805 Blonde Ale | Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
California, United States
firestonewalker.com
Style: American Blonde Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.70%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Zorro on 05-22-2012
Reviews: 88 | Ratings: 794
5/5 rDev +44.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Legit. Kinda my go to if I'm having people over for a bbq or party. Hard to buy the right beer for everyone and you end getting stuck with the beer you don't like.
Anyway, the beer is smooth, zero after taste for me, and I can drink 3-4 and not feel like crap afterwards. If you like a real hoppy beer, then you're in the IPA camp and this doesn't fit the mold. Personally, I'm hoping Lagers make a comeback = always looking.
★ 430 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Legit. Kinda my go to if I'm having people over for a bbq or party. Hard to buy the right beer for everyone and you end getting stuck with the beer you don't like.
Anyway, the beer is smooth, zero after taste for me, and I can drink 3-4 and not feel like crap afterwards. If you like a real hoppy beer, then you're in the IPA camp and this doesn't fit the mold. Personally, I'm hoping Lagers make a comeback = always looking.
★ 430 characters
4.58/5 rDev +32%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
It's a blonde ale. Anyone expecting something in-your-face spectacular is looking at the wrong style of beer. But, for what it is, it is really great. Crisp, clean tasting, and refreshing to drink.
★ 197 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
It's a blonde ale. Anyone expecting something in-your-face spectacular is looking at the wrong style of beer. But, for what it is, it is really great. Crisp, clean tasting, and refreshing to drink.
★ 197 characters
4.57/5 rDev +31.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Visual: clear golden amber with a little head (small bubbles forming at the top
of the glass).
Aroma: light grains, caramel, slightly lemony, hint of floral/bouquet.
Taste: hoppy and malty, slightly honey-flavored, hint of citrus.
Mouthfeel: strong carbonation. Light to medium body.
Overall: easily drinkable light blonde ale that pairs well with light foods such
as salads and appetizers.
★ 394 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Visual: clear golden amber with a little head (small bubbles forming at the top
of the glass).
Aroma: light grains, caramel, slightly lemony, hint of floral/bouquet.
Taste: hoppy and malty, slightly honey-flavored, hint of citrus.
Mouthfeel: strong carbonation. Light to medium body.
Overall: easily drinkable light blonde ale that pairs well with light foods such
as salads and appetizers.
★ 394 characters
4.5/5 rDev +29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a darker shade of gold than you'd expect from a blonde ale, with a nice fluffy white head. The smells and aromas are delicate cracker-like malts and equally delicate floral hops. Flavor is like sweet Hawaiian rolls and a touch of vanilla cream (almost imperceptible). No off flavors. Medium body and good carbonation, super easy drinking. Heavier body than expected from a blonde ale. But it completely works. This is crowd pleasing, inoffensive, and simply well made.
★ 474 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a darker shade of gold than you'd expect from a blonde ale, with a nice fluffy white head. The smells and aromas are delicate cracker-like malts and equally delicate floral hops. Flavor is like sweet Hawaiian rolls and a touch of vanilla cream (almost imperceptible). No off flavors. Medium body and good carbonation, super easy drinking. Heavier body than expected from a blonde ale. But it completely works. This is crowd pleasing, inoffensive, and simply well made.
★ 474 characters
4.48/5 rDev +29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Bottles 2/16/16; poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass.
L- light amber/blonde in color, crystal clear with a fluffy white head that slowly dissipates into a thin lacing. A great looking beer.
S- malt forward aroma with notes of toasted bread, biscuit and grassy hops.
T- malted barley; more notes of bread and biscuit. subtle herbal hop bitterness keeps everything perfectly balanced. Refreshing, quenching and flavorful without being filling. An excellet yet difficult beer to brew. Well done
M- perfect mouthfeel. Slightly dry finish, almost zero aftertaste
O- probably the best "session ale" on the market. I rated this a bit higher to combat some of the moronic reviews here that think all beers should hop bombs. Pathetic that this beer does not get more respect. Recommended if you like beer that tastes like beer, not just hop tea.
