Fire Drill ESB
Fire Station 5 Brewing Company

Fire Station 5 is a store brand for Fred Meyer, and I've generally shied away from their beers due to a so-so encounter with their hefeweizen. Pours a golden-amber color topped by a wisp of creamy white head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt and some light fruity hops. Palate is actually quite nice - caramel malt along with light fruity hops, some dark fruit (black cherry?), and a mild astringency character. Body is a tad thin, but adequate. An easy drinker, and definitely a good deal at usually below $6/6pk.

This contract brewed ale from Portland Brewing Company serves the retail needs of the Fred Meyer department store chain. To the best of my knowledge, it is not distributed in kegs making a six-pack the only option. I picked up my sixer from a high volume Fred Meyer outlet where I noted the shelves looked relatively deplete of inventory. You never know how old the stock is or how well the product has been cared for. The disorderly, neglected display case should have been a tip off.

I’ve had good luck with Fire Station 5’s IPA. Not so with this confusingly labeled “ESB Red Ale.” My beer poured out a tired body with reluctant CO2. It was nearly headless though it did present initially with a crisp herbal bouquet. Fire Drill is pale bronze-amber, clear, and yields no lace. The clean though uninspiring flavor is highlighted by a distinctive bittering element.

This beer may perhaps be better when fresh. I would hope so. But you take your chances with supermarket beer and this one didn’t pay off for me.

This beer pours a golden amber color with a slight coat of head over top of the beer. The nose reminds me of an APA, not an ESB. Lots of dirty hop character that just doesn't jive with me. The flavor is that of a weak APA as well. The hop and caramel malt are subdued behind a watered down feel. The beer is too thin as well for my liking. The drinkability is okay. Better than the parts would say, but this is not an ESB.

Man this is bad. Pours an amber with streaks of gold. The head is white then settles to a ring around the glass, no lacing. The smell is bland and of raw grain and meat. The hops seem lame and funked, like raw can sugar. The taste just isn't my liking, bland and dull, taste of grain and the malts are no sweet, instead bland and raw, like a putrid sugar. Light bodied and no character, won't drink again.

This poured to an orange and gold, and looked a lot like a normal pale ale. The head faded quickly but the remains are leaving a pretty decent lace.

The grains present in the taste are pretty reasonable. It has a bit of a cheap finish, but not too bad. The mouthfeel seems somewhat off. It's still easy to drink.

It's a little plain, but it's certainly acceptable.

Appearance – Light orange in color with a tinge of brown and a wonderful head that came up mightily and went down slowly, leaving lots of clumpy foam on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The toasted grain isn’t bad, and I’d swear there are some good brown and raw sugars to be found. There’s a slight hop compliment as well.

Taste – Yes, the toasted grain and brown sugar make a good match. There’s a little bitterness to it, but not like I’d hoped. It’s a decent beer though, and the hops accent makes it semi-complex.

Mouthfeel – Some bitterness with a light and creamy mouthfeel and some decent carbonation.

Drinkability – When you pay $1 a bottle at Fred Meyer for a beer you don’t expect much, but this was good, especially considering the price.

Contract brewed for Fred Meyers grocery stores by Portland/MacTarnahans. Despite this dubious pedigree, the beer, as Reidrover pointed out, is pretty good. The beer is definitely an ESB (and a reasonably hoppy one at that) but for some reason the label states, bizarrely: "red ale." Glean from that what you will. Crystal clear golden copper with decent head and lace. Trademark grassy hops lets you know this is a Mac's brew. Not much to say about this brew other than malts and hops are well-balanced; the beer has enough flavor and hops to keep your interest; there are no off flavors or shortcuts - the same can't be said for other Fire Station 5 brews. I say go ahead and try this one. It won't blow your mind, the mouthfeel's pretty thin, but overall the beer is certainly enjoyable. I wouldn't pay $7 for a sixer, though; look for a 12 pack for 9.99 instead.

OK it was reservations that I grabbed a single 12 ozer of this beer..the others had been rather pedestrian in this line.
Actually not too bad of a beer to look at..chesnut brown with a large creamy off white head.
Smell is pretty good mostly spicy hops..sherbety.
mmm the taste is actually better than I had expected..certainly you get some nice bitter hopiness and a small malty taste in the front.
Mouthfeel is good too..surprised it wasn't too thin like the other FS brews.
Nice drinkable Bitter..not bad for Fred Meyers beer.