Fireman's #4 - Real Ale Brewing Company

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

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.48/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle received in a trade, poured into a nonic.

This was a competent, enjoyable blonde whose only real weakness was its appearance (which isn't really all that important after all). Flavor is a blend of light, sweet malts with a slight toast grain edge and a pleasant hop bitterness in the finish. Aroma is simple and inoffensive grassy and pale malt blend. Mouthfeel is thicker and fuller than your average macro swill with a robust body and lingering earthy and grassy finish. Appearance is a pale, unfiltered golden cloud with minimal head produced by a vigorous pour. An average, enjoyable blonde, thanks to whoever sent me this!

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 22:43:35 | More by yourefragile

JMad

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a bottle to a pint glass...
Pours a pale yellow color with a white head that left some awesome lacing.
Smells of hay and crisp water.
Tastes a bit grassy and bready, hints of tangy lemony hops.
Light bodied.
This is a great sessionable beer, very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 20:17:52 | More by JMad

Mora2000

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was a bottle of Alamo Golden Ale, which is the same beer as Fireman's #4. They are two distinct beers on this site, but since the brewers said they are the same beer, I put the review under this entry.

The beer pours a hazy straw yellow color with a white head. The aroma is wheat, lemons and grassy hops. The flavor is lemons, wheat, grass and biscuit malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very drinkable. Not too exciting, but there is nothing wrong with the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 03:50:58 | More by Mora2000

Xul

California

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Dajtai007 for the extra.

A: Pours a clear, pale golden capped by a finger of foamy white head. Retention is moderate as it settles into a thin layer of foam, leaving some light lacing down the glass.

S: Bready malts up front with some moderate noble hops evident, followed by floral character and some faint lemon zest.

T: Lightly toasted grains up front, followed by some light bitterness, floral character, and light fruits - lemon zest, green apple, and faint citrus.

M: Light bodied with moderate to high, lively carbonation.

D: Goes down easy, no flaws to speak of.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2010 02:55:26 | More by Xul

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

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-pours a slightly hazy pale golden yellow with a tight bubbly white head.

S-the nose starts with bready malt, taken over by yeast and floral notes. a strong phenol takes over bringing in lots of bandaid notes.

T-the taste is better than the nose but not good. phenols seem to have taken hold and bring lots of medicinal notes. a bready yeast with floral notes and touch of lemon are present but faint.

M-smooth on the palate, thin light body with low carbonation.

D-not a good beer, maybe infected; but problems all over. medicinal and under carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 21:59:50 | More by cpetrone84

Ek0nomik

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured In: Wine Glass
Attained through a trade (Thanks Neil)

Appearance: The pour was a straw and dandelion color with a finger of head resting on top. The head retention was low, along with the lace. There is a small amount of effervescence.

Smell: The nose is full of grain malt, a little spice from the yeast and a little dab of floral hops. I'll admit, the nose isn't extremely flattering to me, but it does seem to be spot on for style. The grainy malt really shines through, and reminds me of some of the macro lagers I'd drink on Thursday's in college. This beer clearly has a little more hop influence to its name, but nonetheless it isn't a draw dropping scent. But, for styles sake, I'm going to rate it higher than some might.

Taste: The palate is very similar to the nose. Grainy malt right up front and it sits throughout the tasting except for the end where the mild hop bitterness comes through and a slight floral and citrus flavor from the hops.

Mouthfeel: While I'm not a huge fan of the style, the feel of this was perfect. Medium bodied, slightly on the thin side, crisp carbonation up front but it fades away rapidly making it easy to sip on.

Drinkability: The low ABV and great mouth feel make this an incredibly easy beer to drink. The nose and palate, seem right in line with the style, although it's not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2010 01:21:28 | More by Ek0nomik

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.7/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a pint glass.

Picked this one up in Houston, a very nice, drinkable ale. Lighter than expected, with a very weak aroma, but all that was forgotten upon first sip. A very tasty ale that I will continue to recommend to friends.

The above was an old review from 2008... got another one of these from a friend in Texas and it's time to re-review!

Nice head, light gold color... nothing all that special to look at other than the large bubbly head. As before there's not much aroma at all, very muted, but slightly malty. Very slightly.

Yeah, as noted before the taste is remarkably stronger than the aroma. Biscuity and slightly hopped even. Definitely pretty good and very drinkable. Solid blond ale, glad I got to try it again!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 23:13:05 | More by theboozecruise

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

fjordhook

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Admittedly this one of my favorite beers so my review is biased. Pours with a lighten golden color, minimal head. Transparent body. Has a smell of malts with traces of citrusy fruits. Taste is very smooth with a high amount of carbonation along with the fruits. Very easy beer to drink, has a light beginning and ends with a crisp bite. Not overpowering and a wonder to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 02:36:41 | More by fjordhook

spaceycasey

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had from a bottle from grocery store. Pore clear gold, excellent carbonation. Exactly how the style should look. Aroma is malty, sweet, no noticable hop aroma. A great beer from a day on the patio. If it were available in cans, would be my go-to lake/beach/river beer. Accessable to beer drinkers of all types - this is what I give my friends when only craft beer is available and they are BMC drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 02:58:45 | More by spaceycasey

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

MOB210SA

Texas

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

Poured into Fireman's 4 pint glass.

Quickly poured produced 1 finger off white head died to quickly to small ring around the glass. No lacing on the glass. Light amber

Not a lot that I can get from the smell, nice slightly sweet yeasty, fruity smell.

Good mouthfeel, nice carbonation, overall very drinkable and a great beer for the people who dont like stronger/darker beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2009 22:54:29 | More by MOB210SA

tatoodkelt

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Courtesy of gramatton, thanks again for the trade man!

Consumed 11/8/2009- from notes.

Brown 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A- Very clear gold with a steady stream of carbination feeding the 2 finger egg shell white head. Settled to a thin skim. Decent lacing.

S- Sweet crackers.

T- A little roasted grains, a little sweet, a faint almost metallic note and a little hops coming in at the end.

M- Light bodied, pretty crisp but a little dry.

D- Could be an easy summer cook out session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 15:57:01 | More by tatoodkelt

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

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

12oz bottle received via trade from SSW117. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" bright white head over the clear light golden brew. Airy head collapses at reasonably quick pace, with minimal lace. Aroma is sweet pale and prominent vegetal. Taste is dominantly pale malt sweetness, with the earthy hops towards the end. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, and drinkability is okay as well. This one could be better.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 20:43:02 | More by ppoitras

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

lawman834

Texas

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

Golden, clear. head dissapates quickly. medium carbonation. this is my 1st blonde ale, so I have no others to compare it to. it reminds me of a witbier which is not my favorite. a little too much fruit. finishes clean and is easy to drink. malty with only the slightest hint of hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 23:39:58 | More by lawman834

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

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a crystal clear, effervescent looking, gold color, with a finger of foamy brite-white head. Settles into a soft and creamy layer that throws a great looking cascade of lace up on the sides of the glass. The aroma is sweet bready malts, light citrus accents, floral hops, and some peppery spices. Not over the top or anything but I found this to be pleasant.

The taste is very similar to the aroma, with a smooth and even mix of sweet malts that possess a light toasty edge, a splash of citrus, and a tingle of spicy hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied with a smooth and creamy texture in the mouth. Overall very easy feeling and drinking.

Not bad at all for a Blonde. Decent balance and a softer body on this made for a refreshing quaff. Good summertime beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 12:16:06 | More by Kegatron