Hub City Golden Ale
Hub City Brewing Company

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From:
Hub City Brewing Company
 
Iowa, United States
Style:
American Blonde Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
75
Avg:
2.85 | pDev: 16.84%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
16
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 03, 2012
Added:
Apr 12, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3 by mike727 from Iowa

Feb 03, 2012
Photo of emmasdad
Reviewed by emmasdad from Colorado

2.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Thanks to Dan for sharing this one last Friday night. The last time I reviewed a Hub City beer, the brewer contacted me and questioned my review of one of his beers. Here we go again. Poured a light yellow color with a huge (overflowing) white head. Very prickly carbonation here and lacking anything in the way of flavor.
Mar 10, 2011
Photo of alleykatking
Reviewed by alleykatking from Indiana

3.45/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from 12oz bottle. Review from notes...

A- Pours a golden yellow color. One finger white head comes up and dies rather quickly. No real lacing as I drink this beer...everything just falls back into the glass.

S- Pale malts with light citrus hopping. At least I would say it is hopping..very light regardless.

T- Pale malts attack first which I expected. A light bitterness on the backend of this beer which was a unexpected surprise. Light yeasty notes throughout the beer. There is a light sweetness to the overall flavor as well.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little lacking. Pale malts left on the palate with a light hop bite in the aftertaste. Drying on the palate from the alcohol. Flavor was crisp at times but muddled overall.

D- This was a easy drinker that well I had no problem putting away a couple of bottles. It is nothing to think real hard about and the style is not really defined well but it drinks easy and smooth. Take it for what it's worth.
Sep 09, 2010
Photo of Cubsfan1087
Reviewed by Cubsfan1087 from Iowa

3.42/5  rDev +20%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I think this is only my second Hub City beer. This beer pours a nice dark gold, with little head that does linger slightly. The Golden Ale's scent is slightly sweet, along with the taste. Beyond that slight sweetness, the taste doesn't offer too much. The flavor doesn't last long and there is little to no aftertaste. This is an easy beer to drink, but it isn't the most spectacular beer I've had.
Jun 28, 2010
Photo of nightcrawler
Reviewed by nightcrawler from Illinois

2.82/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5
This beer is definitely not a good example of this style (or any particular style I could think of).

It smelled a bit funky being poured. Taste was okay, but seemed to have a slight homebrew "wang" that can come from using extract malt. It finished clean, but the body was a bit watery.

With its slight fruitiness, I could drink a few of these in a sitting, but there are lots of other beers I would rather be drinking. Not impressed.
Dec 11, 2009
Photo of Kraken
Reviewed by Kraken from Maryland

2.76/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed from notes. Consumed 08/04/09

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tall water glass. Firm pour yields almost zero head. No lace. Color is clear and pale yellow.

Nose- Stale malt. No hop profile. Smells of a macro adjunct lager.

Pallate- Faint fruit esters, apricot and lemon zest. All of the other flavors are very muted to the point of being non-existent.

Mouthfeel- Active and light.

Drinkability- Decent
Sep 23, 2009
Photo of Ragingbull
Reviewed by Ragingbull from California

1.54/5  rDev -46%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Gold color with light lacing and a rim of foam. The nose is one of stale grains, not enjoyable. It is actually something I would expect from a skunky macrobrew. The taste is bitter and sour. It dries in the mouth at the end and thankfully goes away. The malt and the bittering agents aren't allowed to come through as the grain flavors act almost as an astringent and strip your mouth of the ability to detect them. The beer seems almost as if someone squeezed a lemon into the bottle before capping it. My wife is kind when she says it tastes like licking an envelope.
Jul 29, 2009
Photo of BehindtheFinBrew
Reviewed by BehindtheFinBrew from Iowa

2.78/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12 oz bottle.

A: Pours a hazy yellow to gold with a quickly dissipating 1/4" head.

S: There is a slight astringent like smell right off that progresses to a sweet-stale character

T: Biscuit and citrus with a stale back end. Slight metallic on aftertaste.

M: Undercarbed watery and almost slimy texture.

D: If you can tolerate the flavor then I would say it's very drinkable as its not heavy and clearly designed for the BMC crowd.

I feel like this beer was designed in a minamilistic manner geared towards appeasing the BMC crowd. Maybe quantity not quality seems is the case? Don't plan on drinking this one again.
Jun 08, 2009
Photo of Blakaeris
Reviewed by Blakaeris from Iowa

2.03/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Pours hazy golden with a modest head that quickly dissipates to a thin sheen.

Aroma is musty and grainy with a touch of metallic quality.

Taste is sweet pale malt up front with a citrus lemon quality. Extremely musty. Only the slightest hint of hops with an odd grainy sour finish.

Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied.

Overall the flavor is very disjointed and unimpressive. Not recommended.
Feb 24, 2009
Photo of bashiba
Reviewed by bashiba from Iowa

2.75/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Poured a clear yellow with a hint of orange, a smallish white head that quickly turned into a soapy ring.

