Pale 31 - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

goschool

California

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

On-tap at the White Harte Pub in Woodland Hills, CA.

Appearance: The color is quite a bit darker than how I remember the bottled version looking. It's darkish amber with a respectable off-white head.

Smell: Sweet, bready malt aromas, much like Double Barrel, take charge of the nose in front of fruity apricot and citrus hops.

Taste: The flavor profile is malty up front, the sweet and bready notes get lighter in the mid-palate, and the fruity hops give the finish a burst of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It's medium-bodied and smooth, but it's a tiny bit aqueous.

Drinkability: I think the crisp flavors in the bottled version make this beer more drinkable than the sweet malty draft offering.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2007 18:50:46 | More by goschool

tonistruth

Nevada

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap @ Pizza Port Carlsbad, CA

A- bartender poured out my head, golden straw with hints of copper, leaves thin whit rings 'round glass

S- pine, floral, sweet bread (like that Hawaiian stuff)

T- bready up front and a spike at finish, good balance and mellow flavor, citric hops with pine aftertaste, bitter

M- light/med body, smooth, bit dry in after

D- enjoyable, dont know about sessionable, paired well with my whole grain portzels, balance is awesome, memorable pale if not one of my faves

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2007 07:18:48 | More by tonistruth

MiScusi

California

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The West is blessed with many fine American Pale Ale's, and Firestone has got to be one of them. It looks like your classic Pale Ale, with an light orange crystal clear appearance and a smell of fresh pine. Firestone Pale Ale gives you a dose of that West Coast feel primarily with its Cascade hops. It is crisp, has a nice carbonated bite to it, and is refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2006 19:44:48 | More by MiScusi

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

The beer is a gold color and only has a wispy, pale draught head. This beer has an incredible, fresh, hop aroma. I get notes of apricots, some peach, and of course some of the typical citrus notes. The aroma is just quite striking, and I really like the mix of fruit character that the hops evoke here. The taste is pretty light and refreshing and has a light sweetness to it that really helps to accentuate the fruity flavors from the hops. The hop character is definitely dominated by a fresh fruity character that is most evocative of peaches and apricots. This is really quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2006 22:13:30 | More by Gueuzedude

Zorro

California

3.33/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear gold color.

Smells distinctly hoppy and fruity. There is a small amount of maltiness in there too.

Taste is malt and hops. The hops used are flavorful and not very harsh so it makes for a very hoppy, yet still not bitter brew. Not sweet at all it is a dry ale.

Mouthfeel is good.

Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2004 02:50:17 | More by Zorro

Mustard

District of Columbia

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12oz. brown bottle with no discernible "best before" or "bottled on" date; purchased as part of a ten beer sampler from the West LA Whole Foods on National and Barrington ($12.99); love the label.

Appearance: Pours a clear, golden hue faintly tinged with a trace of orange; fine, three-quarter inch, snow white head; fair to decent lacing; adequate head retention.

Aroma: Predominantly of sweet caramel, oranges and grapefruit.

Taste: Light, malty sweetness upfront; moderate grapefruit type hop bitterness in the finish; faint traces of grain, flowers and toffee.

Notes: Label reads: "... this distinctive pale ale boasts a bright, elegant texture with hints of toffee and a medium malt character. Fermantation in individual 60 gallon American Oak barrels imparts soft smoky nuances, a suggestion of vanilla and additional complexity to the flavor profile." Not sure, a la Bunnyhop, that I experienced all of this, but still found Firestone PA to be a gentle, tasty session pale ale nonetheless. Would happily drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2003 07:43:38 | More by Mustard

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pale 31 pours a clear honey yellow with a moderate sized creamy head on top. The foam fades away quickly leaving behind lots of spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma has nice sweet malt notes with some citrus hop mixed in. Notes of lemon and pine plus a touch of honey and cereal malt.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is smooth and creamy with moderate carbonation. The flavor is more sweet than bitter. Cereal malt, honey and a little biscuit along with a touch of light fruit (mango?) are balanced with lemon citrus and a little pine. It finishes with a mild grassy bitterness. Once gone the honey and grass lingers on the palate.

An easy drinking beer that leans sweet. It could use a little more bitterness to balance it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 21:45:32 | More by WanderingFool

jdhowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12oz bottle (bottled on 2/12/13) into a pint glass.

A: Pours a beautiful, clear golden color with a half finger of white, quickly dissipating head. Very nice to look at.

S: Smell is crisp and clean, with hops and sweet fruit making up the primary notes. Nothing overwhelming or complex here -- just, pure, simple, good.

T: A bit of a let-down, but very drinkable. Malt and citrus dominate with a little hint of hop bitterness rising and then overstaying its welcome. The hop flavors don't seem prominent nearly so much as in the nose, and this is a disappointment. Not bad, but not as good as I had hoped after seeing/smelling it, either. I would expect more hop flavor from something dry-hopped and wonder if this bottle might not be too old.

M: very drinkable. Carbonation that fills the mouth lends itself to a refreshing drink that finishes smoothly, if maybe a bit overly bitter for a refreshing sessionable drink.

