Fireman's #4 - Real Ale Brewing Company

Durge

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Found at Pappadeaux's restaurant in Austin this blonde ale shows a clear pale gold
color with very fine carbonation that looks pretty active. The head is snow
white, thinnish but it holds well and leaves modest lacing. The nose picks up
only a subtle wheat and maybe a very light grass. The flavor jumps right out
with a hardy grass and wheat malt. Simple but well balanced and pleasing. This is relatively light bodied with a very crisp feel. A flavorful choice for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 18:15:49 | More by Durge

matjack85

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Dive Bar in Downtown Houston. The Dive is part of the downtown Aquarium complex (hence the name) and I was there during happy hour (3-7pm) and ordered this on the advice of the bartender there. 14oz glass for $4.

The beer poured a clear golden/yellow color, pretty typical for a blonde ale. The 1-finger white head had good retention and tons of lacing.

The beer had a citrusy (lemony) smell along with other fruits and some biscuity malt.

Initially fruity flavor with some malty sweetness. The sweetness subsides a bit and turns to biscuity dry malt, but the fruit flavor never goes away. A slightly funky fruity yeast flavor also adds to the complexity. I like this one.

Light bodied, crisp, and highly carbonated. Refreshing, with a finish on the dry side after an initial sweetness.

As a Chicagoan, I never heard of this Texas brewery before nor had I tried any of their products, but if this is an example of what they have to offer, I'll be on the lookout for more of their stuff. This was a very good blonde ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2012 07:02:18 | More by matjack85

DCon

Missouri

2.93/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Schlafly Repeal of Prohibition Festival @ the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, MO. Tapped from the Black/Silver Tap Handle into a 16oz Schlafly Cup.

Aroma- Very subtle and easy going nose with tons of malt and sweetness. No real hops or any other character.

Appearance- Received with a .5 finger head that dies immediately. Has a bright yellow/deep golden colored body. Leaves no suds or anything behind.

Flavor- Very soft sweetness and a light wheaty character. No hops and finishes dryer than many blondes I've had.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, Smooth, and malts are left on the palate with sweetness.

Overall Impression- A very easy drinking Blonde but didn't have the characters I wish were present. More hops and fruit flavors could have popped up more for me. Still enjoyed as my first brew of this festival.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 18:02:39 | More by DCon

TwinButte

South Dakota

3.38/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at our hotel bar in Dallas. doing an expedited review.

Not a whole lot to write home about with this one. It seems to be the go to local brew for most of the bars here in Dallas. A stepup from the normal BMC that they serve along with Shiner Bock (as I expectected). I was hoping my trip to Texas would have allowed me to try some new brews but it would appear the TX beer taste buds have not evolved much yet.

This one is a good upgrade for the BMC switchers/tweeners who want to branch out. Good earthy hop bitterness and some lemony enfluences too. Good carbonation.

It's beer. I drank it. End of post.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 03:57:24 | More by TwinButte

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

Served on tap at The Holy Grail Pub in Plano, TX.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a half finger thin white head. There is very little head retention or lacing present in this beer.

S: Hints of citrus hops with pale malts and a slight presence of adjunct malts.

T: Flavors of citrus zest (likely lemon), earthiness, and hop bitterness with the slightest hints of grains/corn.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation and a dry finish.

O: Not something that I would go out of my way to have again but not something that I couldn't bring myself to finish either. I guess I would describe it as too average, there is a nice balance in the beer and the highlight for me is the hints of critrus.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 01:04:13 | More by dbrauneis

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

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

16 oz tap pour, reviewed live. There's a first for everything!
On tap at Blackfinn, Addison, TX

A - Apperance from the tap is golden blonde with a well-retained, short little head and patchy lace.

S - The cold temperature of this beer leaves the aroma with nothing but some pale malt.

T - Earthy hop notes on the back end with pale malt. Not really impressive here.

M - Light bodied, highly carbonated, and served pretty dang cold. Slightly dry on the finish.

O - Not something I'd come back to personally. My boss on the other hand liked it quite a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 23:18:00 | More by BeerFMAndy

nukem5

Pennsylvania

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

A: Pours a golden color nice lacing down glass. Tan foam cap sticking down walls of glass.

S: Aroma is light crisp and has corn smell or adjunct smell.

T: Taste is of much the same light floral hops come in waves over the corn background.

M: medium to light body lots of tiny bubbles wash the tongue with decent amount of carbonation.

O: Overall a very drinkable beer could drink a few of these, probably best with some BBQ on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 20:31:02 | More by nukem5

Biermaedchen

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear straw-colored body with a couple of fingers of off-white head with ok retention & leaves a little lacing down the sides of the pint glass.

