Ostalgia Blonde
Hopfenstark

11.5 oz bottle into a Belgian snifter.
This unfiltered blonde poured cloudy despite a gentle pour that left some sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Apricot-amber in color with a bone-colored head that has very good retention.
Not always my style, this Belgian style blonde was a pleasant surprise: the aroma, flavor and feel are all excellent. Harmonious aroma and flavor with exceptional balance and moderate strength.
Soft but lively carbonation in a medium-light body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from 11.5oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: like several other reviewers here, I got a pretty massive head despite a relatively ginger pour. Forget fingers -- I have a whole hand of rocky white foam that just does not want to dissipate. Body is a murky light-golden hue with a huge effervescence. Pretty, but damn inconvenient.

Smell: sweet malt with a hint of caramel and buttery diacetyl. There's also a lightly spicy and floral character to it, and even perhaps a bit of a cidery aroma. Interestingly complex. I wouldn't compare it to any other Kölsch I've had, but it looks like this brew has gone through some style recategorizations over the years, so I won't hold that against it. Whatever style you want to call it, it's pretty good but for the diacetyl (of which I'm just not a fan).

Taste: very much like the aroma in many ways. It's got a definitely pear, or even perry, like quality, along with its buttery sweet character. Smooth and sweet, this could be a dessert beer. Not too bad.

Mouthfeel: medium body with, naturally, a huge carbonation and a very good creaminess. I like it.

Overall: this beer is a bit of an odd duck, but I like it. Sweet, spicy, floral, and weird. I would like to try this again sometime on draft.

 

It's Canadian? Based on the brand name, I thought it was another beer to come from Scandinavia. Comes in a 341 ml twist-off bottle. On to the beer:

Even a half pour from the bottle yields visible tiny particle of sediment in the body that suspends throughout. The color is highlighter yellow, topped with a semi-creamy thick head, which leaves good lacing around. The nose starts off alright; grassy and grapey aromas come around, though there is a stench of rubber. Is there an infection going on?

One little booboo possibly wrecked this beer; the burnt rubber taste. Sure, the grapey and traces of pale malt sweetness weren't going to make this a mindblowing beer, but Ostalgia Blonde is dominant of burnt rubber. Well, it isn't as awfully infected as other beers that I've had, but for a style that leaves little room for error, it was an error it can't afford. Not even a light, somewhat creamy, and smooth mouthfeel can save this beer. Bitter lingering aftertaste.

Ok peeps, let's clean up this mess. It looks as though my bottle was an unlucky one, but it is what it is.

11.5 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass. The label describes it as a "German-style blond," though it's listed here as a Belgian blonde. My choice of glassware is based on the assumption that it's more like a helles or pilsner, as the label would suggest.

A: Very pale straw yellow. Mildly cloudy with a few tiny particles in suspension. Highly effervescent, a pour of normal strength produced a huge, foamy, rocky white head. Excellent retention, lacing is very clumpy and sticky.

S: There is a definite Belgian yeast presence on the nose, though it's lighter and cleaner than the norm. Cold fermentation? Light fruity scents and a touch of peppery spice. Hops are floral and mellow. Subtle scent of potpourri. Malts are biscuity and bready.

T: Floral hops up front with a slight oily character. Yeast kicks in mid-palate with some chalky and peppery tastes. Spike of clovey phenol. Pear and other vague fruity tastes play lightly in the background. Malt tastes shift from honey to biscuit and cracker as the beer dries toward the end. Yeasty finish of pepper and chalk with a kick of spicy herbal hop bitterness.

M: Light in body, but very full and creamy in the mouth. There's some substance to the body; it's slightly chewy and silky. Very smooth. Carbonation is a touch scrubbing and lifting, but not aggressive at all. Great.

O: Definitely not the Helles or Pilsner I was expecting. Kind of a mash-up of German and Belgian brewing, but it works. The end product is a very tasty and drinkable little beer. Sessionable to boot. It has enough character to keep it interesting. Wouldn't say no to a few more.

Bottle pour at the bottle share hosted by Adam Fine Wine & Liquor held at Sophie’s Place in Redondo Beach, CA.

Pours a clear light yellow with a foamy bone colored head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is very fruity with a mainly pear juice and pear fruit aroma. Taste is of malt, grain, and some slightly fruity aromas. There is a very mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

 

 

6/30/2012

Thanks to Mike for the bottle. Snifter.

A: Hard poured into the glass. The body is a pale yellow in color, like some watered down lemon-lime soda. The head forms three fingers of thick sea foam that linger forever. Lacing is thick and soapy on the glass.

S: Toasted grains blend with orchard fruit esters that bring to mind ripe apple and pear. The yeast gives off a bit of gum-like character. There's a touch of sulfur character with evident floral notes.

T: Dry up front with lightly sweet toasted and grainy malt characteristics stepping in alongside floral notes and an upper low bitterness. There's a light spiciness with a touch of mineral. Yeast imparts pear, apple, and gum. The finish is dry with yeast-driven fruitiness, a light pepper-like spiciness, and soft malt notes.

M: Upper light to lower medium body. The mouthfeel is dry and spritzy with high carbonation.

Overall: A refreshing and balanced Belgian Pale Ale. Well crafted and drinkable.

A: The beer is hazy light yellow in color and has lots of small particles visible floating in suspension along with a light amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head.
S: There are aromas of spicy hops and lemon in the nose along with notes of grainy malts.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of peppery spices and lemon citrus along with notes of grainy malts and subtle hints of sourness. A light amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The finish is somewhat dry.
O: This beer is very unique and shares some qualities with that of a saison. I really enjoyed this and would try it again.