O: Good beer. Not great, but good. I would like this much more if there were either more hop flavor or less hop bitterness, and I feel like they've missed the balance with this one. That said, it doesn't ruin the beer by any stretch of the imagination, and I would be happy to drink this again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 22:47:19 | More by jdhowe

RaulMondesi

California

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

Picked up a 6er from the local grocery and just did it.

This is a goodie. Like, your girlfriend just walked into the door with a bag from Victoria Secret, goodie. Pure golden Pale like a tropical sunburst, which then leads to so fresh and so clean flavors.

Go now and get it. Go now and get it good

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 02:29:42 | More by RaulMondesi

obrike

Texas

4.04/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a sixer on the recommendation of my beer guy.

Pours a light golden orange with a thin white head...disappates fairly quickly and leaves just a bit of lace.

I really enjoyed the scent...especially considering this has under 5% booze. Citrus, mainly orange and cantelope hops and a bit of sweet malt. Impressive.

Had a good dose of hops over a solid caramel malt backbone. Citrus hops with a hint of pine. A tiny bitter bite at the end, but well balanced. Super easy drinking. Almost goes down like a light beer...but with actual hop taste!

I think this is a nice summer/pool pale ale. Well balanced with low abv means you can have quite a few in a sitting and maintain. A little pricey, but if you're looking for a tasty sessionable pale aler with a good hop profile...look no further.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:32:19 | More by obrike

MadCat

New Jersey

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

Appearance: A very clear golden yellow, with a short white head that leaves good lacing

Smell: Very aromatic hops, piney, herbal, and a little grapefruit

Taste: More piney hops, with some grapefruit in there, some bitterness on the finish, though not overwhelming.

Mouthfeel: Light body, full carbonation, good for this style.

Overall: A very good beer, and a very good example of this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:38:52 | More by MadCat

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 11/15/2012. Pours lightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger dense white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon zest, orange zest, floral, light grass, light pine, light honey, bread, and floral earthiness. Very nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of hop notes with a moderate malt balance. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, floral, grass, light pine, bread, light honey, and floral earthiness. Light floral pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, floral, light pine, bread, and light honey after the finish for a bit. Very nice balance of hop flavors with a moderate malt balance; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is damn good session pale ale! Very nice balance of hop and malt flavors; and extremely smooth to drink. No complaints at all, really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:56:41 | More by superspak

vkv822

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz : Teku
bottled on 01/02/13

Pours a clear golden with a foamy, craggy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma and taste both consist of citric hops upfront, balanced out by a pleasant biscuit malt backing.

Medium body with average, foamy carbonation.

Nothing particularly outstanding, but an easy drinking, well done APA. Hoppy upfront but well balanced overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 07:47:47 | More by vkv822

kojevergas

California

2.64/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Nabbed a sixer at my local Vons grocery store. "California Pale Ale Dry Hopped." 4.9% ABV according to the label (not 4.8 as currently listed; I chalk it up to batch variation). Bottled 02/20/13 - that makes this less than two months old, and it's been refrigerated the whole time. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard branded pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live.

Served cold, straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a four finger head of beige colour, fair cream, decent thickness, and pretty good (~4 minute) retention. Body colour is a clear pale copper. Not very vibrant. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Typical of the style; it's generally appealing.

Sm: Generic floral hop notes. Light citrus. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable. Pale malts. A mild to moderate strength aroma. Light hop oil.

T: Pale malts, floral hops, light hop oil. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. Boring and bland for a pale ale, but passable. A bit grassy. Imbalanced. Decently built. I'm unwderwhelmed.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A bit oily. Adequate carbonation. It's thin and weak. Suits the flavour profile okay, but it's very wanting.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable for what it is, but very pedestrian. Another underwhelming brew from Firestone Walker. I wouldn't get this again. Hides its ABV decently. Meh.

C-

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:30:36 | More by kojevergas

makersmarkers

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Smells pleasant, floral and sweet. Hoppy in aroma but less so bitterness. Tastes similarly: a very balanced flavor profile on this one, with perhaps more floral notes than I'm accustomed to with a pale ale. Feels full-bodied on the tongue with plenty of carbonation and goes down smooth. Sessionable? Absolutely. Overall, a fine example of a pale ale. Recommended.

Update: My feelings on this beer have not changed, but my interpretation of the rating scale has. Consequently, I have adjusted my points to what I feel it truly deserves. I think that a little over five times out of ten, I'd grab this over Sierra Nevada if given the choice, all other things being equal. It's that good.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:09:47 | More by makersmarkers

MikePags

New York

4.09/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Growler from Oliver's brew crew. Albany. Served in a pint glass.

A: golden color that is a hazy with carbonation.

S: nice hoppy aroma that isn't overpowering

T: this beer's straightforward, simple and solid taste makes it an amazing example of what a California Pale Ale should be. Nice hops without overpowering your taste buds but enough to keep you coming back.

M: smooth medium body

O: amazing session beer that should be used as a benchmark to evaluate all other Pales

Serving type: growler

04-01-2013 01:35:45 | More by MikePags

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

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

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