S: Nothing special or pungent, but it is not bad. A tiny bit malty with some fruity/sweet scents. not a strong scent at all though.

T: Malt is very subdued in flavor with a leafy, citrus (lemon) hop profile. Finishes dry and clean. Not the most flavorful beer, but it's pretty tasty.

M: Carbonation is good and body is light-medium. easy to drink.

No where near my favorite craft brew- but it is very consistent. would be a good 'starter beer' for someone jumping off the main stream wagon. Not bad at all, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 18:43:12 | More by Biermaedchen

tronester

Oklahoma

3.38/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A clear pale yellow with a thin white head. Smells of lemon and a hint of grain. Taste is a hint of sweetness, followed by a tobacco and grassy hop middle and finish. Very similar hop profile to a California Common I brewed that utilized northern brewer hops. Average mouthfeel and carbonation. Overall a decent beer. Refreshing and non offensive.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 18:13:39 | More by tronester

far333

Connecticut

3.28/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pale apricot colored with a firm beige head that lingers long and leaves sheets if jagged lace up the sides of the glass. No aroma. Even flavor of breast malt, slight corn and grassy notes. Even mouthfeel, full and creamy. Tasty beer, not overly complex.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 21:12:36 | More by far333

tbrink

South Dakota

3.65/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a clear straw color with minimal lacing that vanishes rapidly. Smell is vaguely fruity, with a subtle splash of hops hiding in there if you really whiff it. The tmouthfeel is crisp, with a clean finish that has a slight alcohol backend. Taste is very subdued, but I'll agree with the person that detected a hint of pear.
This is a well made blonde ale, perfect for inclusion in the "lawnmower beer" category. It's nothing special, but sometimes you want just a plain ol' beer to ground your tastebuds in reality, and this would definitely fit that bill.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 03:58:57 | More by tbrink

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a pale yellow color with a tiny bit of a white head and not much else. The aroma doesn't bring much forward, just some light grain and a bit of yeast. Taste is mild grain flavors without any real yeast or any other characteristic. Really clean; I guess that's about the only compliment I have here. Goes down smoothly as well, I suppose.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 15:54:11 | More by Thorpe429

LacquerHead

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at the Executive Surf Club in CC TX

On tap - it was served in a regular pint glass.
It poured a very pale yellow with a foamy white head - descent retention that settled to a very thin lace.

S: weak hops aroma, otherwise not much to it.

T: Lacked luster. It had a pale hoppiness to it, but it was on the weak side. To me there was no real malt flavor to speak of. What little malts were there tasted like toast bread. I didn't know the style at the time and figured it was some sort of slightly hopped lager style brew...

The drinkability was descent - it had a crisp clean texture on the palate and didn't really leave an aftertaste.

It was not full flavored enough to keep me going back. I would drink this at a bar while in TX if it were on special. I paid $4.75 for a pint and it was not worth it. If Real Ale was going for something that "Light Beer" drinkers could handle then they succeeded. To me this beer seemed to go for mass appeal and I would recommend this as a much better alternative to people use to the adjunct lager scene.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 03:57:34 | More by LacquerHead

box299

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I don't disagree with the band-aid smell comment from another reviewer. I would say that the taste was very thin. I want to the rhe Ila right after and I think that this beer made that beer taste better... and unerring rated quality I might add. This beer is fine foe a hot summer day but more than two in a session would get on my nerves.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2010 23:46:11 | More by box299

glid02

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Pesca in San Antonio, TX.

Pours a clear straw color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of light malts with a tinge of hop bite - mostly floral notes but with hints of earthiness.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sweet light malt flavors are tempered by solid amounts of hops, imparting a good amount of bitterness and slightly leafy flavors. The hops carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is alright. It's got a nice thickness however the carbonation is a bit on the heavy side.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I thought this was a decent beer however the flavors weren't robust enough to be anything more than that.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 21:04:58 | More by glid02

wagenvolks

Texas

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

Pint on-tap at Fowler's Wings & Bar, Cedar Park, TX.

Attractive 'golden light' color (the sunset variety) with an active carbonation level. The off-white cap of head does an OK job at retention, eventually settling to a wispy ring of foam. Pleasing, mild aroma of herbal hops and wheat. Malts smell crisp and crackery, with some lemon and yeasty fruit esters in the background.

Flavor matches the aroma well, with a bit more hoppiness/fruitiness on the front of the tongue. Malts are slightly grainy and taste of bleached bread dough and wheat. A slightly hoppy aftertaste fits the style well, but it was the clean profile of this brew that really impressed me, as it washed down the hot wings well. Body is light and nicely-carbonated. Overall a tasty brew by Real Ale. Not quite up to Southern Star's Blonde Bombshell, but it's a distant second. I'd easily have this again, but probably only on-tap, and probably only when the other options are all macros (as was the case today).

