Fireman's #4 - Real Ale Brewing Company

scratch69

Missouri

3.26/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Clear golden color with a fingers worth of quickly disappearing head. Minimal amount of lacing.

Smell- Grainy malt aroma with some hints of lemon zest and grassy hops.

Taste- Tastes like it smells with some sweetness as well.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and crisp. An average amount of carbonation.

Overall- Easy to drink and thirst quenching but not spectacular. The flavors are a little on the light side.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:09:23 | More by scratch69

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Finger of white head and a golden body filled with carbonation streaming about.

Smells very pilsnery with the malt character, grassy hop, and lemon zest.

The flavor picks up where the nose leaves off with the bread, grass, and lemony/fruitiness.

Clean and light bodied with prickly carbonation.

Ridiculously easy to drink with nice mild characteristics. Goes well with Tex-Mex.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:21:19 | More by MattSweatshirt

AAG

Texas

3.29/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Enjoyed this Blonde in Austin on the back deck of a great Mexican restaurant after getting a swedish massage. Based on that...this review might be slightly skewed!

Poured this beer directly from a bottle into a cold glass. They didn't serve me a full pint glass so I was forced to pour this one into a much smaller glass...

Appearance - Light, golden ale; transparent; little to no head (possible due to a poor pour).

Smell - Lemon; zest; fruity; refreshing

Taste - Very pleasant; lemon blonde; aftertaste is slightly bitter but not overpowering; orange; grapefruit; as it warms the hops taste comes out more.

Mouthfeel - Very nice; slightly carbonated but comfortable on the palate, overall.

Overall - Really enjoyed this beer; very refreshing; would be a perfect summer beer; would seek this beer out again when looking for a blonde.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 15:06:16 | More by AAG

pasdachuri

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours is a cloudy light golden color with a small white head

In the nose brings earthy hops, biscuit and sweet malt.

Strong flavor up front with with a sour hop and bready malt taste. Decent but not over the top.

Overall it was a little bitter to be a real sessionable ale with good flavor and a smooth mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:06:24 | More by pasdachuri

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle at Boiling Pot. Pours hazy golden with a short-lived white head. Aroma is of barnyard yeast, sour apple and grassy hops. Body is medium and crisp. Biscuit malt, some herbal hops and ripe fruit fill the mouth. Finish is medium and dry. Nice session brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 17:47:38 | More by mikeg67

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Real Ale’s Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale has a medium, fluffy, white head and a somewhat hazy (especially after the bottom of the bottle is swished), yellow appearance, with lots of bubbles and a good amount of residual lacing. The aroma is of faint lemon and white wheat bread. Taste is of soft, white bread, lemon, and mild hops. Mouthfeel is medium and spongy, and Fireman’s #4 finishes mild and refreshing. Overall, this is a good one to have.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 14:09:14 | More by RonaldTheriot

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to dirtygrind (Reddit) for this one.

Pours a pasty white fizzy looking almost 1 finger head that fades at a med pace with a bit of lacing, over semi hazy blond wheat colored beer.

Nose has light blond malts, a light cream ale like aroma, hint dry bready malts, light fruitiness, and hint of fruity hops.

Taste is lighter, light blond malts, a hint creamy and toasty but juicy at the same time. A light crisp dryness, and hint fruity like, almost lager like flavors but still somehow an ale. Hint of floral grassy hops and just a touch of bitterness. Finish is semi dry buy creamy, very light bitterness, crisp and drinkable, quick finish.

Mouth is lighter bodied, good carb.

Overall not bad, very drinkable and a definite summer style beer, but overall flavors are a bit too light. However, with a beer like this any real off flavors would most likely come out quickly, and that didn't happen so that's a good sign.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 22:17:03 | More by jlindros

klmcmachen

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I am mostly a dark ale drinker, but this one surprised me. I had the Real Ale Brewhouse Brown Ale and enjoyed it. I thought I would give this a shot. It pours light with a a small head. very common for blonds. The smell is similar to a lager but with a hint of hops. The mouthfeel and taste is very refreshing with a hint of something sweet, maybe molasses. I would say this is a perfect summer blonde ale. I am interested to see what it would taste like in a beer batter or on a steak.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 13:12:12 | More by klmcmachen

jdense

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle at American Democracy Project reception (along with St. Arnold Weedwacker), 6.7.12.