★ 848 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Bottles 2/16/16; poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass.
L- light amber/blonde in color, crystal clear with a fluffy white head that slowly dissipates into a thin lacing. A great looking beer.
S- malt forward aroma with notes of toasted bread, biscuit and grassy hops.
T- malted barley; more notes of bread and biscuit. subtle herbal hop bitterness keeps everything perfectly balanced. Refreshing, quenching and flavorful without being filling. An excellet yet difficult beer to brew. Well done
M- perfect mouthfeel. Slightly dry finish, almost zero aftertaste
O- probably the best "session ale" on the market. I rated this a bit higher to combat some of the moronic reviews here that think all beers should hop bombs. Pathetic that this beer does not get more respect. Recommended if you like beer that tastes like beer, not just hop tea.
★ 848 characters
4.47/5 rDev +28.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On a hot day, nothing beats it, period. Great "drinkability" and refreshing. Firestone offers quite a selection of good beers, and 805 is by far my "go to" beer. They also are promoting the hell out of it, so they obviously have faith in this beer as well. Have been to the both breweries (Paso Robles and Buellton), and loved the atmosphere and the food in the restaurants were great.
★ 385 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On a hot day, nothing beats it, period. Great "drinkability" and refreshing. Firestone offers quite a selection of good beers, and 805 is by far my "go to" beer. They also are promoting the hell out of it, so they obviously have faith in this beer as well. Have been to the both breweries (Paso Robles and Buellton), and loved the atmosphere and the food in the restaurants were great.
★ 385 characters
4.37/5 rDev +25.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sampled at the Paso Robles Visitor's Center in March 2016.
L-Yellow and clear with tons of carbonation.
S-The usual suspects: biscuits and caramel.
T-Follows aroma with honey notes and a slight hop bite on back end.
M-Crisp, clean, and refreshing with just the right amount of carbonation for a session brew.
O-805 is Firestone-Walker's "Gateway Beer" for craft beer novices. Don't compare it to any other beer style, it is what it is. An excellent session beer for fishing, camping, softball, or any other outdoor activity.
★ 526 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sampled at the Paso Robles Visitor's Center in March 2016.
L-Yellow and clear with tons of carbonation.
S-The usual suspects: biscuits and caramel.
T-Follows aroma with honey notes and a slight hop bite on back end.
M-Crisp, clean, and refreshing with just the right amount of carbonation for a session brew.
O-805 is Firestone-Walker's "Gateway Beer" for craft beer novices. Don't compare it to any other beer style, it is what it is. An excellent session beer for fishing, camping, softball, or any other outdoor activity.
★ 526 characters
4.29/5 rDev +23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Tastes great on tap but loses points because it has an unappealing sharp flavor when poured from the bottle. The new cans are much closer to the tap.
Great go to beer for when you're looking for some easy drinking. Very filling. Definitely a favorite.
★ 253 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Tastes great on tap but loses points because it has an unappealing sharp flavor when poured from the bottle. The new cans are much closer to the tap.
Great go to beer for when you're looking for some easy drinking. Very filling. Definitely a favorite.
★ 253 characters
4.27/5 rDev +23.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This beer seems to be hitting the market by storm. I have been seeing it more and more in restaurants and bars. Well I decided to try it. All I can say is wow. I have no idea why it isn't scoring better on here, maybe my review can help that.
First off, its a honey blonde ale, very dark, but clear amber, it just looks freaking delicious.
2nd, it smells amazing, enough said.
3rd, it taste blows my mind. It is very deep, rich flavor as you would expect from an ale, not to sweat, not bitter, but lots of complex flavor. Very refreshing (a word not usually associated with an ale).
4th, it feels wonderful in my mouth. As such my mouth as asked for additional dates with this beer which it shall get.
Overall, try it, and be honest with yourself for what this beer is trying to accomplish. Great job Firestone!
