Review: 6 Firestone Walker IPAs, 2024 Releases

Firestone Walker never met a beer style it didn’t like, and while it is constantly churning out sours, barrel-aged expressions, iconic lagers, and more, it’s the IPAs that Firestone really seems to gravitate to.

Lately, the brand has dropped three different mixed-IPA cases, all featuring something new and something old. Today we look at 6 of the beers in that collection, including a few re-reviews of beers we’ve seen before.

Firestone Walker Cali Cruiser Juicy West Coast IPA – West Coast IPA and “juicy” don’t often go together, but Cali Cruiser manages to balance on the line between bright (non-hazy) clarity of the West and the chewy, fruity exuberance of the East. Loaded with Mosaic, Strata, Citra, and El Dorado hops, there’s no shortage of orange, lemon, and pineapple all in an indeed quite juicy swirl. Touches of caramel and some vanilla on the finish give the beer a creamy, slightly doughy finish. 6.6% abv. A-

Firestone Walker Mind Haze Tiki Smash IPA (2024) – This starts off meeting expectations with plenty of pineapple and citrus, but once it sits in the glass for a few minutes, the heavy amount of coconut present really becomes aggressive. It starts off innocently enough, just a dusting of sweetened coconut on the finish, but then it builds and builds until that’s all you can taste. My advice is to drink it as quickly as possible, before the coconut takes over. 6.2% abv. C

Firestone Walker Mind Haze Brain Melter IPA – A hazy Imperial IPA with a bevy of hops: Mosaic Cryo, Vic Secret, Citra, Strata, Idaho Gem, Sabro, and Rakau. This creamy operator comes across with restrained tropicality, hinting at almond orgeat and coconuts, with a light note of mango and orange Creamsicles. A bit doughy as the finish builds, the conclusion evokes notes of vanilla and white chocolate, which dull some of the hoppiness, and the fruit, leaving things on the sweet side. 8.5% abv. B+

Firestone Walker Mind Haze Cosmic Crusher IPA – A tropical bomb that’s just shy of going over the edge, featuring Galaxy, Strata, Callista, Melon, and Simcoe hops. Aggressive pineapple and mango are tempered by a modest shaving of coconut, as notes of strawberry and dates come into focus further down the glass. The fruit begins to border on saccharine as the beer warms up, leaving a slightly cloying quality on the back of the palate that reminds me of orange gummy slices mixed with dried pineapple. It’s an interesting diversion but I didn’t finish the full can. 9.5% abv. B

Firestone Walker Mind Haze Citrus Cyclone IPA (2024) – Rob liked this tangerine-fueled IPA a bit more than me, the sharper citrus a bit lost amidst a stronger-than-expected punch of coconut and some guava notes. The finished product is sweeter than I was hoping for, which I felt dulled the refreshing qualities of the beer just a bit. Still, it’s a fun, summery diversion. 6.2% abv. A-

Firestone Walker Tropic Rocket IPA – This IPA is driven by a passion fruit, and while I love the flavor in cocktails, it isn’t quite as successful in a beer. The hops here feel just a bit too bitter against the flowery fruitiness of the passion fruit, which makes for a somewhat bumpy ride at times and keeps the passion fruit well buried. As a modest spin on what is otherwise a fairly traditional west coast style. 6.2% abv. B+

each $19 per 12-pack / firestonebeer.com

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