Very light amber body, good effervescence. Floral hops, a bit of breadiness in the nose. Taste mirrors aromas, a bit on the sweet side. Pretty good mouthfeel. Very sessionable, one of the easiest drinking beers on the trip. Would like to try the tap version again for comparison. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 02:10:03 | More by jdense

match1112

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a: cloudy pale straw body with a two finger sudsy whity head. retention is poor but lacing is good.

s: light biscuit malts, some grass and light fruit aroma.

t: malts and light fruit with a low hop presence.

m: medium to thin body, good carbonation. clean grassy finish.

o: decent blonde, just kind of a bland style for me, but very enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 18:25:04 | More by match1112

gtermi

Texas

3.55/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This beer pours a golden body with a thin white head that quickly fades to nothing. There is also a bit of lace left behind on the glass.

S: Smells like lager yeast was used for this beer and has a corn/ grain smell.

T: This is a perfect spring/ summer beer for sure. It has a great lager taste with a nice amount of malt that lingers for a while. It has sort of a corn and biscuit taste too.

M: The mouthfeel is very nice. It goes down very smooth and has a nice tingle on the tip of the tongue and the back of the throat. Just so easy to drink.

O: Just another good beer from Real Ale. This is just so easy to drink and has a very nice taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 05:52:59 | More by gtermi

Astrosopher

3.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The one thing I enjoy thoroughly about it is its nutty character. It has a grainy and lasting mouthfeel. It is in some ways similar to Real Ales Octoberfest when it comes to the nose. I love hopping back and forth between the two in a 22 oz mug, the wofts are euphoric, the warmer they get the better the stank. As the carbonation dies down the better the flavors come through. Real ale is underrated for sure, esp. if your a steady beer drinker. I like it, recommend it, and will drink it again. FYI its better than their rye, pale ale if your staring at the planogram and don't know which one to roll the dice on. Peace lkeys.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 17:05:09 | More by Astrosopher

Labeerfinder

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden and slightly cloudy with a modest head with minimal lacing. Aroma of citrus, floral, and maybe a bit of yeast. Flavor is similar to aroma, very smooth, even somewhat creamy, with mild hop aftertaste. Nice, drinkable blonde ale but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 20:18:41 | More by Labeerfinder

samogletree

Texas

4/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a mug. Best by 4-16-2012.

A- A nice golden color with a solid tan head which dissipates fairly quickly.

S- The smell is very lemony with hints of sweet malts.

T- You can taste the lemons and what i would describe as a biscuit flavor followed with a slight bitterness.

M - More carbonation that most other drinks. A good crisp feel.

O- I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. It had a great flavor and a nice appearance. I look forward to drinking some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 07:59:46 | More by samogletree

TheAlamoWrocker

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a 355 mL bottle into a JFF is my BFF novelty pint glass.

A: Poured a fairly thin head which mostly dissipated quickly. The colors are interesting, it comes off as a yellow with a slight lime. Minor carbonation rises from the bottom.

S: Some minor citrus smells arise. Minor hops arise, but it's mostly the citrus that takes up this smell.

T: A citrus zest definitely hits the palate on first take. That same zest stays on the palate which make up this drinks slight aftertaste. Some minor malty bread flavors come in throughout the take in, but nothing spectacular.

M: The mouthful is definitely nice for the style. The body is light with a fairly decent amount of carbonation.

O: This is not a complex beer, but it is nicely balanced and a great drink for those not desiring something complex. This is more zest rather than hops or malts.
This is a summer drink and will help help during a long day outside.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 23:15:37 | More by TheAlamoWrocker

grittybrews

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy straw gold with a finger of bright white head. Nice aroma with some biscuity grain, grass, lemon, and honey.

Slightly low carbonation and a creamy, light mouthfeel. Honey and biscuit malt up front followed by some light lemon and a little grainy bitterness on the tail end.

Pretty smooth and easy-drinking, but the more malt-dominated blondes aren't my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 05:00:29 | More by grittybrews

elNopalero

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Right off the bat let me say that I’m not into blondes. I would have to say it’s one of my least favorite styles of beer to drink. In my mind blond ales are watery, flavorless beers that you swill. (Not to be confused with adjunct lager, although I admit associating them with such.) Biased? Perhaps. But am I alone in feeling this way? Probably not.

So, that said, allow me to describe my enjoyment of Real Ale’s Fireman’s #4, with just a bit of irony. Or egg on my face.

Poured from the bottle into a nonic glass Fireman’s forms a hearty bit of head that quickly dissipates. Gone in a flash!

The beer is clear, and true to its name, blond. It’s the color of straw yellow. There’s a trace amount of residue at the bottom, most likely from being bottle conditioned.

