Grand Ridge Natural Blonde
Grand Ridge Brewing Co.

Grand Ridge Natural BlondeGrand Ridge Natural Blonde
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From:
Grand Ridge Brewing Co.
 
Australia
Style:
Witbier
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.25 | pDev: 16%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
38
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 03, 2021
Added:
May 28, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.87 by Daneve76 from Australia

Jun 03, 2021
 
Rated: 3.71 by life_of_agony from Australia

Feb 16, 2016
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

2.32/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5
I'm dreading this - another poorly done Witbier from an Aussie brewer. Is it that hard to make a good Witbier? Evidentially yes, however if that is the case then maybe brewers over here in Aus should focus on easier brews.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Slight cloudy goldenrod body with a near non-existent white head. Appearance-wise for this style a major disappointment with the lack of a head.

S: The aroma is very much like the other Grand Ridge brews; cut grass and malted barley base with a sweet honey-like aroma over the top... I'm starting to wonder if their beers are all brewed in a large single vat and then mixed in to other smaller vats for flourishes at the end to separate them. In any case it doesn't have the aroma of a Witbier at all apart from a hint of Orange blossom and a wheat note, no spices can be detected at all (a major Wit characteristic).

T: Flavour is at least a pleasant surprise with the above expected flavours and a ramped up Orange blossom hit in the middle. It is reminiscent of Orange blossom honey more than anything, at least they got one Witbier trait across.

M: Possibly the flattest beer I've ever had, even compared to the other Grand Ridge brews. Body is mid to light, however that (lack of) carbonation is quite distracting.

D: If I can think of one positive thing to say for this beer is that it does the Witbier style differently... the negatives are too long to list in detail but here are a few; bad appearance, boring aroma, average taste, terrible mouthfeel, low ABV, too expensive... in other words: just don't buy it.

Food match: Honeyed ham with roast vegetables (potato, pumpkin), squash and snow peas.
Mar 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by bastardsonofkyus from Canada (SK)

Dec 21, 2012
Photo of SmashPants
Reviewed by SmashPants from Australia

2.74/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle: good 330mL brown bottle, decent label - refined and somewhat classy.

Appearance: mid-straw yellow in colour with a decent haze - not bad at all.

Aroma: quite weak. Definitely the wheat and grains though. Not so much in the way of cloves - not much spice at all, actually.

Taste: quite different to most wits, but I'm not sure that it's such a good thing. Interesting mixture of grains, however I for one find it a bit too light in flavour.

Aftertaste: the aftertaste lingers reasonably well, but there isn't enough flavour to start.

Mouth feel: good carbonation if a little too high, with a mid-heavy body that unfortunately doesn't have the power to transfer flavour to the mouth.

Overall: not a bad beer, but by no means a good one. Seriously, just get a German wheat beer. They're better.
Dec 01, 2012
Photo of soju6
Reviewed by soju6 from Missouri

3.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours A hazy golden color with a huge thick head that fades quite slowly to lots of lacing.

S: Aroma of fresh grain, some malt sweetness and bit of citrus in the background.

T: taste is fairly mild with a bit of citrus then a mixture of wheat and malt sweetness. Mild bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Fairly light body, crisp, smooth and somewhat refreshing. Decent balance.

O: Not a great witbier but still enjoyable. Not a bad example of the style.
Sep 01, 2012
Photo of heygeebee
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

1.92/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
No BB

Aggresive pour yields no head. Zero. Straw coloured hazy body. Yuk.

Aromas are dull - lemon, yeast, honey, with hint of orange rind.

Taste is lemon driven, yeast, lemonade. Dull. It kinda gets less bad as you get used to it tho, which isn't saying much. Lemon flavour grows.

Mouthfeel is harsh, and very lightly carbonated.

Truly dreadful beer. And even worse when compared to what a Witbier should be, style-wise.
Aug 26, 2012
Photo of shambeano
Reviewed by shambeano from Australia

3.46/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330ml bottle poured into a pint glass, although mine was 4.5% instead of 4.9%

A- Pours a cloudy golden orange, a little bit of head that subsides to not much. looks alright.

