Review: Beers of Firestone, Early 2025 Releases

I don’t think they take a day off at Firestone, where the brews arrive on a breakneck pace, running the gamut from barrel-aged monstrosities to ultra-hoppy IPAs to, for the first time ever, a non-alcoholic beer. Today we’re looking at that N/A offering plus a couple of those middle options along with a trio of new “turbo radlers” – higher abv spins on the radler recipe (beer + lemonade) that use Firestone’s Mind Haze IPA as the base brew.

I’m not going to belabor it, so let’s just dive right in.

Firestone Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA – Rye IPAs are always a fun twist on the classic formula, but with Wookey Jack, Firestone takes it a step further by making it black. Originally released in 2012, this black rye IPA has recently been revived using the original recipe, featuring pearled dark malts in addition to rye, with Citra and Amarillo hops in attendance. The near-black color deceives the drinker because this is a true IPA, but the roasted malt does have a clear impact, imbuing the beer with a rich but lightly smoky palate that works as a nice foil against the toasty hops. There’s a hint of dark fruit here in lieu of (or in addition to) the more typical citrus, with notes of pumpernickel bread, baking spice, and some dark chocolate all taking IPA into new territory, thanks to both the rye and the dark malts. Slightly pruny and oily on the finish, but not in a bad way at all. Frankly, I couldn’t put it down. Big win. 8.3% abv. A / $13 per six-pack of 12 oz cans

Firestone Electric Eagle IPA – A collaboration with, of all companies, Ernie Ball, a maker of guitar strings. The beer uses “a mix [of] state-of-the-art hop formats for high aroma and flavor impact, including traditional hop pellets, lupulin-rich Cryo hops for pure aromatic character, and Incognito hop extract for a clean bitterness and punchy flavor boost.” Hop varieties include some unusual ones: Simcoe, Mosaic, Riwaka, and Nelson Sauvin. I’d say it works. While billed as a west coast style IPA, this has an incredible fruitiness that I more associate with New England, although the body is thin and clean, and the beer itself is quite transparent. Big notes of orange and lime offer an exuberant, citrusy attack, the hops clean and vibrant. Gently tropical on the finish, but never sweet. A real crowd-pleaser. 7% abv. A- / $14 per four-pack of 12 oz cans

Firestone 805 8Zero5 – Many an N/A beer comes across as innocuous, but few are quite so innocuous as 805 Zero, which takes the pilsner formula and wrings any hint of lingering bitterness out of it. In its stead you’ll find brisk notes of lemon and, to a lesser degree, some mandarin orange, then a light touch of mint and a pinch of white pepper. It’s extremely mild and quite watery, with a little vanilla on the finish that sweetens things up. I didn’t think much of it but before long I found I had consumed the full 12 oz. can as if it were a healthy glass of water. Which, in a way, it is. B / $12 per six-pack of 12 oz cans

Firestone Mind Haze Lemonade Rage Turbo Radler – Fresh and appropriately lemony, and sweeter than you’d think. The attack presents as a gummier take on a pilsner but the fruitier notes — almost like a syrup you’d use for a lemon soda — layered not just with lemon but also some lighter notes of lime and grapefruit. But, yes, mainly lemon. It’s a fairly simple experience that is not at all rage-worthy, though the finish is more candylike than I’d probably gravitate to on a normal day. 8% abv. B / $20 per mix 12-pack of 12 oz cans

Firestone Mind Haze Watermelon Rage Turbo Radler – This tastes like you think it is going to taste: Watermelon Jolly Ranchers melted into a boozy pilsner. There’s probably an audience for this somewhere out there, but it’s not something I could drink much of. 8% abv. D / $20 per mix 12-pack of 12 oz cans

Firestone Mind Haze Grapefruit Rage Turbo Radler – Grapefruit seems like it would be a nice combination with IPA, and it works well enough here, though the finished product is again much sweeter than I was expecting considering the inclusion of sour grapefruit juice in the mix. Time in glass shows the beer’s pushier, more candylike elements bubbling up to the surface, ultimately taking over completely. The finish doesn’t hit so much with flavors of grapefruit as it does bubblegum. 8% abv. C- / $20 per mix 12-pack of 12 oz cans

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