Pure Blonde
Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd.

Pure BlondePure Blonde
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From:
Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd.
 
Australia
Style:
Light Lager
Ranked #140
ABV:
4.6%
Score:
61
Ranked #28,444
Avg:
2.38 | pDev: 25.21%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
63
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Oct 09, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  12
No description / notes.
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Ratings by SmashPants:
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Reviewed by SmashPants from Australia

2.57/5  rDev +8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Format: a 355mL green bottle with a pretty standard macro label.

Appearance: a pale amber yellow in colour with sparse carbonation. A fluffy white head that drops to a thin film, sporadic lacing. Okay.

Aroma: not very much there at all. It was at this time I noticed it was a low carb. Oh God.

Taste: actually picks up a bit here - some light but quality grains but that's about it. Still, okay for a low carb.

Aftertaste: drops away very quickly, as expected. No hop bitterness, just a slightest touch of grain.

Mouth feel: light in feel with a moderate to higher carbonation. Feels pretty much like a standard macro lager, which isn't bad for a low carb macro lager.

Overall: if my brain fell out and I decided that low carb beers were a good idea (even though carbs are low in beer anyway, and it is kilojoules to watch out for), this wouldn't be a bad one. Fortunately I am still have my full faculties however, so this is going into the "not bad for a low carb, but still pretty ordinary as an actual beer" category. Probably okay for AU$43 a case for the hottest of hot days, but I'll still just have my good old Carlton Mid - cheaper and better.
Dec 29, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by BrisLoganite from Australia

Dec 30, 2023
Photo of Drunk-Monkey-Candyholic
Rated by Drunk-Monkey-Candyholic from Illinois

3.82/5  rDev +60.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Good when very hot and thirsty.
Sep 18, 2023
Photo of Nath91
Reviewed by Nath91 from Australia

2.57/5  rDev +8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
When I was a fresh-faced, just out of high school 18 year old, I loved my Pure Blondes. Truth be told I didn't know shit from shoe polish when it came to beer, and I think I enjoyed it for it's light, crisp taste, and it's tremendous marketing at the time. The bogan truck driver going through the pristine forest, where angels were bottling Pure Blonde out of a river, only for the truck driver to grab a Dove out of the area and open up a beer with the dove. It's fallen by the wayside for me ever since I had my first Pale Ale, and since then I've watched it go from 4.9% ABV, to 4.6% ABV and now a rather pityful 4.2% ABV.

CUB have also played around the marketing of this beer, over marketing the fact it's "low-carb, and vegan, and organic" etc.

Let's see if I still have fond memories of my 18-year old self. Poured into my pint glass from a 375ml can

Look. Having poured this out of the can aggressively, it's only produced a fingers worth of frothy white head that's dissipating quickly. Standard Aussie Lager look, clear, pale golden, maybe slightly lighter than your more full strength options. Clear, filtered, bog standard.

Smell: Grassy/Citrus hop notes but definitely Pride of Ringwood in there as well. Slightly malty, slightly grainy, slightly bready. Not too bad.

Taste: Smooth, mellowed malt sweetness, followed by a slight bitterness. Slight grain flavour, but a few seconds after the sip I do pick up a chemical aftertaste.

Feel: Highly carbonated, but easy drinking. Goes down smooth. Highly refreshing. Would be worth a can or two to quench the thirst on a hot summer day.

Overall. It gets a pass from me. Maybe it's old nostalgia from my adult teenage years, but I can't hate it completely. It's not nearly as good as I remember it from being 18, and I think the reduction in ABV from 4.9 to 4.2% is playing a part on that, as the flavours are quite mellow.

I don't buy into the whole low carb charade a lot of Aussie beers are going with now. It's probably one of the better 'low-carb' lagers out on the market as it's not overly sweet, and easy drinking. I'm unlikely to buy this at the pub, or a slab of it unless it's on special

#️⃣1️⃣0️⃣
Aug 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.08 by Daneve76 from Australia

May 26, 2021
 
Rated: 2.5 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Dec 24, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by heysuz from Indiana

Dec 24, 2018
 
Rated: 1.95 by DerbyDave35 from Australia

Jul 06, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

May 18, 2018
 
Rated: 2.28 by 54V4G3 from Belgium

Jan 13, 2017
 
Rated: 2.57 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Mar 05, 2016
 
Rated: 2.37 by kofukasho from Japan

Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 1.67 by life_of_agony from Australia

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 2.17 by spycow from Illinois

Sep 02, 2015
Photo of Andrewharemza
Reviewed by Andrewharemza from Australia

2.8/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
A pale, clear lemon yellow with a small but lasting and lacing creamy white head. Aromas of grain, straw, lemon pith and grass carrying through onto the palate. Light in body with medium to full carbonation, a firm but thin mouthfeel with a short finish of lightly bitter citrus zest and grain.
Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 2.5 by WoodBrew from Ohio

May 20, 2015
 
Rated: 2.38 by NoSpamax from Sweden

Feb 21, 2015
Photo of Andrewziggy
Rated by Andrewziggy from Australia

2.19/5  rDev -8%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.25
Unpleasant to smell,Largely tasteless, quite bland.
Dec 18, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by nitrofenix from Australia

Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by BrickOneal from South Carolina

Sep 21, 2014
Pure Blonde from Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd.
Beer rating: 61 out of 100 with 63 ratings