Isabella Blonde
Kern River Brewing Company

Isabella BlondeIsabella Blonde
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From:
Kern River Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Blonde Ale
Ranked #123
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,954
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 10.54%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
127
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 16, 2024
Added:
Mar 01, 2007
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  12
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by HalfFull:
Photo of HalfFull
Reviewed by HalfFull from California

3.87/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
From a 22 oz. bomber into a pint glass, this brew pours golden in color and with a light haze. A thin cap of foam is short lived, settling to a surface cap/ring in a minute or so. Rather clear in the end.

Some light hops on the nose as well as a good dose of light and nondescript malts. More hops later on. Rather nice for the style yet somewhat of an aberration of sorts. Interesting nonetheless and without the chalky notes often present.

Taste is moderate and smooth, with a relatively full body on the finish, particularly given the light color of the brew. Nice and dry on the finish per se, yet hmmm. Bit spicy on the close.

An easy drinking beer with a bit of citrus spice and a good dose of hops as well.
Sep 24, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.33 by TheWaySheGoes from Illinois

Feb 16, 2024
 
Rated: 2.75 by mpenske from California

Feb 12, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by dfooter from California

Jan 17, 2021
 
Rated: 3.54 by desint from Belgium

Jun 02, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Jan 01, 2019
Photo of Beginner2
Rated by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.34/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Mainstream classic California Tastes of pile-in-the-hops. This works well to steal and keep customers from the mass beer market, but not good for me.
Dec 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by Beernoobie from California

Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Rick778 from California

Dec 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.4 by Kplummer82 from California

Aug 04, 2016
Photo of Brolo75
Reviewed by Brolo75 from California

3.52/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours a golden straw color with a one finger head, no head retention, good amount of carbonation streaming up the middle, slightly hazy.

A: Tea, lemongrass aromas, malt, grainy, crackers, nothing impressive.

T: Like the nose, tea, lemongrass, slight bitterness, finish is malty, semi-dry finish.

M: Light bodied with a semi-dry finish.

O: Pretty straightforward, not much on the hops, an easy drinking beer that would be good after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day.
Jul 21, 2016
Photo of Zythophile
Reviewed by Zythophile from Washington

3.52/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle Date: about two weeks ago
Palate Contaminants: none

Okay, Kern River Brewing. Had a splash of the Citra IPA at a festival, so I figured it was worth the detour.

Appearance is slightly opaque and straw colored. The head is fine, but goes away quickly.

The smell is sweet and like any number of adjunct lagers. I'll say malty with some rice. The sweetness makes it a bit nicer than the adjuncts.

Taste is definitely rice and wheat, but the character is a bit crisper. There is a slight bit of hops for a slight bit of bitterness. It's okay, but surprisingly indistinct. At least it's not overly watery.

Feel is light-moderate with a bit of prickly carbonation. What's there in the taste all sticks around for the aftertaste.

Overall, it's not particularly complex, but it is refreshing. I'm sure it's pretty good for going with a burger after floating down the Kern River on a summer Saturday, but not one that I'd seek out again.
Jun 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by shirtless_mike from Indiana

May 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by LXIXME from New Mexico

May 15, 2016
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.33/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle received as an extra in a recent trade.

This one pours a slightly hazy, mostly clear straw yellow, with a small quarter inch head, and a small amount of lacing.

This smells like tea, grassy hops, and pale crackery malts.

This is not one of my favorite styles, so I'll try to be unbiased. Even for a blonde ale, there doesn't seem like there's a whole lot here. There's some nice dry tea-like hop flavors, a little bit citrus, crackery malts, and a pretty watery finish. There's a decent yeastiness to this that's not super enjoyable.

This has a light, kind of watery body, with a crisp mouthfeel, a high drinkability, and a moderate level of carbonation.

Doesn't quite work here, unfortunately.
Oct 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.26 by pkalix from California

Apr 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by wethorseblanket from California

Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by joeyjoey104 from California

Feb 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by dirtyhalos from California

Jan 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by grze from Virginia

Dec 11, 2014
Isabella Blonde from Kern River Brewing Company
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 127 ratings