The smell was very light with a bit of grain and sweetness.

The taste was very macro like with a bit of grain and a light sweetness, had a bit of a tiny metallic finish.

The mouthfeel is light and thin.

Its fine and drinkable, but not much better than a typical cheap can of beer.
Feb 24, 2009
Photo of LilBeerDoctor
Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York

3.5/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Reviewed on 8/23/08. Bottle courtesy of pepsican. Pours a light gold with a small white head. Aroma of wheat, yeast, spices, apple, and orange zest. Flavor is similar to aroma, lots of bread and yeast notes, also some melon. Spicy finish and lively carbonation. Quite tasty and drinkable.
7/4/7/4/13 (3.5/5)
Dec 23, 2008
Photo of katan
Reviewed by katan from Colorado

3.04/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle picked up by my wife

A - Pours an extremely clear light golden color. head is very strong and white in color. Not dissipating very fast- hanging around long after. Carbonation is present clearly in the beer.

S - Lightly defined smell - mostly a combination of some malts and yeast notes. Almost more of a american wheat smell to it.

T - Early flavors are mainly a flat malt note. No bitterness to speak of. Finishes with a biting astringency. I think its a wheat one. Not sure thats intended, and can be good or bad based on your mood. Today, I'm okay with it.

M - Carbonation is strong. Almost to the level of the saison I had earlier. Body of the beer itself is a little light and watery.

D - Sessionable in terms of ABV. Not so good when finishing this beer as it felt like the volume in my stomach is twice what I drank.

Not bad, but not good either. This beer gets a full fledged "meh" out of me.
Dec 06, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.98/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Bold gold with a small splash of orange juice and a light-moderate dusting of yeast. The manila colored head is acceptable enough and is beginning to form rings of lace before the glass has been upended. Not a bad looking blonde.

The aroma features golden malt over hops, although there is a certain fruitiness present. It smells like the beer will be lightly sweet and will have little or no cereal graininess. Let's see how the relatively simple nose translates to the palate.

Blonde ales, by virtue of their style guidelines, need to do something a little different to get noticed. The best are either well-malted, well-hopped or both. Golden Ale doesn't appear to be either, but it's still a worthwhile purchase (at least as a single) if your expectations aren't sky-high.

Untoasted grain is accented by lightly bitter non-American hops. I'll guess either Tettnang or East Kent Goldings. As far as specifics, let's go with barley, meadow grasses and citrus peel. Golden Ale doesn't have any faults per se, it's just that there isn't much below the surface; there isn't much to keep the imagination and the palate engaged. Drinking it with food is probably the best option.

The body/mouthfeel is a fraction light and the carbonation is of poor quality. The amount of bubbles is fine, but they feel harsh rather than soft and smooth-edged. Definite room for improvement here.

Hub City Golden Ale is my least favorite offering (so far) from Iowa's newest brewery. Since Olde Browne Porter and Wheat Beer are so good, I fully expect the boys from Stanley to get this train back on the tracks in short order.
Aug 21, 2008
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear, golden body with no true head beyond 5-8 sad-looking bubbles.

Smell: Light, simple aroma of pale malts with a touch of dried lemon peel.

Taste: Pale malts, a touch of grain, and a mild sweetness. Mild, spicy bitterness. Dry finishes with one last, lingering yeast note.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Mild carbonation.

Drinkability: Okay, at best.
May 30, 2008
Photo of iacollector
Reviewed by iacollector from Iowa

2.89/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
I have really wanted to like this beer more based upon it being a local brewery. This beer is unremarkable in many ways not bad but not great either.

This pale ale pours and gives the appearance of a macro lager with one exception. The beer was absolutely flat with absolutely no carbonation. The smell is nothing remarkable, faint and with little distinction.

Has a very light somewhat grassy taste. The taste is absolutely that of a macro lager with little distinction in any respect. The absolute lack of carbonation is noticeable and gives an off feeling. Yes it is drinkable simply from the aspect it has little distinction or body.

This brewery has done a wonderful job creating a tremendous marketing package but they simply do not have the beer to match up.
May 28, 2008
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

2.77/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
Bit of a tepid pour, dark gold with a very small head that dies away rather quickly. Looks more or less like a dark macro adjunct.

Smells like very little. There's a very plain, straightforward blonde malt against the lightest hint of a hop. No off nodes, but nothing of any character, really.

Tastes very much like it smells. Blonde malt starts things off, moving into a watery middle and a lightly bitter finish with a pleasant lingering aftertaste of hay.

Not _bad_ really, but far too bland for its own good. The weediness could be very nice, but it needs to be taken up a few notches.
Apr 12, 2008
Hub City Golden Ale from Hub City Brewing Company
Beer rating: 75 out of 100 with 16 ratings