Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Paso Robles, CA
Available: CA
Firestone Brewing Co. uses a multi-step infusion mashing program, including wheat to insure a creamy mouthfeel for this saison-style beer. Traditional biological acidification gives the beer bright, zesty acidity.
ABV: 6.0
ABW: n/a
Color: 6
Bitterness: 15
Original gravity: 1057
This unfiltered ale pours a hazy-bright summer golden that reminds me of a beam of warm sunlight streaming through a window. The white head dissipates rather quickly, leaving a slight skiff around the rim of the glass. Light aromas of banana and honey mingle with a whiff of lemony citrus in a pretty dance, giving us a sneak preview of the flavors to follow. While this isn’t an “OMG” beer—it doesn’t offer anything that makes you snap your head to attention—it is a well-crafted wheat offering, and it would pair nicely with a summer day, a patio, some good friends—and a couple more Solaces.
The bottle says “unfiltered,” although you don’t need a label to tell you that. This cloudy orange-colored wheat beer looks like a weizen in the glass but without the big, rocky head. Orange citrus notes join a mild, clove-like bitterness and warmth in the generally sweet taste, which has a light bready texture, with some delicate creamy caramel character and a nod towards banana. After a dry swallow, bitter orange and clove flavors run on into the gently warming finish. Definitely one to consider sipping as the sun sets on a busy, summer day.
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
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