★ 821 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This beer seems to be hitting the market by storm. I have been seeing it more and more in restaurants and bars. Well I decided to try it. All I can say is wow. I have no idea why it isn't scoring better on here, maybe my review can help that.
First off, its a honey blonde ale, very dark, but clear amber, it just looks freaking delicious.
2nd, it smells amazing, enough said.
3rd, it taste blows my mind. It is very deep, rich flavor as you would expect from an ale, not to sweat, not bitter, but lots of complex flavor. Very refreshing (a word not usually associated with an ale).
4th, it feels wonderful in my mouth. As such my mouth as asked for additional dates with this beer which it shall get.
Overall, try it, and be honest with yourself for what this beer is trying to accomplish. Great job Firestone!
★ 821 characters
4.25/5 rDev +22.5%
not really a Firestone fan at all or a American Blonde Ale drinker but this one deserves a good review, I was handed one at a get together and hit with a new respect for both the style of a balanced blonde ale and Firestone. Small hop bitterness toasty smell of barley and a clean malt backbone, all in all a refreshing crisp ale
★ 330 characters
not really a Firestone fan at all or a American Blonde Ale drinker but this one deserves a good review, I was handed one at a get together and hit with a new respect for both the style of a balanced blonde ale and Firestone. Small hop bitterness toasty smell of barley and a clean malt backbone, all in all a refreshing crisp ale
★ 330 characters
4.21/5 rDev +21.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Quick Take: This is an interesting balance of light, malty citrus taste, with a little sharp carbonation to support some fruitiness in the beer. It tastes like an ale version of Asahi beer!
★ 189 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Quick Take: This is an interesting balance of light, malty citrus taste, with a little sharp carbonation to support some fruitiness in the beer. It tastes like an ale version of Asahi beer!
★ 189 characters
4.19/5 rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
It's a very drinkable beer. A slight sweet bite at first taste with a sweet aromatic finish. I really enjoyed this beer while visiting Cali this past weekend. A big plus to find a beer that is what it is, Just a decent local beer. It not usually a fan of blonde ales but this one makes me want to try more.
★ 306 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
It's a very drinkable beer. A slight sweet bite at first taste with a sweet aromatic finish. I really enjoyed this beer while visiting Cali this past weekend. A big plus to find a beer that is what it is, Just a decent local beer. It not usually a fan of blonde ales but this one makes me want to try more.
★ 306 characters
4.12/5 rDev +18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Ok it is what it is...and there's nothing wrong with what it is. It's a blonde ale and that's what it wants to be, so comparing it to something else is like comparing a good pizza to a good steak dinner; it's not fair to either. This is the kind of beer you drink when you're having an impromptu bbq with some friends on a nice summer day. If a refreshing beer is what you seek, this is one of the best in that class.
★ 420 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Ok it is what it is...and there's nothing wrong with what it is. It's a blonde ale and that's what it wants to be, so comparing it to something else is like comparing a good pizza to a good steak dinner; it's not fair to either. This is the kind of beer you drink when you're having an impromptu bbq with some friends on a nice summer day. If a refreshing beer is what you seek, this is one of the best in that class.
★ 420 characters
4.09/5 rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Yellow/Golden body with a white lacy head.
S: It has almost no hoppy character to it but has that nice Belgian spiciness that Belgian blondes should have.
T: Avery secessionible beer that has some malt, some Belgian bite, and a decent hop bit to it.
M: It has some viscosity to it and has a very good bite from the carbonation.
O: A very good sessionable beer that should be tried if given the opportunity to.
★ 417 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Yellow/Golden body with a white lacy head.
S: It has almost no hoppy character to it but has that nice Belgian spiciness that Belgian blondes should have.
T: Avery secessionible beer that has some malt, some Belgian bite, and a decent hop bit to it.
M: It has some viscosity to it and has a very good bite from the carbonation.
O: A very good sessionable beer that should be tried if given the opportunity to.
★ 417 characters
4.06/5 rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle pours a crystal clear gold color with a thick cap of fine-bubbled white head. Not much for lace, but retention is great.
