Fire Rock Pale Ale - Kona Brewing Co.

huxcrunner

New York

3.08/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

this beer is you pretty average pale ale, it had good body to it. It was a little dry and bitter tasting but overall this was not a bad choice. It had good color to it with about a fingers worth of white head and alright lacing. This is one that im glad i tried but there are other that i would prefer over this beer

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 16:30:18 | More by huxcrunner

scooter231

New York

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an amberish color, thin, not too much head, and very little lacing. Looks like a pale ale. Smells sweet and malty with a light grassy hops smell. Nothing exciting, but a nice nose.

Taste is not very different from the smell- malty, hoppy, grassy, light light light grapefruit citrus flavor. Mouthfeel is a little thin, a little watery. Fairly drinkable, especially on a hot day. A simple, solid pale ale. Nothing terribly noteworthy, but not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2008 03:14:22 | More by scooter231

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a three finger cream head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Clear amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Hoppy nose. Flavor is citrus hops, little sweetness and a light bitter finish. Reasonable pale. Bottled on May 6, 2009. $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 22:36:44 | More by jdhilt

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: orange-brown in color, clear, 1/3 inch head, medium carbonation

Smell: citrusy hops and malt

Taste: toasted malt,citrusy hops, and a bit of sugar or sweet fruit towards the end

Mouthfeel: bitter start that gets less bitter towards the finish. medium body, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This is an average inoffensive pale ale. I like how the ending gets sweeter, but otherwise, nothing jumps out.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 18:21:49 | More by tigg924

hawks10

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into my Bell's pint glass...

Pours a nice clear copper color with two fingers of soft off white head which leaves some lacing and takes a while to dissipate...

Smells of abundant toffee and caramel malts, no trace of hops...not very nice...

Again, abundance of caramel and bready/toffee malt, tastes like an ESB minus the B...not bitterness, no balance, not my cup of tea...

Medium bodied with good carbonation, crisp and clean, refreshing, but would be much better with a balanced taste...

Still within the expected freshness period, but tastes like all the hops are gone, or maybe they were never there...

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 01:51:44 | More by hawks10

dogfishandi

New York

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle at fridge temp poured into an imperial pint glass. 6% ABV according to label. bottled on JUN 7, 2011 (about 2 months old). label looks like a hollister ad.

pours out a nice orange copper color with a 1-2 finger white head that faded to a thick retentive layer. some light spotty lace. fairly clear body, just the slightest bit cloudy.

the initial aroma is very metallic. behind that there is some strange fruity smell i dont quite have a name for, apricot?, and hints of grainy, caramel malt.

a lot of the same in the taste. quite metallic, wierd off fruity apricot, a little citrus hop balanced by a grainy, biscuity malt. finishes fairly bitter like your standard pale ale.

lighter side of medium bodied, decent feeling carbonation. slightly resinous.

very metallic and too many off flavors here to make this enjoyable. behind all of this, i can taste a decent pale ale. not something i would ever come back to or recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 19:27:33 | More by dogfishandi

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kona- Fire Rock Pale Ale

Bought a 6er at Spirits in Toms River, NJ.

Appearance- Firey reddish brown with a thick creamy head.
Smell- Light pine hops and a creamy caramel malt.
Taste- Very subdued hints of green pine hops and a caramel malt base.
Mouthfeel- Sweet and malty up front with a dose of hops but finishing off watery and weak.

Overall- A good tourist beer or 1 to break you into the APA style. A decent offering worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2007 22:06:28 | More by NJpadreFan

avalon07

South Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This beer had an amber color and fairly thin consistency. There was almost no head at all and only a little lacing.

S: A slightly citrusy aroma along with a bit of malt and yeast.

T: The citrus dominated the flavor more than anything, but overall it was thin. Not that complex in the least.

M: Lower than average in the carbonation section, with an oily finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is kind of average beer when you get down to it. Not the worst thing I've ever had, but certainly not the best.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 13:05:56 | More by avalon07

alleykatking

Indiana

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 oz bottle.

A- Pours a pretty clear orange/amber color. Small 1/2 finger creamy white head. Lacing is soapy at best. Kind of a dull looking beer. Nothing too over the top here but a tiny bit over the average look.

S- Big citrus hops here along with some piney hop undertones. Sweet caramel malts bring a sweet smell to the forefront before fading away again. Kind of confused by this beer a little.

T- Big citrus hops blast right off the get go with this which I expected from the aroma. The middle of this beer is all sweet malts with almost nothing else to balance it until a slight bitter piney hop taste at the end. I was more impressed with the aroma of this beer than the taste.