S- some clove and citrus, a little wheat these are all nice, but also something a little unpleasant in the background that i cant put my finger on.

T- much like the smell, clove and citrus straight up, a touch of spice, a little banana. the unpleasant flavours on the nose have gone. nice.

M- nice, slight carbonation. a nice mid bodied feel. good length of flavour

O- a bit up and down, but i thought it was a nice, above average witbier that i would have again.
Feb 14, 2012
Photo of dansmcd
Reviewed by dansmcd from Australia

2.48/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
A - Cloudy and pale, a typical wit shade with a finger of creamy white head and lace rings backing up.

S - Subtle wheat and citrus, a hint of clove and some stale wet straw.

T - Pretty mild, tame witbier flavours of wheat and lemon. Slightly funky with wet hay feel in there.

M - Watery thin and hardly any carbonation.

O - Far from a top witbier. Disappointing.
Jan 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by DrNo from Australia

Jan 12, 2012
Photo of LittleCreature
Reviewed by LittleCreature from Australia

3.49/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - 2.5
A firm pour yields a thin white head which quickly dissipates over a hazy body with a colour you could call dirty dishwater blonde.

Smell - 3.5
Pleasant aroma of doughy malt, spicy yeast, lemon, bitter orange and coriander.

Taste - 3.5
Perhaps a little more bitter than the best examples of the style, but this aside - a pretty damn tasty witbier. Bready malt backbone, big yeasty kick provides a soft spiciness, orange and lemon flavours followed by coriander in the finish.

Mouthfeel - 4.0
Small carbonation lends to a smooth and full mouthfeel.

Overall - 3.5
Most importantly, this is a refreshing, sessionable beer - a must for a wit. Marks off for poor head retention and a little too much hop bitterness, but these things aside, a good Belgian style wheat beer that I would buy again, especially in summer.
Jul 15, 2011
Photo of bearish
Reviewed by bearish from Singapore

3.16/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Second beer this evening at The Prince of Wales bar in Boat Quay, Singapore.

This one is a cloudy yellow, not much head.

Strong citrus character, with malts and yeast towards the end. A little spice, but can't pick up what that is.

A mouthful, heavy carbonation. A little too much for my liking. But still, the creaminess came through, along with the citrus. A hint of pepper at the end.

Quite an easy drink given the blazing heat and the 90% upwards humidity in Singapore =)
May 31, 2011
Photo of JohnnyBarman
Reviewed by JohnnyBarman from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle sampled at a Gold Coast restaurant. Served in a fluted pilsner glass.

Light golden, slightly hazy, and lacking that billowy head the bottle label had so bragged about. Might have been the glass, however.

Nose is orange, pale white malts, ginger and spices.

A sweet witbier, heavy with the orange and coriander, with hops and malted wheat playing second and third fiddles, respectively. Because of this it tastes a great deal like a macro "wheat beer" like Rickards white or Blue Moon than the real deal. Still, easy to quaff, quite refreshing.

A decent witbier, but gets a bit cloying after a while, and lacks much of anything to set itself apart from the macro white fare.
May 05, 2011
Photo of CrazyDavros
Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia

3.04/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours cloudy pale amber with a small head.
Nose shows doughy wheat, lemon, soft phenols, subtle spicy hops and coriander.
Hints of banana surface as a flavour alongside the doughy wheat. Finishes with a slightly metallic bitterness. Underwhelming.
Carbonation is perhaps a little on the high side. Body feels a little watery.
May 02, 2011
Photo of madvoice
Reviewed by madvoice from Australia

3/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured a cloudy yellow with a fair bit of sediment at the bottom. There was some head but it dissipated pretty quickly and left minimal lacing on the glass

Smelled quite sweet and citrussy.

