Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde
Pete's Brewing Company

3.23/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle which I found a dusty shelf in a convenience store. It was marked 09220-0832. If it is no longer brewed I wonder how old my bottle was.

It still looked good for a retired beer with a medium amber-copper color, loads of upwardly mobile carbonation and great clarity.

The aroma is strawberry forward with vaguely roasted malts on the backside and a touch of hops.

The body was medium and very creamy or smooth.

The strawberry was more downplayed in the taste than in the aroma but there is an overpowering malty and buttery flavor going on. Like I said, I have no idea how old this bottle was but I thought it was decent enough.

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2.16/5  rDev -27%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a very light straw yellow with hardly any head and lively carbonation.

Smells strongly of strawberry with a little cracker malt.

Tastes like a crappy BMC lager. Very light with a slightly funky adjunct aftertaste. Very few hints of the strawberry come through in the flavor.

Watery thin with highish carbonation.

Awful. Not enough strawberry comes through to mask over the horrible base.

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3.05/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

I got a bit morbidly curious at the store, so this ended up in my fridge. It pours a lightly hazy golden amber, with a light rusty pall, topped by about a finger or so of off-white foam. The nose comprises fake strawberry (not unlike the Runt), light lemonade, cracked wheat, and a touch of buttery toffee. Surprisingly (I think...), the wheat and toffee dominate the proceedings a bit. The taste focuses more on the fake strawberry to begin with, but then moves back into the toffee, which is now even more buttery, more biscuity, than before. This is a sorta strange combination on my tongue. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly grainy feel. Overall, this beer doesn't quite do it for me, as the strawberry is mostly kinda muted, and when it isn't it's overtly fake-tasting. Other than that, it's not offensive, just not something I feel I'm gonna wanna have again.

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3.97/5  rDev +34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly reddish/yellow, clear. Not much of a head. Smells like a Strawberry Float, taste is strawberry and grain.

This beer is a great fruit brew. The strawberry compliments, rather than overpowers the malty base flavor of the drink. It allows the drinker to truly appreciate the flavor. A very refreshing drink good for hot summer nights especially.

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2.58/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A gift beer. Pleasant enough to look at. Clear gold with a smallish head. A light butterscotch and strawberry aroma. Some malt as well. Taste is not very well balanced, like they tried adding strawberries to fix a so so beer instead of enhancing a good one. The berries overrun the malt and hide the hops when too cold . It does get better as it warms a bit and the balance moves into a barely acceptable range. Nice dry finish. Still the it is nothing to get happy about. Feel is crisp. I guess the market is the ladies of summer. Not working for me though.

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1.35/5  rDev -54.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

First had: bottle in my fridge, thanks to KRoc

Dammit, Katherine, why did you leave this in my fridge?

Pours a clear yellow with a fizzy white head that recedes pretty quickly. Pale malts and strawberries in the aroma. Grainy taste with strawberry flavoring in the background and a bunch of stale funk going on. Light body, thin, and not very drinkable at all. ... Unless you're a girl perhaps.

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2.8/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours out as a as a hazy yellowish beer, it had a pretty big foamy head that settled down pretty quickly. The beers aroma doesn't really have a whole lot of strawberry in it. It's got a little bit but could use more maybe. The taste is pretty bland too. The mouthfeel is light and bubbly. This brew is kind of disappointing, I was hoping for more flavor and just some complexity or something.

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2.15/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Sampled one of these that my wife had bought.

Poured a darker orange color with a decent amount of white head on it. Smell was OK, the strawberry flavor came through on the nose. Taste left quite a bit to be desired. It tasted very artificial and not very pleasent. Just terrible flavor. Mouthfeel was very light and bubbley but was masked by the taste. Overall not a good beer. I think I heard they're out of business so thankfully I won't see this one again.

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2.26/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a dark golden color with two fingers of fluffy white head with decent retention.

The scent is primarily of strawberry.

The taste is also primarily of strawberry, with notes of wheat, very watery also.

Light bodied, thin and watery, moderate to high carbonation.

I did not really enjoy this at all. The flavor was much too light and too thin. I would not drink this again.

