Firestone Walker Pale 31

Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: American Pale Ale
Paso Robles, California USA

12oz bottle. Pours light orange/yellow with a small white head, decent retention, good lace. Smells crisp and hoppy, slight citrus. Tastes light, crisp, and sweet citrusy, maybe a bit of malt in there. Thin body, crisp carbonation.

Aroma was very hoppy with some floral hints. Flavor was also very hoppy. Very smooth. Some more malt flavor would bring this from very good to exceptional.

From the bottle. Very nice floral aroma with a suggestion of pines. Appearance is a very clear coppery gold with a light head. Mouthfeel is a silky gauze with a wondrous texture. Flavor is very light and was low point on this one for me, Some hints of citrus and malt but overall a bit bland on the flavor profile.

On tap. The pour was pale copper, maybe a dark gold. The head was scant but managed to produce decent lacing. The aroma was light malt, some pine and floral hoppiness and ever so light citrus. The flavor was relatively light, more focused on sweet malt and some bright floral hops. Only a bit of citrus. Clean, easy drinking. Problem free if uninspiring.

Poured from 12oz bottle a pale blond with medium sized white head. Aroma much like a soft IPA with notes of floral citrusy hops. Flavor is crisp with floral hops, gratefruit, a small touch of caramel and vanilla. The palate is dry with floral bitter notes throughout that don’t overwhelm the palate but seem one dimensional and slightly out of balance. Good flavor and quite drinkable. I’d drink another but would probably opt for the IPA instead in most cases. It has the same aroma/flavor profile just more so.

Quite drinkable. Not as much aroma/flavor hopping as some US PAs, dry finish, lingering bitterness w hint of vanilla.

Bottle pours a golden color with a white head that lasts for quite some time. The head laces the glass all the way down. Aroma has a notable hop presence and smells sweet. Mouthfeel is medium with a smoothness and crispness that helps it slide down easier. Tastes caramel sweet with a hop twang on the finish. Overall this is what a pale should be. Bold for the style, crisp, refreshing, and is something that you’d want to drink on a regular basis. Nice job.

I assume this is what I tried - it was labeled as "Pale 31 - California Pale Ale". Whatever it was, it tasted delicious with the Mexican food we enjoyed it with. Sweet and malty with a strong citrus bitterness from the high volume of hop presence. Crisp is a great defining word. The aroma was the only strange thing - smelled slightly of wet dog.