White, yellow, and tasty
This Blonde Ale is another simple, mild beer. Going through the various styles really emphasizes that craft beer doesn’t have to mean getting clubbed over the head with hops (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Nine pounds of American two row makes up the bulk of the grist with three ounces each of Caramel 10 and Caramel 20 to add a slight tinge of yellow. There’s no real specific hop associated with this style but we went with an ounce of Williamette. I’m fond of this one as a cross between West Coast fruit/floral and European earthy/spicy. As always when looking for clean and quick we went with WLP001 yeast.
I love everything about this beer except the weather. This is a session ale that demands a sunny summer day. Malt is expected but the taste is more bready and grainy than sweet. At the risk of veering into pretentious wine tasting territory, I get a hint of something that reminds me of strawberries especially in the head. Like most good session ales the flavor just fades away to dry and ready for another sip without boldly lingering aftertastes. I’d definitely make this one again. A dash of wheat for better head retention might be nice but serving directly from the keg rather than from a growler might fix that.