An easy drinker. There’s not a whole lot of complexity, although isn’t that true to style? One thing that I find distinguishes Fireman’s and makes it enjoyable for me are the faint biscuit notes. It’s just a trace, but as the beer warms they become more pronounced. In fact, its my favorite part of this beer.
I’d consider this a gateway beer for people who aren’t familiar with craft beer or for those hooked on BMC. For the rest of us it’s an excellent example of a quality craft beer’s approach and the difference it makes. I’d pair this with pizza, nachos, grilling outside and—if it was canned—tubing down the Guadalupe. (At least until beverages are officially banned on the river!) As far as blond ales go it’s a winner.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 22:33:22 | More by elNopalero

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Golden blonde colour with a small white head that left some pretty lacing. The smell is yeasty, like fungus growth.
This was a decent beer. It had kind of a sweet, honey flavour to it. It was otherwise fairly bland. Highly drinkable, not exciting. Probably not worth the price for that bracket. It had kind of a sticky mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 01:31:19 | More by ElCommodoro

womencantsail

California

3.4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Bobby for sharing this one. Labelled as Alamo Golden Ale, but this is the same thing.

A: The pour is a cloudy light golden color with a small white head on it.

S: Oh yes, a wonderful lemony aroma to it. Some straw and light yeastiness with some grainy notes, though it does have a bit of toast to it, which is actually sort of okay. A light bread flavor and biscuit.

T: Same lemon and lightly tart lemon notes as were present on the nose. Sweet grainy malts with light toast and biscuit character. A bit of grass and a very faint hop bitterness on the back end.

M: Light in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: I guess if it's a light, summer/lawn mower type beer you're looking for this works. Not my thing, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 20:49:43 | More by womencantsail

treque

Mexico

3.55/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: nice 2 finger head, white, creamy and rich. Pale straw in color, traslucent, light medium body, carb is constant.

S: some hops, biscuit, sweet malt

T: initial sweetness, then you get some biscuit flavour, there is no big end, some bitterness

nice sensation on mouth, balanced

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 01:46:07 | More by treque

annawees

Texas

2.35/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Pours a bright straw colour that's clear with a head that quickly disapates.

S: Definitely not a strong smell, but I finally got a note of sweet malts.

T: Disappointing, the incredibly strong flavors of yeast were unbalanced. It was reminiscent of a South or Central American macrobrew.

M: It was crisp and enjoyable and the only reward to the not so enjoyable taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 12:02:54 | More by annawees

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a pale golden yellow with a thin off white head. Decent lace left behind from a sparkling clear liguid. A nice bit of carbonation bubbling up from the bottom.

Smell was light, with the biggest hints coming from grain, and a nice bread tone. Slightly sour tones present as well, maybe some sour grape or apple.. Nice play on the palate and a decent hoppy aftertaste. Biggest flavors were by far malts and grains, with a musty bread flavor being the biggest factor here.

Overall it was a little bitter to be a real sessionable ale, . Nothing really standing up and greabbing you about this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:20:26 | More by mikesgroove

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance-Golden yellow, hazy. Almost looks like a hefe. 2 finger white head, lots of big bubbles. Dissipates fairly quickly and leaves some lacing.

Smell-Yeasty and Biscuity. Some light citrus and some apple.

Taste-Biscuits and sweet malts. Citrus comes through on the back end. Not sure if this was intened by I get some of that farmhouse saison funk, and I don't mind it.

Mouthfeel-Clean and Crisp. Medium bodied. More on the high end of carbonation

Overall-I bought a single but it's 6.99 for a 6pk. It's affordable, above average, but not going to knock your socks off. Maybe the best year round beer from Real Ale(which isn't saying much).

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 18:02:40 | More by SWMeyer4141

txbrew81

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Hazy straw with a two finger head

S: Sweet malty smell with some citrus.

T: Biscuity malts with some citrus hops. Mainly sweet. clean.

M: Low carbonation. Thin mouthfeel. Quaffable.

O: A pretty good summertime beer. Not my favorite but one I would by again at it's price point.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 21:44:53 | More by txbrew81

bisonkron

Texas

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

bottle to sam adam's perfect pint glass

nice clear golden color. white head that dies down after a minute. Great carbonation.

Appearance: The smell is malty, similar to some of the non-alcoholic "malt beverages" out there.

Taste: Sweet and citrusy, with a hint of hops.

MouthFeel: crisp and clean in the mouth. Very smooth and easy to drink. just the right amount of carbonation.

overall: a great beer for the summer. very refreshing, and at a great price, one i go back to quite often. This is one of the Texas beers converting BMC drinkers into craft drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 15:52:30 | More by bisonkron