Nose is pretty standard grain and biscuit maltiness for a blonde, but does have a light yeasty fruitiness that sets it apart from others. The depth of the malt aromas is also well done.
Definitely a well crafted blonde ale, the malt is full and rich with a snappy hop bite on the finish. It goes from white bread to biscuits to grainy all in one sip. Its one of the best I have had, but still wont supplant SS Bombshell Blonde as my go to summer blonde ale.
★ 593 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle pours a crystal clear gold color with a thick cap of fine-bubbled white head. Not much for lace, but retention is great.
Nose is pretty standard grain and biscuit maltiness for a blonde, but does have a light yeasty fruitiness that sets it apart from others. The depth of the malt aromas is also well done.
Definitely a well crafted blonde ale, the malt is full and rich with a snappy hop bite on the finish. It goes from white bread to biscuits to grainy all in one sip. Its one of the best I have had, but still wont supplant SS Bombshell Blonde as my go to summer blonde ale.
★ 593 characters
4.03/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Better than pivo pils IMHO as far as FW lagers go. Light, smooth, just a touch of malt and hops, but mostly just easy drinking goodness. No off flavors at all, which is key for such a light style. Can't understand why some of the reviews are so low. If you don't like the style, don't rate the beer. Great beach, lawnmowing, etc beer.
★ 337 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Better than pivo pils IMHO as far as FW lagers go. Light, smooth, just a touch of malt and hops, but mostly just easy drinking goodness. No off flavors at all, which is key for such a light style. Can't understand why some of the reviews are so low. If you don't like the style, don't rate the beer. Great beach, lawnmowing, etc beer.
★ 337 characters
3.97/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light crisp easy drinking with just a kiss of hopping. It's an exceptionally well made blonde ale from folks whose beers tend to be exceptionally well made. But it’s still a blonde ale, so, eh?
★ 195 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light crisp easy drinking with just a kiss of hopping. It's an exceptionally well made blonde ale from folks whose beers tend to be exceptionally well made. But it’s still a blonde ale, so, eh?
★ 195 characters
3.94/5 rDev +13.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
APPEARANCE: Pristine, orange and clear with a stark white head made up of uniformly-sized (medium) bubbles. The beer is very lively with bubbles bristling towards the top. Hundreds more of those bubbles form tight, lattice structures on the side of the glass then slowly dissipate one bubble at a time. The lacing is much stronger than expected, covering a good 80% of the back of the glass.
SMELL: A very light, citrus-like aroma with a touch of honey. Nothing complex, but good. Although it could be stronger.
TASTE: There is a ton of bread-like flavor from start to finish in this beer. Again, a touch of honey shows up and caramel comes through mid-sip. Also, somewhat surprisingly, the finish takes a nice, hoppy turn.
MOUTHFEEL: Well carbonated with a strong sparkle and very light body, despite a strong malt presence. A slight sweetness hits the palate first, followed by a drying, mild, crisp, citrusy finish.
OVERALL: I have been sad to see some of the earlier reviews of this beer. It certainly is a lighter beer, and by no means, the type of beer Firestone-Walker typically makes, but it is really a well put together, easy-drinking beer; exactly what it was supposed to be.
★ 1,206 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
APPEARANCE: Pristine, orange and clear with a stark white head made up of uniformly-sized (medium) bubbles. The beer is very lively with bubbles bristling towards the top. Hundreds more of those bubbles form tight, lattice structures on the side of the glass then slowly dissipate one bubble at a time. The lacing is much stronger than expected, covering a good 80% of the back of the glass.
SMELL: A very light, citrus-like aroma with a touch of honey. Nothing complex, but good. Although it could be stronger.
TASTE: There is a ton of bread-like flavor from start to finish in this beer. Again, a touch of honey shows up and caramel comes through mid-sip. Also, somewhat surprisingly, the finish takes a nice, hoppy turn.
MOUTHFEEL: Well carbonated with a strong sparkle and very light body, despite a strong malt presence. A slight sweetness hits the palate first, followed by a drying, mild, crisp, citrusy finish.
