Catawba Firewater IPA

Catawba Firewater IPA

Firewater is a very balanced and drinkable East Coast IPA. Six separate British hop varieties make your taste buds jump up and say “Wow!”, while wheat and five different barleys provide a malty balance. An American version of the historic English style, this beer can stand up to a journey – either halfway around the world or just from can to mouth!
3.3
158 reviews
Asheville, United States

Community reviews

2.5 Pale amber pour. The nose is lightly hoppy. A little bit spicy with a touch of minerally yeast character. Clean/crackery malts. There’s a fairly light hop aroma. Just a touch of spice. It’s pretty bland really. Plenty bitter but light on flavour.
3.7 Sample at Mondial de la Biere in Montreal. Cloudy golden body, small white head. Aroma of peaches, pineapple and orange flowers. Taste of grapefruit zest, orange candies, herbs, a touch of pine needles. Pretty aromatic and flowery.
3.2 sample at mondial de la bière 2015 - mtl. unclear mediumd ark golden orange with a small creamy white cap, some retention and lacing. spicy citrus, belgian angles - low phenols perhaps, toasted maltiness - touch of caramel, thyme and other fragrant herbs, hint of sweetness - candy barley sugars, touch of carbonic acid. average carbonation - slightly foamy, light body - oily; balanced citrusy-spicy finish. plain and rather dull but decently crafted anyhow.
3.4 Liquide couleur maïs, peu de bulles en surface, avec un nez de pommes, de pêches et de sucre candi. La bouche est sèche, amère à souhait, surtout après la disparition totale du liquide. Les malts soutiennent fermement les houblons. Il en résulte une India Pale de facture assez classique, appuyant un peu sur tous les boutons, sans vraiment de défaut sinon qu’on peine à la différencier de la masse.
3.4 Canette au Mondial 2015. Couleur orangée voilée, mousse beige. Arôme fruité, malt, houblon, touche florale, soupçon de melon. Goût de houblon herbal, malt, bonne amertume. Carbonatation moyenne, corps moyen.
3.4 Can. Pours a slightly hazy golden with spotty off white head. Aroma and taste of hops, bread malts, and some citrus.
3.6 Draft at the Carolina Beer Company bar in the Charlotte Airport The IPA poured a clear light amber color with an off white head. The nose detects grapefruit rind, yeast and some pine. The ale had a medium body with average carbonation. The taste was more complex with caramel malt balanced with floral hops. Hop bitterness swells in the back, guiding the brew towards a pleasantly dry finish.
3.5 Can. Fruit and pepper aroma. Fruity english hops in the taste. Pretty good ipa but nothing extraordinary.
3.5 12 oz can served in a pint glass. Listed on the can a 6% abv. Pours slightly hazy dark golden with medium off-white head. Aroma is light caramel malt and light spicy hops. Taste is chewy caramel malt, nice floral earthy hops on the back. Somewhat thin mouthfeel and the hops take over. Lingers bitter and dry on the finish.
3.3 Location: Draft at the brewery, Asheville, 1/1/15 Aroma: It has a fairly mild aroma, light hops, orange/citrus, and a bit of bread Appearance: It has a clear orange color with a small white head and some decent lace Flavor: The flavor is along the same lines, with light malty sweetness and thin hops Palate: The body of this one is light-medium, and it has a decent feel overall Overall Impression: I actually preferred most of the other, less common, Catawba beers to their flagship IPA. It’s a decent beer, but it’s a little dull.
2.6 Draft at brewpub. Pours orange with a thin white head. Not much on the nose. A bit of pine on the tongue. Finished clean. Eh!
3.3 Can. To be honest, I was at this dive called Horsefeathers in the middle of Sherrills Ford, NC and was so surprised to see an honest to goodness craft beer selection. I drank 3 right out of the can and it was good. The end.
3.8 A very nice IPA for the ABV. Very little strong hop for abv acceptable. Nice frothey head that fades. Sweet enjoyable . Nice hop taste and aroma light but for abv aceptable. thsi shoudl be in the session ipa section and aweomse.
3.2 Ok IPA. More akin to a pale ale IMHO Mild flavor, subtle aroma, and easy drinking.
3.5 From a can. Pours murky amber copper with a fizzy white head. Tastes like nutty malt, grapefruit, dry pine. Light body and low carbonation. Smells nutty, malty, like grapefruit, caramel, and light pine.
3.5 Can. Pours hazy amber with creamy off-white head. Aroma is cereal and toasted malts, light caramel, light pear, faint floral notes, and faint tropical fruits. Flavor is dry malts, fresh hops, light fruit esters, some toast, and some caramel sweetness; very drinkable with a smooth finish. Medium body and carbonation.
