All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

Fire Rock Pale Ale

Published July 2001, Volume 22, Number 3

• Charles Finkel

  This is a beer of color but its golden-tinted amber hue is a distance from traditional pale ales. The head is creamy and lasting. Mouthfeel is clean and effervescent, the beer first class. Like the color, the nose and flavor is on the lighter side, presuming to satisfy the Hawaiian palate. We enjoyed it with organic vegetable stir fry in soy, ginger and garlic sauce. On its own turf, served cool, under a hot sun, beside a calm sea, it would be a close to paradise as a beer can get.

• Charlie Papazian

  A Hawaiian pale ale with the amber glow of Pele, the creator of Hawaii. Beautiful floral hop aroma, and exquisite and inviting malt character, followed by a luscious balance of classic pale ale flavor—this beer is worth travelling to Hawaii for. Let it be known that with this brew the quality of life in Hawaii has just been raised. Mahalo nui nui.

• Roger Protz

  Bronze, with a dense fluffy head, the aroma has nutty malt, spicy hops and orange/citrus fruit. The palate is big and complex, with bitter hops dominating but balanced by creamy malt and tart fruit. The finish is long, beginning malty sweet but with hops and bitter fruit coming through, ending with a quinine-like bitterness and dryness. Wonderfully quenching and full-bodied, this would make a fine companion for pasta dishes or crumbly, full-flavored English cheeses.