M- This had a light mouthfeel to it. Carbonation is a praise for this beer but still has a off feel to it. Maybe too many bubbles? Left a sweet malty taste on the palate with a hint of slight bitterness.

D- This beer is average at best. I would drink this over BMC product in a heart beat but would pass it up if other choices were present. Maybe I had a bad bottle. If I get again I will review it.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 22:12:26 | More by alleykatking

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale pours a dark orange with a soapy yellowish head and some lacing.

Aroma is strong of hops, little malt gets in the way.

Taste is bitter, earthy hops upfront. Vague citrus qualities are to be found. Malt dials in sweet caramel and honey which does its job to balance. As the beer approaches room temperature, the hop bite is very strong making the drinkability suffer.

All in all, a decent hoppy pale ale, best served ice cold to hide some mild astringencies.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 22:49:31 | More by Stinkypuss

BigIrishman

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours light amber, not much head and little lacing.

Smell: Maybe a bit of a grassy spicy hop note, not a lot though. Mostly smell sweet pale malts here.

Taste: Not too much in terms of hop flavor, maybe citrus or a cut grass but it's not too powerful. The caramelish/buttery malt sticks out and it finishes with a little tingle and the tongue (like it's trying to have a SNPA bitterness but never really gets there).

Mouthfeel: Drying and fairly clean and light.

Drinkability: This is probably one of the only times I'll grab the lager over the pale. The flavor was kind of all over the place and lacked any real direction. Not hoppy, but not smoothly balanced...so what is it? Not sure but at least it's fairly non offensive.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 16:47:04 | More by BigIrishman

Ragingbull

California

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reddish color with lacing and a rim of foam. Mild hops and gentle malt hints coming off the nose. The attack is gently hoppy and there are some flavors of the grains swirling around with a malty backdrop. There seems to be some irish moss or peat flavor kicking around there as well, especially in the aftertaste. I must admit this was better than I expected. I have recently been seeing the Kona stuff at various places around the country and I was afraid it was going to be some mass produced swill that was capitalizing on the fact it was from Hawai'i. This wasn't the case and I am glad I finally purchased some to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 17:56:56 | More by Ragingbull

Soonami

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Fire Rock Pale Ale is the first beer I've had from Kona (I think, certainly the first reviewed). It's a pretty average beer for the style. There is nothing offensive, but not what I'm really looking for in a APA. Maybe I got an older bottle, but this beer is very malt forward without the hop flavor or mouthfeel that I've grown accustomed to in the best APA's--which have bright citrusy hops and toasty biscuity malt. The malt in this beer even tastes a bit oxidized and a bit too sweet/caramelly. The sweetness at the end of the beer is a little too much without the hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 06:56:00 | More by Soonami

iSip

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale: Why drink beer brewed in Hawaii when you live in Colorado? Good question with no answer. The Fire Rock, once in the glass has a burnt copper color which is translucent, thin white head that fades and just a whiff of aroma. The flavor is mostly roasted malt, with not much hop or bitter coming through. Hops must be expensive in Hawaii! Anyway, the Fire Rock is an easy drinking ale. My tastes would prefer some more hops and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 20:19:03 | More by iSip

Sixpoint

New York

3.15/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was my first experience with Kona Brewing Co. and I was not that impressed. The pour of my beer left absolutely no head on the beer at all. The beer seemed slightly undercarbonated for a Pale Ale.

The aroma was of citrus hops and a sweet malt character.

The taste was fairly balanced, but strongly hopped in the end with a flavor hop bite that left a lingering bitterness.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with a slight malt viscousness.

A drinkable brew, but I won't seek this one out on the West Coast.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2005 20:05:28 | More by Sixpoint

Taipans

Missouri

3.15/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this in a 22 ouncer from the 54th street bar and grill.

I liked the color of this, reddish with a nice white head. It smelled pretty good, sweet hoppyness to it. Nothing complex but good. Malty sweetness, with a touch of hops, I would guess Cascade? I liked the flavor and it went well with my steak. Nice smooth mouthfeel, crisp carbonation but not over the top, no complaints. I have had this beer a few times before and enjoyed it each time. Since I had a large serving it did warm as I put it down, but even when the temp came up it had a good flavor. I can imagine a better serving device then the straight walled monster mug would bring out more character.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2007 12:14:02 | More by Taipans

PhantomVodoo

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Coppery golden in color with minimal amount of off-white head.
Aroma of lightly roasted malt and citrusy hops.

Taste: Decent roasted malt backbone with a hop bite that's respectable, but mild for a pale ale. My major issue with this beer is that something is off. There is an astringent, medicinal, bitter character that's overwhelming the good aspects of this beer. It's prominent on the sides of the tongue, but seems to be on the back of the tongue as well.

