Beer: Real Ale Fireman's 4

Brewery: Real Ale Brewing Blanco, Texas

Overview: Fireman's 4 is a blonde ale that is brewed for the purpose of enjoying during a hot Texas summer day.  The brewery suggests pairing with spicy foods, which may suggest it would complement a Tex-Mex cuisine menu for a mid summer's evening fiesta.  I always enjoy trying local Texas beers, so I intend to continue to make the rounds trying a variety from breweries such as Real Ale.

Aroma: Clean, crisp malt, some floral and citrus but not prominent.  Good malt not overwhelmingly bready.  Matures to a warm, baking crusty bread aroma as the beer warms up.

Appearance: Straw with some richness in color, but perfectly clear.  Ample white head leaves some traces on glass and fades to a thin film.

Flavor: Smooth and malty with a bitterness profile that kicks in very late towards the finish.  Some woody and leafy hop flavor.  Freshly mowed grass. Hint of orange.  Some biscuit malt flavor.

Overall Impression: A pretty good beer for a session blonde overall.  I could easily sit back in the summertime on the porch (hopefully in the shade) and polish off a six pack of these (and I might have already accomplished this task).  Overall there is little that is complex about this beer.  The taste is an enhanced version of the aroma, with a more powerful hop presence coming through.

Vitals:
Style Blonde Ale
Price $7.99/six-pack
Found In Grocery Store Beer Aisle
Alcohol Content 5.1% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 21 IBU

Rating: 94