Image from Kona Brewing. Click to enter website.

If you look at the label, you might think this Kona Brewing Co. beer will carry you off into sensational Hawai’ian vacation complete with beaches, palms, natives, and the distant silhouette of an ancient volcano. You might also be tricked into thinking this is a pale ale by the blatant declaration on the label.

As a beer, Fire Rock Pale Ale is crisp and refreshing with a nice, if mild, finish. It will not cleanse you palate, there is little lingering taste. The aroma is very pleasant and you can smell the hops. What threw me off in my first sip of this beer is a distinct metallic taste. This was thrown off in subsequent sips, the more I drank the less metallic it tasted.

The reason why I said that you might be tricked into thinking this was a pale ale is because it is, in my opinion, far too mild to be a pale ale. It… ahem… “pales” in comparison to my standards for a pale ale. It slightly more hoppy than a lager. It seems to smell more hoppy than it tastes as well. This is not to say its a bad beer, but for its price I’ve had better and I know Kona Brewing Co. makes other great beers too. I did not achieve the sense of place the Fire Rock purports on it’s label, but it does remind me of lazy summer afternoons, lounging around outside.

In all fairness, and as I’ve mentioned before, I like very hoppy beers so my sensorial baseline might be shifted slightly from others. All in all, I do recommend it, despite my misgivings, and would rate it 3.5 out of 5.