Mouthfeel is good minus the excessive astringency.
Drinkability obviously suffers due to what I am perceiving as an off-flavor.
I'm curious if this beer is better on tap, but I'd pass on a 2nd offering in the bottle although there seems to be a decent beer lurking underneath.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2003 14:00:25 | More by PhantomVodoo

KoG

Nevada

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled fresh from a newly tapped keg.

Orange-ish hue with a sticky head and decent lacing.

Smell is citric hop all the way. Damn near too citric for my tastes but a very different aroma then a lot of APA's available out west.

Taste is hoppy, bitter and citric. Citric flavor is damn near out of control and masks all the other flavors. Finishes with a slight hint of what may be mistaken for malt.

Goes down clean but not my first choice of pale ale if available.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2005 00:17:51 | More by KoG

sweethome

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours orange/amber color. Sweet carmel nose. Somewhat floral, fruity esters of tropical fruit. Carmel comes back. Not sure what is in store from the nose.

The carmel malts dominate the palate. A little bit of grassy hop. Slight bittering on edges of the tongue. The carmel maltiness really controls thoughout. Never approaches cloying, but a malt oriented pale ale. In the final analysis, the lack of hops prevents me from wanting another.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 02:55:04 | More by sweethome

PatronWizard

California

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

**Please tolerate my 'Short Review Series' which come from sparsley populated notes.

Pours a nice clear caramel copper with good looking creamy head. Smells like a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. Seriously, honey and grain. Flavor profile is a bit of an enigma but reminds me of potato pancakes and malt o'meal. Was too much like cereal for me.

Overall: next!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 22:04:28 | More by PatronWizard

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

bottle has an island sunset theme thats rather enticing.
pours copper, maybe an orange-reddish tint to it. not much head, but plenty of bubbling action.

smells of caramel malts. some citrus-y hops in there too. not too strong an aroma.

a bit of a metallic taste. hops stronger than in the aroma. herbal hops at first with some lime citrus in there too. malt stronger though. bready and caramel, and a bit toasty.

medium-bodied with a lot of carbonation, despite the lack of head.

metallic taste takes away from the drinkability a lot. not as hoppy as many pale ales, though thats not always a bad thing. Alcohol is apparent even in a medium-strength beer.

Not bad, but so many better pale ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 01:56:13 | More by silentjay

hoppyhampy

California

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a tumbler. Bottled on 4/26/11. Pours a classic pale orange color with two fingers of frothy foam but almost no carbonation visible. Good lacing. Nose is nicely balanced between lightly sweet malt and citrusy hops with a scent of mango. Flat mouthfeel makes it seem heavier than it should. The palate hits the right bases though. A nice, slightly roasted and sweet malt contrasts with clean, fresh hops. Finish is balanced and clean. Overall, balanced the way a pale ale should be but not displaying any qualities that jump out at you.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 07:38:09 | More by hoppyhampy

output01x

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. capped bottle (Born On DEC 20 11) into a pint glass.

A moderate pour yields a 1 1/2-finger cream-colored head that slowly fades to a thick coating and thick foam ring. The body is a clear copper amber with an amazing amount of carbonation bubbles coursing through nearly every available area of liquid. Thick lacing coats the glass in a never-ending blanket of white foam.

While this beer may not be the most aromatic, it is both balanced and enjoyable. Piney and citrusy hops aromas carry notes of tangerine and mandarin oranges. Light malts form a nice backbone with notes of caramel and graham crackers. A slight spiciness adds an extra layer to the nose.

Bitter, grassy hops are balanced by caramel malt. As the beer is swallowed, more grassy hops are met by citrus hops and more caramel and toffee malts flavors. As these fade, a slight bitterness clings to the tip of the tongue as a watery and dulled grassy hops flavor lingers on the rest of the tongue.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, this beer is creamy and easy-drinking. The body is smooth and drinkable but slightly watery in the finish. The carbonation is well hidden but could use a bit more strength during the swallow.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:58:31 | More by output01x

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Clear copper color with a one-finger head that has average retention/lacing.

S- Citrus, flowers, and a light, somewhat toasted malt aroma.

T- The malt and hop flavors are very balanced in this beer. Neither one really asserts its dominance over the other. Finishes with a slight hop bitterness.

M- Lighter side of medium with medium/high carbonation.

O- A decent APA. Worth a try, but I don't see this one replacing all the SNPA and Headwaters in my fridge. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 19:52:53 | More by pvsob

beerguy101

California

3.2/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Orange color. Medium head. Aroma is malty and floral. A medium bodied pale ale. Malts are fruity and mild. Hops are grapefruity. Mild flavored pale ale. Refreshing and drinkable. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2003 00:21:59 | More by beerguy101