2.8 Draught at the Barley's, Asheville, NC. Slightly cloudy golden colour with a small off-white head. Mild sweetness, mild hops and some malt. Very weak aroma. Sweet and dark hop profile. Mild bitterness. Easy and sweet IPA. Mild.
3.4 Serving: Draft at Carolina Beer Company in the Charlotte airport. It pours a decent amber gold color with a lasting off white head. Nice bit of citrus in the nose with a little bit of pine and caramel malt. Lighter hop notes on the palate than in the nose. More biscuity malt with a little caramel and orange rind. Perhaps a little thin in the body. Fairly clean and refreshing.
3.5 Aroma: beer doesn't have a distinct or powerful smell. Beer leans more towards a hoppy and floral smell. Appearance: very deep golden color. Borderline orange in color. Limited foam at the top of the beer and opaque in viscosity. Taste: due to strong hop content, this beer has a medium-bitter taste. Deliciously smooth though! Palate: medium body with a thin texture. Very smooth finish with a medium to light bitter after taste due to the hop content. Overall: by far one of my favorite India Style IPA's. I am generally biased towards this style of beer but what I enjoy most about the Firewater is the smooth bitter finish that doesn't over power your taste buds like other IPAs. Beer has been added to my favorites.
2.7 Can. Not really the best IPA out there. Gold color. Usally grapefruit aroma and gruitfruit taste.
3.4 Draft at the source during RBWG. Hazy golden amber color, light white head. Aroma of earthy pine. Taste has earthy citrus, light pine. Tasty.
3.0 Orange color with nose of sweet citrus. Malts add to that sweetness. Malty taste overpowers but some bitterness on the finish.
3.1 On tap at Carolina Brewing in CLT airport. Light and hazy gold with a moderate foam. Pine and citrus aromas that are a little underwhelming but pleasant. Light body, good carbonation, moderate bitterness. Malt sweetness was a little off balance but this was still middle of the road example of the style. Hop flavor seemed low. Finish was slightly bitter.
3.6 Keg @ Catawba during RBWG. Hazy light amber pour with a small head. Mango and pacific tropical fruits. Sea grass. Mild caramel. Honeyed cereal accents. More mango. A bit of pine cone and salt. Slightly bitter finish. Light body, nimble. Solid.
3.5 12 oz. can from Bruisin’ Ales, Asheville, NC. Yellowish-orange pour with a frothy off-white head. Aroma of tangerine, wet grass, and damp pale malt. Good citrus and floral hop bitterness with a strong malt backbone to keep this balanced. Good overall.
3.1 Had at the clt airport, pours copper, some light passes, minimal head and lacing. Nose of cat piss, pine. Taste has moderate bitterness that fades, some pine and more cattiness. Mild sweetness behind. More or less crap.
3.7 Draft at Carolina Beer Company in CLT. Poured a clear, bronze-orange color with a medium sized white head. Aroma was some nice toasted malts, sweet residual notes, with grapefruit hops. Flavor was clean, easy to drink creating a nice balance between the malts and pine-like hops. Very easy to drink, quite an enjoyable brew.
3.0 @ Whole Foods Market / Asheville NC --- Clear medium orange amber, full head cover, mottled batches of lace. Taste is malt on the opening, pine hops soon after. Mostly hops run the rest of the way, although the malt is barely present behind everything right to the very end. Uncomplicated, easy enough to drink, but not particularly interesting.
3.4 Had on tap at Cinebarre in Asheville with Walter. Not my favorite IPA, but easy enought to drink. Pours a straw color with a hint of orange and decent head. Definitely drinks crisp- has some good hops in there and almost a lager-like quality to it. Finishes dry. Some unexpected IPA flavours in there but overall decent. Not a hop bomb so pretty easy to drink on it’s own. 7/9 On tap at Biltmore tasting room. Just so average and fairly boring. Easy enough to drink but calling it an IPA in Asheville is almost laughable.
3.4 [on tap at CLT airport] Creamy grapefruit and strawberry hops aroma buttressed by some malt sweetness and a faint pine accent. Clear dark gold under a lasting, white, flannel blanket that leaves lace on the glass. Flavour is bitter hops and spicy melanoidins up front, but yields to a nice strawberry-pin hops. Assertive bitterness balances a pleasant sweet, light caramel. Medium body, medium carbonation, spicy finish.