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2.76/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle poured into a mug.

A- 1-1/2 finger, off-white head that retains pretty well at 1/2 finger and leaves a lot of nice, sticky rings on a glass that generally doesn't help with retention or stick. The body is a clean, golden color with loads of carbonation.

S- Very delicate. Soft strawberry with very light, bready malts. I don't pick up much in the way of hops.

T- Not what I remember. It's not strong, but decidedly strawberry. Light bready qualities. It's almost vegetal at points. Kind of bland, really.

M- Lots of carbonation. Outside of a little lingering sweetness, it's fairly clean. Maybe a touch thin. I guess it's o.k. for a beer marketed as a blonde lager.

D- Meh. This was one of the gateway beers back in college. I actually picked it up after reading that the brewery was ceasing operations as a bit of a nostalgia drink. My tastes have certainly changed, though I've read the recipe has too. This beer sure doesn't do it for me these days. It's by no means undrinkable, just too subtle. The only way I see myself buying this one again is to please fans of a lighter brew at a summer cookout.

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1.95/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Bad Beer Thursdays makes a return this week. Not on the "Bottom of Barrel" list anymore but it was. $1.39 a bottle. Worth a shot, unfortunately this turned out to be a case study in diacetyl character. Drain pour. This beer is fucking gross. I suppose this is what bad beer Thursdays are all about.

Beer is dark yellow / orange and hazy with nearly no head of white small bubbles, no lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma is full of strawberries and kind of a toffeeness that I can't really describe. At least the strawberries come through, maybe it will be OK.

Nope...creamy butter mess of a drain pour of a beer. This was gross. I drank about half of it. There is a midpalate fruit sweetness that I thought would help overcome the nastiness of everything else that was happening, but after four sips I thought, "What the fuck am I doing?" One of the worst tasting beers I've ever had.

I've had a lot of bad beers, Thursday nights are reserved for trying a "bad beer" -- but most of the American Adjunct lagers or Malt Liquors are drinkable. This beer was intolerably bad, horrid even. A rough road start to finish with nothing but misery in-between. I will never drink this beer again and if the rumors that this place is finally closing, good riddance.

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1.58/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, the beer is a pale, watery looking yellow with slight rose highlights, and no head whatsoever. Smells like strawberry syrup or jam; overpowering and oversweet. The taste is all over the place; toasty flavors initially, followed by the heavy, oversweet strawberry again, and finishing with a weak, slightly sour malt flavor. The beer is very watery and limp in mouth, and the aftertaste is similar to burnt toast loaded with strawberry jam to cover it up. Watered down qualities all around, and not worth the time it takes to drink it. Very disappointing.

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2.43/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I first experienced Pete's Wicked Ale 20 years ago in a dive bar near the campus of San Diego State. It was dark, strong and unlike anything I'd had before. Last night I became reacquainted (sadly) with the name Pete's in the form of this boring, light fruit beer. Some strawberry aromas and flavors, but they are artificial. Really one I'd prefer not to try again.

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4.02/5  rDev +35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Blond pour with a hint of blush. No real head to speak of though there is a spotty lace.

Smell- Strawberry with subtle scents of malts and grain.

Taste- Subtle taste of strawberry that compliments the malty flavor of roasted grain

Mouthfeel- Medium body with minimal carbonation. Very refreshing feel.

Drinkability- This beer is a great fruit brew. The strawberry compliments, rather than overpowers the malty base flavor of the drink. It has a light mouthfeel than allows the drinker to truly appreciate the flavor.

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2.86/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

#58. Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde. Have yet to have tried a beer with a strawberry accent, so a little eager to see how this one goes. Picked up a single in a supermarket with a pretty decent beer section.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass at room temp.

