plenty of citrus and even a few tropical fruit notes. Mild grass with a nice pine note to it as well as a light floral scent. Some bready malt gives a little body.

T: Like the nose, it's a bit sweet, but it works fine for a pale ale. Lots of citrus hops (especially orange and tangerine, a little less grapefruit). Some pine bitterness as well as a little bit of floral character.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: I really like this beer, a solid pale ale that I know will pretty much always be good.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 20:38:42 | More by womencantsail

MrKennedy

Australia

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from the International Beer Shop with thanks to bluebetty for coordinating the order. Poured into a Tripel Karmeliet tulip style glass.

Pours a hazy orangey-golden colour with a head of off-white coloured foam that measured a finger in height and then reduce to fil pretty quickly. A little bit of lacing as it goes down.

Smells a touch musty, perhaps a little stale and hasn't survived the journey that well. Understandable having crossed half the world and then cross a large country. Aroma is citric, reminding me of orange peel in a nice way.

Tastes like orange peel and grapefruit in a relatively well-worked and consistent combination. Flavours are a not in your face and nor should it be as an APA.

Mouthfeel is really good. A touch creamy, consistent, restrained bitterness throughout. Nice balanced finish has you seeking more. Great body for the size of the beer.

I would not hesitate to go back to this in a flash if i was in the US. This bottle was good, have a feeling it was not that fresh, but still was a good overall beer. Do want to get my hands on a bottle or 6 when i eventually head across to California.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 07:16:34 | More by MrKennedy

doughanson78

Washington

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Light golden yellow color. Perfectly clear. Half finger, white, very fizzy head that immediately disappears. No lace to speak of.

S: I get honey as the dominate aroma. Some light citrusy hops. With a touch of caramel. Good aroma, just way to light.

T: Honey and caramel sweetness throughout. Slight earthy and citrusy bitterness in the middle. Finishes sweet.

M: Light to medium bodied. Not watery. Slightly creamy. Very crisp and refreshing. Big carbonation, a bit much. Slightly dry finish.

O: Another good offering from Firestone. Not Great, but definitely good. Good summer/session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 00:38:53 | More by doughanson78