Cougar Bay Blonde
Trickster's Brewing Company

on tap at the brewery. i like a blonde that still has a little character but stays light and crushable, i dont like when its just yellow beer without any personality, seems like a lot of breweries use the style for a generic mass appeal throwaway on their menus, so i was impressed with this being pretty dynamic. not all the way clear despite looking super light, very pale yellow colored with a light frosted look and a short white head. there isnt a whole lot going on in the nose, which is fine in this style, a little crackery on the grain side and just a little something from the yeast. its neat that its distinctive in the taste without being particularly hoppy, the element most commonly exploited to add flavor to these. its got biscuit character, perhaps a multigrain thing, could be some corn, also an almost mexican lager vibe to the yeast, weird as that sounds in a blonde ale. i like that i can taste a little yeast, its not out of place. carbonation is average, its not saggy but it could have a little more pop for maximum refreshment, its dry at the end though and finishes quickly. overall this is pretty good craft blonde, nothing radical, but its not lame and boring either. these guys have a good thing going, and this is a fine blonde for summer.

edit: i liked this a whole lot less away from the brewery, to the extent it was not even the same, perhaps poured through a line that had a smoked beer on it before, that bad. i will leave scores pretty much alone on the above review, hoping this was a one off experience, but if not there is a serious consistency and quality issue with this. heavy, sweet, even weird on the ferment, all aside from it being sort of smoke forward and dirty tasting. will check in again with this one soon and see whats up...

Taster at brewery. Clear golden pour, ring of head, streaky lacing. Big grainy aroma, malts, biscuits. Taste also features the grainy, malty flavors. Very smooth