OVERALL: I have been sad to see some of the earlier reviews of this beer. It certainly is a lighter beer, and by no means, the type of beer Firestone-Walker typically makes, but it is really a well put together, easy-drinking beer; exactly what it was supposed to be.
★ 1,206 characters
3.9/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
1 pint, 6 oz. bottle from BevMo. Taste is caramel malt forward with little hop bitterness and mild carbonation. Restrained; not too sweet. Not overly complex but tasty, somewhat dry and clean. A satisfying, refreshing, easy drinking American blonde ale. Love the low ABV.
★ 271 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
1 pint, 6 oz. bottle from BevMo. Taste is caramel malt forward with little hop bitterness and mild carbonation. Restrained; not too sweet. Not overly complex but tasty, somewhat dry and clean. A satisfying, refreshing, easy drinking American blonde ale. Love the low ABV.
★ 271 characters
3.89/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Dated bottle of 10/15/13
Appearance - Pours clear and golden in color with a white, finger width head, quickly dissipates to a near barren surface. Lacing is small and spotty, with fair stick.
Smell - Light bready, grainy notes. Hints of caramel and traces of grassy hop character. Not much else.
Taste - Light, as expected of a blonde. Hits on fruity ester character, touches of bread and caramel, light citrus and grassy hop bitterness, but all come through to deliver great balance in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with light, prickly carbonation. Slightly silky, lending to an impeccable smoothness; quite inviting of a quick follow-up drink. If one's not careful, a sixer of this could go down within a matter of minutes.
Overall - All styles are not created equal. So hard to judge a beer like this, when it's good for the style, but doesn't do much to capture the excitement or imagination of your average beer geek, in essence because the style is invariably 'boring'. For a blonde, this is amazing in its overall balance and its drinkability. It's perfect for a summer BBQ or mowing the lawn. It's mid-November, but I think I'll have another!
★ 1,164 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Dated bottle of 10/15/13
Appearance - Pours clear and golden in color with a white, finger width head, quickly dissipates to a near barren surface. Lacing is small and spotty, with fair stick.
Smell - Light bready, grainy notes. Hints of caramel and traces of grassy hop character. Not much else.
Taste - Light, as expected of a blonde. Hits on fruity ester character, touches of bread and caramel, light citrus and grassy hop bitterness, but all come through to deliver great balance in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with light, prickly carbonation. Slightly silky, lending to an impeccable smoothness; quite inviting of a quick follow-up drink. If one's not careful, a sixer of this could go down within a matter of minutes.
Overall - All styles are not created equal. So hard to judge a beer like this, when it's good for the style, but doesn't do much to capture the excitement or imagination of your average beer geek, in essence because the style is invariably 'boring'. For a blonde, this is amazing in its overall balance and its drinkability. It's perfect for a summer BBQ or mowing the lawn. It's mid-November, but I think I'll have another!
★ 1,164 characters
3.89/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Original ratings on Aug. 15, 2012 were 4.00 | 2.05 | 3.00 | 3.50 | 3.00
Changed them to accurately reflect the style (plus the 0.25 increments) on April 29, 2016 to 3.75 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 3.50 | 3.75
Poured from a tap into a pint glass at Cattlemen’s Lounge in Paso Robles, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2012 for $5.00. Two fingers of head when I got it, pretty foamy on the sides. Beer was honey pale. Good retention on the top and the sides.
Smelled a bit like a saison initially. Then got honey, dark fruits, bread, grain, wheat and malts. Kind of weak overall.
Tasted honey, bread, wheat and a bit bland. Nothing really stood out.
Light body. Thin texture. Below average-to-poor carbonation. Abrupt watery finish, but refreshing. Surprisingly got better as it went down.
Pretty much an average blonde, but great for the summer.
