Faction Brewing Pale Ale 5.4% Review

Faction Brewing Pale Ale 5.4% Review

This article is based on a past tasting experience and was updated in June 2025.

【#りほびーる No. 434】Faction Brewing Pale ale 5.4% — here’s my review!

I’ll introduce you to a recommended craft beer, including where to buy it and its flavor profile. Use this as a guide for your next beer selection!

About This Craft Beer

Beer Characteristics

This West Coast Pale Ale is the second most popular beer after Faction IPA.

Generously hopped with Mosaic, Apollo, and Columbus

• ABV: 5.4%
• IBU: –
• Category: Beer
• Ingredients: Malt, hops
• Hops: Mosaic, Apollo, Columbus
• Brewery: Faction Brewing
• Style: West Coast Pale Ale
• Volume: 473ml
• Container: CAN

From the importer.

When Did I Buy It?

January 2023

Where Did I Buy It?

At Hiraguchi Toyojiro Liquor Store — a shop near The Slop Shop that carries Nagano Trading’s selections

【ふるさと納税】 ビール クラフトビール 鶴居村 12本セット Brasserie Knot レギュラービール4種各2本 + 道東 限定 ビール 4本 craft beer ブラッスリーノット お中元 パーティー お歳暮 価格：30000円（税込、送料無料) (as of 2023/1/21) 楽天で購入

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Craft Beer Review

Appearance

Slightly hazy brown. Beautiful.

Aroma

Orthonasal Aroma

Ultra tropical. Citrus sweetness like frozen pineapple. Kiwi mixed with malt sweetness and gentle malt character. After a brief moment of kiwi, it shifts to cucumber-like acidity.

Retronasal Flavor

Slightly powdery? Very strong licorice. Columbus comes through strongly. Within that, lovely citrus peel. The kind of citrus that would be marmalade-like at higher ABV. At the moment of swallowing, there’s an aroma like the tangy fruit you’d pick from the schoolyard. Endearing. Delicious.

Taste

Mouthfeel

Beer-like. Low carbonation? Somewhat gentle.

Body and Texture

Malt sweetness and beautiful citrus. A beautiful sweetness like emphasized lemonade acidity. It sits on the tongue like water, with Columbus-like medicinal citrus gradually intensifying. Not overwhelming while on the tongue, but when you savor it slowly, melon and watermelon rind-like impressions strengthen. Personally, I think this melon-like quality pairs wonderfully with low alcohol. Delicious. After the pleasant tangy melon quality intensifies on the tongue, a vanilla-like impression reaches the back of the nose — very relaxing.

The malt foundation is quite solid, with a strong grain character like the wafer part of a chocolate wafer cookie. Delicious.

The Swallow

There’s a distinctly Columbus-like dank impression. Feels great. At the moment of swallowing, a mint-like freshness hits the throat — the liquid goes down with a sensation of the throat’s temperature dropping about 2 degrees. At the swallow, the impression of red citrus fruit like dragon fruit intensifies.

Aftertaste

Dragon fruit-like citrus flavors linger for a long time.

Overall Impression

The hop impression was so strong you could almost call it a WCIPA. Of course, the malt was also strong and very delicious. A wonderful pale ale that rewards exploring temperature changes. That was my review of Faction Brewing Pale Ale!

Sediment

Surprisingly not thick. A taste like crisp Aquarius sports drink mixed with citrus. Delicious. Goes down easily. No spiciness, no drinking fatigue. The flavor of the pale ale’s sediment.

Check out my other Faction Brewing reviews

FACTION アーカイブ - りほのビール旅行記 - アメリカと日本のブルワリー訪問

「FACTION」の記事一覧です。

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Check out my article on craft beer furusato nozei (hometown tax) picks from 2022 below!

クラフトビールのふるさと納税完全ガイド

ふるさと納税で手に入るクラフトビールをブルワリー別にまとめました。納税先を検討中の方は参考にしてください。

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2024.07.05

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Best Craft Beer on Rakuten (March 2026 Update)

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🏆 Overall Rating

🛒 Purchase Information

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👉 What is Dank IPA?

Faction Brewing Pale ale 5.4%　Review FAQ

What does Faction Brewing Pale Ale 5.4% taste like?

Faction Brewing Pale Ale 5.4% is a pale ale style beer. See the main article for detailed tasting notes on flavor, aroma, and appearance.

Where can I buy Faction Brewing Pale Ale 5.4%?

It may be available at specialty craft beer shops or online stores. If hard to find, our recommended craft beer featurefor other great options.

Are there other recommended pale ale brands?

We review many pale ales on this site. Complete Guide to Dank IPAやDDH/TDH Beer Guide for more recommendations.

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