La Cloche
Stack Brewing
- From:
- Stack Brewing
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Belgian Blonde Ale
Ranked #101 - ABV:
- 6.9%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #36,005 - Avg:
- 3.44 | pDev: 15.41%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 12, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 13, 2016
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 4
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Tony787 from Canada (ON)
3.36/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.36/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I bought a can at the LCBO in Ontario 473ml at 6.9%.
Poured into glass with a 1 to 2 finger head leaving a lace as you drink it.
Slow carbonation clear golden color
Rich malts smooth and creamy and sweet
Overall an ok Belgium blonde style
Cheers
Mar 12, 2023Poured into glass with a 1 to 2 finger head leaving a lace as you drink it.
Slow carbonation clear golden color
Rich malts smooth and creamy and sweet
Overall an ok Belgium blonde style
Cheers
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)
2.83/5 rDev -17.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
2.83/5 rDev -17.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Appearance: Poured with a finger of head that did not lace or retain. The body a bit of a pale yellow with a decent amount of carbonation.
Smell: A bit of cookie like sweet malt and a rotting lettuce funk about it. As it warms up it comes about a bit and gives a few berry notes, but not enough to save it.
Taste: Starts with some shortbread tasting malt and turns to a few small notes of fruit yeast and orange and berry make a very mild play here before an unpleasant but mild swampy like hops note takes over and lingers in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: I mean the carbonation is good and tries to help out the entire beer, but the beer seems to have a downward trajectory in terms of transitioning. Going from meh to ugh, although I suppose in a smooth enough fashion. That aftertaste though is the killer, as I don't want what tastes like a shortbread cookie dumped in swamp water.
Drinkability: I mean, it's mild so it has that going for it, so it is easy enough to put back. The question here is why would I want to, as even generic lager seems to do more then this. I'll say this, it does taste remarkably light bodied for a 6.9% beer.
Final Thoughts: A swing and a miss for me. This tastes like someone was trying to make a fancier alternative to chug-a-lug lager but couldn't get the finish right. A bit of a surprise from Stack to be honest, and while I can say I've had worse, I wouldn't revisit this one.
Jul 02, 2022Smell: A bit of cookie like sweet malt and a rotting lettuce funk about it. As it warms up it comes about a bit and gives a few berry notes, but not enough to save it.
Taste: Starts with some shortbread tasting malt and turns to a few small notes of fruit yeast and orange and berry make a very mild play here before an unpleasant but mild swampy like hops note takes over and lingers in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: I mean the carbonation is good and tries to help out the entire beer, but the beer seems to have a downward trajectory in terms of transitioning. Going from meh to ugh, although I suppose in a smooth enough fashion. That aftertaste though is the killer, as I don't want what tastes like a shortbread cookie dumped in swamp water.
Drinkability: I mean, it's mild so it has that going for it, so it is easy enough to put back. The question here is why would I want to, as even generic lager seems to do more then this. I'll say this, it does taste remarkably light bodied for a 6.9% beer.
Final Thoughts: A swing and a miss for me. This tastes like someone was trying to make a fancier alternative to chug-a-lug lager but couldn't get the finish right. A bit of a surprise from Stack to be honest, and while I can say I've had worse, I wouldn't revisit this one.
Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)
2.92/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.92/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Agree with others...this should be a Belgian Blonde ale and not an American Blonde ale.
Pours a bright orangy gold with almost no head. There is a slight wisp of a foam cap and no lacing.
Smell is sweet Belgian candi sugar and then a sort of weird vegetal smell.
Taste is similar to nose...sweet candi, some Belgian yeast and then a very odd vegetal presence.
Feel is light with light carbonation.
Not the best offering from Stack that is for sure. I am not sure if this recipe is off, or if this can is old, or both, but it is not a great beer.
Jan 13, 2018Pours a bright orangy gold with almost no head. There is a slight wisp of a foam cap and no lacing.
Smell is sweet Belgian candi sugar and then a sort of weird vegetal smell.
Taste is similar to nose...sweet candi, some Belgian yeast and then a very odd vegetal presence.
Feel is light with light carbonation.
Not the best offering from Stack that is for sure. I am not sure if this recipe is off, or if this can is old, or both, but it is not a great beer.
Reviewed by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)
3.34/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours crystal clear gold coloured, headless although lots of bubbles. Spicy on the nose. Typical Belgian tartness and bitterness on the taste, hints of apple and wine. Nice carbonation
Oct 4 2021
Apr 30, 2017Oct 4 2021
Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)
3.33/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
..
