I admit it: I picked this beer off the shelf based entirely on its label. I was in the mood for a pale ale, and this one from Kona Brewing Co. with the bright Hawaiian sunset wrapped around the bottle and its gecko logo just seemed to say, "Drink me!" So I did, and quite happily at that.

Beer Details: Fire Rock Pale Ale from Kona Brewing Co., Honolulu, Hawaii (35 IBU, 5.9% ABV)

Appearance: This poured a startling deep amber brown in the glass. The beer is crystal clear with a hefty cap of parchment-colored foam that stuck around all the way to the bottom of the glass.

Aroma: This pale ale smells like it will be refreshing. Crisp citrus hops aromas play with clover honey and sweet malts for one extremely mouthwatering beer.

Taste: The taste follows directly from the aroma. The malts are sweet and light, coating the tongue with biscuit and honey flavors. The hops register with a lot of spicy and floral notes, going a bit perfumey and musky toward the end. It finishes with a nice crisp bite that sweeps the palate clean.

A highly drinkable and refreshing beer. On a hot summer day, I'd drink this one in a heartbeat.

Food Pairings: Try drinking a bottle with some seafood, fresh off the grill. If that seafood happens to come highly spiced, all the better.

What do you think of this beer?

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(Image: Emma Christensen)