Mybeerbuzz .com Highlights Firestone Walker / Ernie Ball Electric Eagle (Review)

Back in high school I decided that I’d look a lot cooler behind an electric guitar so I saved up my money and bought a guitar…and I vividly remember the music store guy not only recommending I add Ernie Ball strings, but pretty much demanding I did so by buying and installing them for me. Of course he was right, and I think I happily used those same strings for over 10-years.

I never became a very good guitar player, but I did manage to learn a lot about guitars and Ernie Ball. With that in mind, I was really excited to get an early peek at a new collaboration beer coming from Ernie Ball and our pal Matt Brynildson at Firestone Walker. Located just down the road in San Louis Obispo, this Ernie Ball musical collaboration seems like a natural way to bring beer and guitars together.

The beer is called Electric Eagle and I brought you a peek in Aug 2024 and the full details just last week…and if the packaging doesn’t catch your eye, I’m sure after tasting it, that the beer will get your attention. Firestone Walker calls the beer a “future-forward” IPA and as Matt puts it, “We’re not just beer lovers at Firestone Walker—we’re also avid musicians and music fans,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s why we’re stoked to partner with our friends at Ernie Ball, located down the road in San Luis Obispo, to create this limited-release collaborative beer.”

Electric Eagle uses a blend of Pacific Northwest hops and Southern Hemisphere hop varieties like Mosaic, Simcoe, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin (in pellet, cryo and Incognito hop extract formats), and of course I can’t wait to try it…so off we go.

Firestone Walker / Ernie Ball Electric Eagle

Brewery Description: Brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, and Riwaka hops, a lean base of pilsner malt, wheat, and rice keeps things clean and relatively dry in the finish for a big IPA. The aroma pops with notes of berry, tangerine, and papaya, with just a hint of crackery malt to round things out. This is an IPA that’s all about punchy hop flavors with enough body to support.  We used multiple hop products in this beer, including standard hop pellets, cryo pellets, and Incognito extract, which is a flowable hop extract designed for adding to the whirlpool for high aroma impact. Fermentation with a more neutral and attenuative yeast strain than our typical house ale strain focuses the hop character and brings this more in line with the typical modern SoCal style of super pale and dry IPA.

ABV:  7%
Style: West Coast IPA
Packaging:  16oz cans
Appearance:  Clear golden orange
Aroma:   Bright citrus & resinous hops
Mouthfeel:   Medium
Taste:   Bright citrus, fresh grapes and mild grapefruit.
Overall: This beer has already become one of my favorites from Firestone Walker and I feel a bit like it redefines what a west coast-style IPA can and should be. The beer is packed with hop aroma and loaded with hop flavor and it delivers layer upon layer of hops as well as a clean bitter finish. Overall I like this beer a lot and I’m hoping someone at Firestone Walker wrote down the recipe for this hop blend so it will return in a future IPA.

A big thank you to FW for giving me an early taste and for the cool Ernie Ball swag. Firestone Walker Ernie Ball Electric Eagle is available now and for a limited time in 16oz canned 4-packs at all Firestone Walker locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice, and on draft at select Central Coast accounts…so get out there and try one for yourself…and when you do try it, be sure to let us know what YOU think.  zzubreebym