Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale

Brewed by Kona Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Kailua Kona, Hawaii USA

Pours a hazed red with a little head. There is a big grapefruit hop aroma. The flavor drops the ball however. I’m expecting a strong hop flavor and there is really not a whole lot in the flavor. Mild bitterness.

A huge, creamy, off-white head forms easily over this medium/dark amber beer. Balanced aroma of light hops and malt. Lightly sweet malt flavor, not overly bittter, but it is there, followed by a dry, bitter finish.

Thanks Chuck. August 4th, 2006 vintage. The beer pours to a nice glowing dark amber body with a tall fluffy off-white head. The aroma is light. Some pine hops and light palate malts. The flavor is really light. One could say... a pine hopped pilsner. Light pale malts in this one. So light on the palate the pine hops are easy and refreshing. Pretty basic, but very nicely balanced.

poured a dark copper pour w/ a nice off white head and soem decent lacing. The aroma could be described best as pretty weak, some very light pine hop scents and a iny touch of malt and some hints of a weak grain. Palate is avg or maybe a little above, but not enough so to warrant more than a middle score w/ it’s easy body, and light coating. The flavor though was quite nice, a very easy to drink APA that would go great cold on a hot day. There is some nice pine and grapefruit w/ a decent amount of carmel. Not to shabby.

Draft at the brew pub 11/2/2006. Poured a dark copperywith a thint off-white head. Aroma is mild and balanced with some hops noticeable. Sweet mild hoppy flavor with an over riding malt body. Bitter finish was subdued. Smooth and rich with a medium body, well made.

A very drinkable, if unspectacular, APA here. 12 oz bottle pours a hazy copper body topped by a small offwhite head. Nice lacing. Aroma is subdued citrusy grapefruit with a note of pine. Caramel malt is in the background. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Taste is mostly grapefruit and pine cone hop bitterness with a barely adequate caramel malt backbone. A respectable effort that would be most quaffable in the Islands.

In a recent trip to Kauai I was at the Sheraton and they had Kona Fire Rocks on tap. What a wonderful brew. It was super to drink this fine pale ale while watching the sun sink into the Pacific Ocean. The head was cream in color and the deep amber was very inviting. The hops were just right for an APA. The finish was smoooth with some bitterness. The citrus flavors and malt overtones were all in cync.

Another beer that I sampled in Kauai and again in Kailua on vacation and enjoyed. It has a hearty amber-red color with a bubbly white head and is somewhat cloudy. The aroma has earthy and citrus hops, some grainy hops, and some caramel malt; maybe a bit floral. It was a sweet taste with a barely bitter finish. The body was wet and had a full texture with only mild carbonation and fizzyness. The beer was crisp and had a bit of a spicy kick, great for the islands!