     Oppigårds Golden Ale (Oppigårds Bryggeri AB)
Another beer from one of Sweden's leading craft breweries (see link to more from this brewery below the review) this one is simply called Golden Ale. Now, to be honest, I don't tend to go for beers that are called Golden Ale. They always seem to lack the taste that I like and come across as a bit watery and downplayed. However, I do like this brewery and they usually manage to do a good job with the hops and malts even with their normal range of beer types. Pours a very pale yellow (much more so than the image above implies) with a lot of carbonation. There is a good one inch or more of head from the bottle and this stubbornly dilutes leaving traces around the glass. The smell is very much Oppigårds, they manage to get in a perfumy hop aroma no matter what type of beer it is. This particular beer uses a mix of both American and English hops and their presence is very evident. It's not a strong explosion of grapefruit and pine, but rather a subdued sweetness with a hint of spice. There is also a good presence of caramel malts. The taste is very bubbly and slightly bitter, yet sweet, and ends sharply. You get traces of the hops as well as the malts however not a good deal of either. Not an overly complex beer, but then again I don't think it's supposed to be. This is meant to be drunk cold when the weather is nice. Not going to knock your socks off, but will certainly go down well if it's hot. It may lack pizazz, but sometimes you don't really want anything more than a cold beer...and in Sweden this will beat out a good proportion of "simple" ales.
Posted by Kelly Labels: Blonde Ales, Swedish Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Oppigårds Single Hop Ale (Oppigårds Bryggeri AB)
Oppigårds is another up and coming craft brewery here in Sweden and this is one of their newest beers. Called simply "Single Hop Ale", it uses only one type of hops. The particular prize winner in this case is Styrian Goldings from Slovenia. It is not meant to be an IPA, but rather a blonde thirst quencher with hop taste. Pours a nice gold color, with some bubbling and a white uneven fluffy head. The smell is quite definitely that of the single hop variety used, a lesson in it if you will. Piney and sweet with touches of spearmint. There is also a scent of the wheat that is used in the brewing process. Before you taste this the hops are at work in your mouth creating that tingly slightly sharp feel. When you do taste it you find a pleasant bite, hoppy but smooth and with a pleasant finish. It's a nice beer, and definitely what they intend it to be. At 4.8% it is a good "drink on a hot day" beer. Perfect for Sweden during the summer months, since many beers are much stronger. I quite like it, there's a simple appeal about this beer. Not in your face by any means, but very drinkable. This is actually a type of beer that I'd like to see more of, just to create something to give your tongue a rest from all the killer hop beers out there. The hops are there, but they aren't there to take over and stalk down your taste buds...they just came by your house to say hello.
Posted by Kelly Labels: Blonde Ales, Swedish Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Summer Golden Ale (Andrew's Brewing Company)
If you were to imagine a typical Maine brewery, you'd probably imagine something like Andrew's in Lincolnville. The owner and brewer, Andrew Hazen, are one in the same, the brewing equipment was designed by Andrew and its in a very quiet area along the Maine coastline. I heard recently that Andrew's has acquired a grain silo that should help cut some costs. Summer Golden Ale pours a very light golden color, more apt to be called straw colored I guess. Carbonation level looks pretty good and the thin white head is quite long lasting. Looks like a pretty clean light drinking beer. Smell is sweet, malty and slightly like bread dough. A few more whiffs and their is some rather astringent and bitter aromas that come through as well. First taste is pretty light malt and not much in the way of sweetness. The follow through is slightly bitter and sour and their is some definite dryness as well. This is a pretty light tasting beer thats pretty light tasting beer thats pretty crisp and has some qualities that remind me of a continental lager.
Posted by Russ Labels: , Summer Beers, Blonde Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Casco Bay Summer Ale (Casco Bay Brewing Company)
Casco Bay recently bought out by Shipyard and their beers are now brewed and bottled at the Shipyard facility in Portland, Maine. I'm not sure how much has changed in the recipes and whether or not its just the marketing thats left but I guess we'll find out. I can say that the Casco Bay Red Ale that was on cask on Peaks Island (off the immediate coast of Portland) was fantastic. Pours a deep golden color with about a finger and a half of head on top. A fine looking pour. The Casco Bay Summer is clean and clear in appearance with some nice bubbles bouncing around. Smells sweet and sugary with a faint hint of citrus from the hops perhaps. A bit of apple cider comes out as well. Not a lot of strong smells with this one. Taste is fruit esters, juicy and quite thirst quenching. There is a nice hop finish that balances this one out nicely. No major complaints from this light blonde beer. All around its a mighty tasty summer ale.
Posted by Russ Labels: Blonde Ales, Summer Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Vacationland Summer Ale (Gritty's McDuff's Brewpub)
You have to admit, the label on this beer must draw in tourists looking to bring back something for their friends back home. Look honey, this one's got a moose and a lighthouse on it! Gritty's calls this beer an "Extra Special Golden Ale" but I've also seen it categorized as a pale ale. I guess its up to you to decide. It pours a nice, super clean golden color (hey, they were right!). Its got a nice foamy head on it and looks like a prototypical light bodied summer ale. The smell is toasty malt sweetness and a little bit of hay/grass as well. I also get some of that oh-so-familiar yeast strain known as Ringwood. Taste is light malt, butter and some wheat. I checked and it is indeed brewed with some wheat malt, so I'm not crazy. Its also brewed with cascade hops and I taste a bit of the hop bitterness and can just make out the faint floral smell from them. A very easy drinking beer from Gritty's. It makes me want go camping and catch a moose while fishing from a kayak near a lighthouse up in the mountains!
Posted by Russ Labels: Blonde Ales, Summer Beers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   Ex-Wife Bitter Blond Ale (Freeport Brewing Company)
The picture on the label for this is pretty self explanatory. Pissed off blonde (ex-wife?) dropping her ring into a mug of beer. The label reads "Bitter is in the ring of the beer holder". I am actually not all that sure what that means to be honest. I guess its best to move on and get to the beer itself. Pours a nice, clean golden color with a nice white head. Lots of nice little bubbles in this one. Smell is bready, sweet, some hay but nothing too strong. Taste is like a dry, pale lager. Its got a metallic aftertaste (maybe from the ring?) to go with some sweetness and citrus tastes. I am not a huge fan as this is simply a style that usually doesn't captivate me too much. Its a light tasting beer that I think could be a nice "crossover" beer for those that buy their beer in packs of thirty. As the Ex-Wife warms a bit it becomes a pretty decent and drinkable beer. Nothing too disagreeable, just not an outstanding offering from Freeport. Try their chocolate porter if you see it in a growler. Its good stuff!
Posted by Russ Labels: Blonde Ales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