(Appearance) Pours a nice two finger-depth head, pretty highly carbonated and thin. Retention is average at best; it dies down at an initial rapid pace but slows the closer it gets to nothing. Color is a pretty pure amber tone with a slight peachy highlight, perhaps some strawberry-like tones blended in. Carbonation is definitely there; spritely and abundant. Clean & clear as expected. Nothing quite blowing my mind, but it doesn't look bad at all. 3.5

(Smell) Strawberry aromas can be picked up a good two feet away from the glass. I could have called it out even in a blind taste test; it's potent. In fact, strawberry "fruit snack" aroma is making up a good 90% of everything I smell in here; I can barely make out any malt or hops smells, even though the label promises them in some sort or form. About as intense on the Strawberry smell as Wild Blue was on the Blueberry. Saying it's natural strawberry flavor suggests that somewhere this might involve some sort of extract, as it smells very sweet; not quite like the real thing. Really a hit or miss. The strawberry aroma smells nice, but there's nearly no balance with anything else beyond some very weak alcohol and maybe, perhaps a little grainy aroma peeking through the mix. 2.5

(Taste) A much better balance in the taste than the smell. It's a little bit dependent on the wheat and grain malts to round it out, but the strawberry can be found on about an even level in this beer. It's very light as expected. Unfortunately, there's very little hops in this beer which may be a good or bad thing depending on the drinker, but I feel that this is really missing out on a more excited and bold body. It's a little more bland than I bargained for. Even the finish is nearly nonexistent besides a little strawberry malt drone. The balance is better, but none of the tastes really do it for me. Therefore, it's light, which may be your antidote if it's what you're gunning for. 3

(Mouthfeel) Pretty crisp. A pretty light body; not super filling. Decent traces of alcohol with larger sips; not too exciting. The carbonation tingle may be a bit too much; it's really more of a bold crisp than I needed. Finish is dry, quite dry. It seems that it should be smoother and less dry for what it is. Also, possibly watery and thin. Considerably problematic. 2.5

(Drinkability) This beer is really a casual drinker's beer but does a good job at being a crossover drink. It's very drinkable, but it's not super exciting and the flavors are somewhat exhausted over time. I just don't know how many strawberries I can consume before I get sick to my stomach with them. This beer is easy to drink, but isn't very enjoyable to drink, which leaves the drinkability somewhere in the middle. 3

Verdict: Halfway decent light light beer. Better than macros, yes, but not phenomenal even by fruit beer standards. It has a very basic flavor lineup and I didn't get any hoppy flavors, despite the drink ending very dry and crisp. I was glad this wasn't a strawberry assault, but it was still blander than I anticipated. Still nothing terrible or shaming on the beer community. If you crave beer + strawberries, I'd say you should see what it's all about. C (2.95)

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3.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark yellow, medium orange color with a big white head that clams down to a cotton-puff lacing and then nothing. Not as carbonated as I would have thought.

Strawberry cheesecake in the nose, crust and all. I have smelled much worse 'fruit' beers, though I'm sure that this aroma is not from brewing with actual strawberries.

Tastes like strawberry crush with a little biscuit in there, very little.

Pretty average for a golden ale. A mildly sharp carbonation bite and a thin, though not watery, body.

Natural strawberry flavor = not actual strawberries, but hey, when you brew with fruit the yeast eats the sugar and it tastes terrible. So you have to add flavor afterward, except that fruit juice has pectin as its sugar which clouds up the beer pretty good. So you add natural flavoring, which IS made with strawberries. Magic Hat #9 uses a combination of apricots and apricot flavoring. This one is way better than any of the sea dog fruit/wheat beers by a million.

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2.86/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Wow, I haven't had a Pete's beer in years...

Pours a bright gold color with a decent white head and pretty good lacing.

Aromas are of light cream, sugar, and strawberries. Not bad.

Taste is kind of like sweetened strawberry soda. Not a lot of beer flavors here. Light creamy sweetness up front, soda water, and hints of strawberries.

Mouthfeel is ok, a bit prickly from the carbonation.

Drinkability is so so. If you like beer flavors, pass. If you like fruity alcoholic drinks, this will be right up your alley.

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4.04/5  rDev +36.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm surprised at the low ratings of this beer... Was offered this at a music festival a few weeks ago in a bottle. Drank it straight so can't say too much in terms of a head... but I really enjoyed it! Smooth, nice tasting beer. I could see myself drinking this super cold in the summer! Its a beer that I think I'd have no problem drinking a couple of either, not a beer you'll get sick of =)

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3.94/5  rDev +33.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

color- light caramel, clear. no residual head.

smell- upfront strawberry with floral and hop aromas. not much malt. corn?

taste- light and fruity with hops. hints of malt.

mouthfeel- bubbly, like a sparkling ale.

drinkability- overall was a really nice refreshing beer for something light. It's nice that the strawberry really comes through. If you expect a blonde to have a bit more of a malty backbone this probably isn't your beer.

