Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Paso Robles, CA

Style: Blonde Ale

Alcohol: 4.7 %

IBUs: 15S

Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles and cans, kegs

Availability: Widely distributed on the West Coast of U.S.

Appearance:  “Light-to-medium gold in color. Quickly-dissipating white head.”

Aroma:  “Seems sweetly malty at first. Quite floral and maybe some citrus, I’d say. There’s a whiff of banana or maybe guava or some other tropical fruit.”

Taste:  “Opens with a sweet maltiness  that continues into a slight hoppiness that shows toward the finish. There’s a slightly sweet feeling overall, but it doesn’t come across in a cloying way. The feeling in the mouth is somewhat creamy, but this beer finishes cleanly.”

Food Affinity:  “This is really a pretty mild beer. It might accompany a lot of stuff. I like deep-fried prawns with that hot mustard like you get in a Chinese restaurant. I know that would taste good.  Maybe grilled chicken with grilled pineapple would be a nice pairing with that sweet malty quality.

       --Guest reviewer Allen Pierpont manages three franchises for a major restaurant chain. He enjoys a couple of beers at end of each business day