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 00:41:44 | More by wagenvolks

WwRGSwW

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy yellow straw color, with a small fruity aroma and small amounts of malt.

Its a light bodied beer, with a low bitterness in the aftertaste. This is a great beer. and I was able to drink 4 in one sitting... so this serves for a good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2010 05:40:22 | More by WwRGSwW

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Once more, a thin, bone-white head that dissipated into wisps even prior to arrival. Color was lemon-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a grainy, silage-like scent. Interesting! Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium with a slight peppery taste on the tongue. Finish was dry and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 06:14:09 | More by woodychandler

Arbitrator

California

3.28/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Buffalo Billiard's in Austin.

A: Pours a clear straw-colored body with substantial effervescence up the glass. Has a couple of fingers of off-white head with great retention, lasting several minutes before collapsing into a light cap / donut on top of the brew. Leaves some lacing down the sides of the pint glass.

S: A dry, lager-like aroma of Noble hops and just the slightest hint of pale malt and toasted crackers. Nothing special or pungent, but it's not bad.

T: Malt is very subdued / attenuated, with the varieties in the nose manifesting themselves as a light adornment on the leafy, citrus (lemon) hop profile. Finishes dry and clean. Not the most flavorful beer, but it's pretty tasty.

M: Carbonation is spot-on for this; the fine bubbles accentuate the finish and whisk away the aftertaste, leaving the mouth clean and ready for another swig. Light-medium body.

D: I had two glasses and enjoyed them both. This seems like a good fallback beer if I'm playing pool (which I was) and there wasn't anything great on tap (which there wasn't).

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2009 17:56:12 | More by Arbitrator

techtatu

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a nice golden yellow color with about 2 fingers width of cream colored head. Aroma was not pretty good but it could be better. It had hints of honey and very subtle touch of hops. It taste like a carbonated mead.

A very smooth drink and something I would enjoy at a bar. Definitely a beer to suggest to first time beer drinkers, and a beer to take to gatherings.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2009 16:52:43 | More by techtatu

DeathbySexyBT

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I love Real Ale and this beer represents a good cause. That having been said, this is my least favorite beer out of the Real Ale tanks. Anyway, here goes...

A: Heffe-yellow with a suprising lack of head and lacing.

S: Sweet bread/grain odor. Mild sugary fruit note. I was straining to pick up anything at all, though.

T: Toasted grains with a slightly sweet malty flavor. Hops present themselves as mild bittering notes at the back of the palate. Crisp finish.

M: Light and crisp.

D: If you are looking for a beer that you can pound, this will do nicely. There is nothing that sets this apart from the blonde crowd, though.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2009 13:54:47 | More by DeathbySexyBT

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap in Austin, TX

Pint came with no head and left no lacing as it was consumed. Very light yellow/gold color with no carbonation.

Sweet grains and bread like aroma.

Flavor is slightly sweet, very bread like with a fairly crisp ending. Slight hop flavor, but really leans a little more towards the sweetness. This was the only craft beer selection on the menu and that tells you something about the extent of this menu. Not a great deal of complexity to the flavor. Not bad and I enjoyed the bread like notes.

Mouth feel was very light and thin.

A sessionable beer, but not one with a lot of complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2009 03:43:46 | More by Reagan1984

drunkboxer1

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear golden color with a thin head. Leaves some lacing. Smells faintly of banana and noble hops. You can taste the banana as well. It's has medium carbonation and a creamy but clean finish. Theres some hop bitterness there as well, which serves to clean the whole thing up a bit. The finish is slightly dry - which contributes to the overall drinkability of the beer. I've had this on bottle before and didn't like it as much; on draft you can taste a lot more. It's one of the most sessionable beers I've had in Texas

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2009 18:52:42 | More by drunkboxer1

stephens101

Oklahoma

3/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A honey yellow pour with an already faded head, leaving a good bit of empty space in the pint (note to Ginger Man). There's a spotty lacing all around. Smells of malts, a bit of grass, and some faint hops. Tastes of sweet malts, some honey and subtle, almost undiscernible light fruits. I'm a big Real Ale fan, but this one could use some work.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2009 02:09:34 | More by stephens101

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

reviewed 9/17/2006 (Pint @ Alamo West Oaks):

Pours a golden clearish colored body, with a smallish head, off-whitish in color. Has a bitter aroma, some hops, a medium strength aroma. A weakish bitter malty taste, but balanced. Somewhat sweet. Reminds me of an IPA maybe.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2009 03:51:11 | More by jujubeast6000