★ 828 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Original ratings on Aug. 15, 2012 were 4.00 | 2.05 | 3.00 | 3.50 | 3.00
Changed them to accurately reflect the style (plus the 0.25 increments) on April 29, 2016 to 3.75 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 3.50 | 3.75
Poured from a tap into a pint glass at Cattlemen’s Lounge in Paso Robles, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2012 for $5.00. Two fingers of head when I got it, pretty foamy on the sides. Beer was honey pale. Good retention on the top and the sides.
Smelled a bit like a saison initially. Then got honey, dark fruits, bread, grain, wheat and malts. Kind of weak overall.
Tasted honey, bread, wheat and a bit bland. Nothing really stood out.
Light body. Thin texture. Below average-to-poor carbonation. Abrupt watery finish, but refreshing. Surprisingly got better as it went down.
Pretty much an average blonde, but great for the summer.
★ 828 characters
3.88/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I've had this both in the bottle and on tap, and it's far superior in the latter style.
Really everything about this beer is boring except for the taste. It looks like beer and smells like beer. No more, no less.
That said, it's damn near unbeatable on a hot day. It's almost as light as a wheat beer. It manages to be crisp and clean, but still pack plenty of flavor. It's nice and malty, and they did a great job in not going overboard with the honey. It will be a staple in my fridge this summer, and my go-to at the pub for my first round on a hot day.
★ 560 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I've had this both in the bottle and on tap, and it's far superior in the latter style.
Really everything about this beer is boring except for the taste. It looks like beer and smells like beer. No more, no less.
That said, it's damn near unbeatable on a hot day. It's almost as light as a wheat beer. It manages to be crisp and clean, but still pack plenty of flavor. It's nice and malty, and they did a great job in not going overboard with the honey. It will be a staple in my fridge this summer, and my go-to at the pub for my first round on a hot day.
★ 560 characters
3.87/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can poured into a mug
Through the glass the brew is a clear, effervescent yellow with a grainy, red hue. A foamy head recedes quickly leaving no trace of lacing.
The nose is what you'd expect from a light, clear ale - dry, dusty grains, semi-sweet bread and a pinch of citrus. There is a touch more hop-presence on the palate, slightly floral and snappy. Light bodied, as notes of lemon-pepper and whole grain crackers combine to make this an easy one to throw back.
★ 478 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can poured into a mug
Through the glass the brew is a clear, effervescent yellow with a grainy, red hue. A foamy head recedes quickly leaving no trace of lacing.
The nose is what you'd expect from a light, clear ale - dry, dusty grains, semi-sweet bread and a pinch of citrus. There is a touch more hop-presence on the palate, slightly floral and snappy. Light bodied, as notes of lemon-pepper and whole grain crackers combine to make this an easy one to throw back.
★ 478 characters
3.83/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
bottled about 4 mos. ago. poured into a globe glass.
Clear light amber color with lots of carbonation and a quickly gone white head. good lace.
smell is fresh grass and faint sweet fruit
taste is hops followed by a refreshing sweetness of honey. smooth and easy to drink.
mouth feel is sharp at first, then light and watery. not much to it
overall, decent session beer, but not extraordinary
★ 397 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
bottled about 4 mos. ago. poured into a globe glass.
Clear light amber color with lots of carbonation and a quickly gone white head. good lace.
smell is fresh grass and faint sweet fruit
taste is hops followed by a refreshing sweetness of honey. smooth and easy to drink.
mouth feel is sharp at first, then light and watery. not much to it
overall, decent session beer, but not extraordinary
★ 397 characters
805 Blonde Ale from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
3.47
out of 5
based on 794 ratings.
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I don't even know how to rate this beer. Is it a 3.0 or 5.0? Why the latter? Because this beer, in just a few sips even, is the obvious culmination of whatever good and noble features BMC has ever dared to attain. It drinks as easy as anything I've tried. It has a perceptible, though perfectly restrained, floral (almost noble) hop snap, apparently from Willamette hops. It has enough malt body, certainly a touch of sweetness, but never sickeningly so. I tell you, this is it: this is what BMC has only dreamed to achieve.
You know what, screw it: this is one of the most entertainingly confounding beers I've had in ages. 5.0 it is.
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