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3.13/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

i really did not mind this one terribly at all. served cold and poured into a pint glass and consumed on 11/04/2010.

decent pour i have to admit i have seen worse, but the head faded rather quickly. aroma is artificial strawberry and grainy, corn like aromas but that is to be expected. it is not bad really just rather light and fairly uninteresting. very light body and flavor, almost fizzy water like at time, but again in the contet of what it is it works. light strawberry and grainy flavor offers really no finish and is as light as could be with no aftertaste.

overall not a terrible beer and really not one of the worst i have had by any means.

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2.75/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a brownish-blonde color with a small, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing.

Smell: Smells strongly of strawberry jam with hints of wheatiness.

Taste: Has a slight hoppy bitterness up front that dissolves into a sweet, wheaty mess at the end with an overpowering flavor of strawberry jam. Pretty standard wheat lager here but the strawberry flavor is perhaps a bit too much.

Mouthfeel: Watery and over-carbonated.

Drinkability: Meh. A largely unoffensive wheat lager. I could see myself putting back a few of these at some social gathering but really can't see myself ever buying these for my personal consumption. You can do much worse, but you can definitely do much, much better.

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4.68/5  rDev +58.1%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

I'm gonna be the weirdo on this one apparantly. I had a guy that poured our back patio suggest this. It was a great summer beer to drink after mowing the lawn. It was light, refreshing, and easy to drink. The slight strawberry smell and aftertaste was subtle and just right...not overpowering.

A- Light straw transparent. Nothing spectacular. A very small fizzy head.

S- Strawberry. And I'm a fan of that fruit. It wasn't overpowering but slightly more than subtle. The smell made my mouth water.

T- An easy drinking blonde. The natural strawberry flavor was a background aftertaste. It didn't overpower the mellow beer behind it. Compared to complex beer this wasn't confusing. It was nice and simple with a real strawberry taste on the breath after each sip. If you are a strawberry fan you'll love it.

M- Simple, watery but elegant. Slightly fizzy.

D- Very, very easy to drink. A nice refreshing beer for the summer.

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3.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light yellow, straw color, very thin head. Looks like Coors light.

Smells very good, definitely strawberry in there, although whether natural or not, who knows, but it wasn't offensive or over the top.
Taste, not bad for a fruit beer. Had worse. Let your girl or, hmmm, alternative lifestyle friend check it out.

Costs too much though.

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2.97/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a standard pint.

A: Amber hue. Pours about a 1 finger, bubbly white head. Settles very quickly leaving nothing behind. No lacing to speak of.

S: A little grain note with a pretty strong strawberry aroma.

T: Tastes like it smells. A subdued malt, with a hint of strawberry.

M: Light body, feels a little over-carbonated. The grain-fruit combo gives it almost a flat taste... even though it's feel is over-carbonated. Kinda' weird.

D: Okay. You can really power through this thing, and it's not off-putting or anything.

Atmosphere is very average. Not much in terms of appearance; and nose is simple, but a nice grain - fruit combo. Flavor is a little grain, a little strawberry, not much else. A little weak and subdued. Overall, this is an okay quaff.

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3.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a perfect pint glass.

A: Brilliant brass with good clarity and a slow stream of bubbles. A soapy eggshell cap quickly withdraws to a ring at the beer's edge. Leaves a little lace.

S: Smells like strawberry on top of straw , with a light artificial fruit aroma.

T: Pretty malty at first, as cracker and straw flavors start things out. The strawberry adds a nice fruitiness in the middle. Bitterness is low and somewhat metallic. Finishes tart, with some lingering fruit flavor.

M: The medium-light body is slightly syrupy and has the right amount of fizz.

D: This beer honestly didn't do much for me. The lightness; however, makes it go down quick.

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