Ypsi Gold
Arbor Brewing Company - Plymouth Taproom

12 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but is a recent release. Pours slightly hazy medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, melon, apricot, pepper, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, melon, apricot, pepper, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Mild herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, melon, apricot, pepper, cracker, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt flavors; with an nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.5%. Overall this is an excellent American blonde ale! All around great Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink with mildly bitter/drying finish. Very flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Very clean and nicely rich Vienna malts, with balanced citrus/earthy hops and fruity yeast; with just enough bitterness to balance sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

This had no reviews, so I figured I'd fix that.

Pours a light golden color, slightly cloudy with a big foamy head. Smells grassy, similar to some of the craft lagers I've been drinking. Tastes of hop bitterness without a strong malt character, light and easy to drink. Mouthfeel is thin but refreshing.

Overall this isn't bad but not overly complex or flavorful either. It would be pleasant to drink on a summer evening. I read that this style was created to help lager drinkers transition to ale, and while this would certainly be good for that, at the same time I don't see too many reasons to drink this over a lager. I wouldn't turn this down if offered, but it's not something I'd go out of my way to get either.