Tasted quite fruity and tart but with a bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel was semi light and reasonably carbonated. Not what I was expecting though.

Overall it is drinkable but not something I'd purposefully seek out to drink.
Apr 16, 2011
Photo of bala747
Reviewed by bala747 from Singapore

3.37/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This beer promised a lot. It looked decent enough, and promised of great things, but somehow failed to deliver.

I had this on tap at the only place in Singapore that stocks this beer on tap: Prince of Wales Bar and Backpackers.

A: Straw-gold colour, with a small head because of the way it was poured. Cloudy appearance gave it the look of a good German Weissbier.

S: Smelt some straw, rose, butter and mild berries in the aroma, the key word being mild. There were some complex esters there too, and on the whole, smelt a lot like Hoegaarden.

T: This is where the beer was a let down. It tasted almost like an American macro adjunct at first. Quite bland considering how much the smell promised. To be fair, it didn't taste all bland and there were some nice flavours there (rose being predominant) but nothing fantastic.

M: Again somewhat average, had the mouthfeel of a GOOD macro. Crisp taste with a mild hoppy bite.

D: Quite satisfying to drink on a very hot day (and we get a lot of those here in Singapore), and one can easily down a few of these without noticing.

Overall, a beer that promised great things, but somehow did not match up to the "hype" in terms of looks and smell.
Jan 06, 2011
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

2.18/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Never had an Aussie Wheat beer before. Brown 330ml bottle from Booth's Supermarket chain, best before June 2011, drank and reviewed June 2010. Poured, sediment and all into Hoegaarden Grand Cru glass.

The beer was a clear blonde until I allowed the sediment to gush out into the glass, it then turned into the cloudy murky off orange colour I was half expecting. Next to no head, just a wisp or two and a thin collar.

The smell was wheaty and orangey, the taste a dry orange flavour, and flat almost, poor condition in my eyes anyway.

Lacked sparkle and life in general to be honest, not impressed at all. It has travelled a long way to be slated, but this didn't do the business
at all for me.
Jun 24, 2010
Photo of Macca
Reviewed by Macca from Australia

3.14/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This pours a very cloudy light orange colour. A centimetre or two of head which drops quickly away to light covering. Looks good.

The normal aromas that I would associate with wheats are there - banana, lemon - but they don't dominate. It is a bit messy.

Very short on the palate. Some spiciness but only a hint. Same with banana. I can't pick anything standing out. A bit weird.

Not helped by the the high carbonation which seems to make the beer extremely frothy in the mouth and then disappears leaving just some bitterness around the edge of the tongue and a strange sherbet sensation on the mid palate.

What a weird beer. I really don't understand it.
Dec 16, 2009
Photo of juju7
Reviewed by juju7 from Australia

3.8/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is pretty decent. Much better than I expected. Looks great, radiant pale yellow with a small but clean white head. Nose is subtle but still delivers the right characters. The orange is in line very nicely which is what I usually find to be the problem with these beers, the orange is all out of whack. But not here. Taste is very pleasant with coriander making it's appearance, but maybe just not quite assertive enough. Finish drops away very quickly. I'd be happy to have a few of these, one of the better Aussie wits I've had.
Nov 03, 2009
Photo of dgilks
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia

3.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy pale straw yellow. Head is white is bubbles that appear almost artificial. The head dissipates over about a minute to a thin film over the beer.

The aroma here is a bit messy with musty wheat, orange and coriander all present but fighting rather than working together.

Quite a fruity orange presence with a tartness that lingers through the beer. Hints of coriander spiciness and refreshing wheat. Not bad but a bit one dimensional.

Mouthfeel seems a bit high for the style and the carbonation, while crisp, is battling with heavy mouthfeel and a good balance isn't reached here.

Overall it is a drinkable beer. It may not be my go to beer and it is certainly not the best of the local witbiers but it isn't bad and it certainly isn't offensive.
Jul 27, 2009
Grand Ridge Natural Blonde from Grand Ridge Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 38 ratings