Apr 26, 2017
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
3.6/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.6/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
473ml can served cold into a chalice. Purchased from the LCBO for around $3.45 CDN. The final of the three Stack Brewing examples I'm going to try lately.
Appearance - pours a mostly clear, dark piss yellow coloured beer. Minimal head is poured and retention is non existent. Up on second look, not quite as clear as originally thought.
Smell - some leafy notes, with some sweaty gym sock aroma and some candy sugar. Yeasty as well. Upon repeated sniffs some fruitiness shines through.
Taste - plenty of sweetness, maybe too much. Yeasty with some Bready notes. Hints of bubblegum and candy sugar. Well enough balanced but the sweetness is just a touch too much.
Mouthfeel - smooth and medium body. Plenty of carbonation, sweet finish and not terribly dry.
Overall - a good if not exceptional blonde ale. Based on the flavors and alcohol content this probably fits better as a Belgian Pale ale. Than an American blonde. Nonetheless a pretty well crafted beer if a little on the sweet side.
Apr 21, 2017Appearance - pours a mostly clear, dark piss yellow coloured beer. Minimal head is poured and retention is non existent. Up on second look, not quite as clear as originally thought.
Smell - some leafy notes, with some sweaty gym sock aroma and some candy sugar. Yeasty as well. Upon repeated sniffs some fruitiness shines through.
Taste - plenty of sweetness, maybe too much. Yeasty with some Bready notes. Hints of bubblegum and candy sugar. Well enough balanced but the sweetness is just a touch too much.
Mouthfeel - smooth and medium body. Plenty of carbonation, sweet finish and not terribly dry.
Overall - a good if not exceptional blonde ale. Based on the flavors and alcohol content this probably fits better as a Belgian Pale ale. Than an American blonde. Nonetheless a pretty well crafted beer if a little on the sweet side.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.37/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.37/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Nov 28 2016 and served slightly chilled. Not an American blonde; not even close - this is clearly intended to be a Belgian pale ale, so that's what I'm grading it as.
Pours a hazy, pale golden-yellow colour, fitted with a one-inch crown of loose, soapy white head. Retention is fairly good - it lasts the better part of ten minutes, steadily dropping in level until only a smooth cap and frothy collar remain. Nice lacing; looks fine from a visual standpoint. Citrusy lemon rind and orange peel on the nose, with cereal grains, wheaty pale malt and green apple acidity. Smells fairly saccharine, but also yeasty and moderately spicy, with hints of apricot, clove and banana.
A weird beer - not exactly bad, but not particularly great, either, with a firmly tart, acidic vibe that doesn't quite fit the style. Cereal grains and wheaty malts are basically a backdrop for the range of fruity flavours which comprise the bulk of this blonde's profile - apples are by far the most noticeable, but there are also notes of banana, apricot, citrusy orange peel and lemon zest. Yeasty, somewhat acidic finish featuring some clove and peppery spice, culminating in a fruity aftertaste with light tartness and sweetness. Medium in body, with moderately-low carbonation levels that lightly prickle the surface of the palate and foam up in the mouth, giving it a foamy texture. Not that difficult to drink, with well-integrated alcohol.
Final Grade: 3.37, a serviceable B-. In all honesty, I'm not too sure what to think of Stack's La Cloche Belgian Blonde. I don't dislike it, but there's a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that the tart aspects are a bug, rather than an intended feature of the beer. In the end, I had no trouble finishing my glass, and would consider picking up another in the future for comparison's sake - but even if it were stocked locally, I doubt this would ever become a staple for me.
Jan 10, 2017Pours a hazy, pale golden-yellow colour, fitted with a one-inch crown of loose, soapy white head. Retention is fairly good - it lasts the better part of ten minutes, steadily dropping in level until only a smooth cap and frothy collar remain. Nice lacing; looks fine from a visual standpoint. Citrusy lemon rind and orange peel on the nose, with cereal grains, wheaty pale malt and green apple acidity. Smells fairly saccharine, but also yeasty and moderately spicy, with hints of apricot, clove and banana.
A weird beer - not exactly bad, but not particularly great, either, with a firmly tart, acidic vibe that doesn't quite fit the style. Cereal grains and wheaty malts are basically a backdrop for the range of fruity flavours which comprise the bulk of this blonde's profile - apples are by far the most noticeable, but there are also notes of banana, apricot, citrusy orange peel and lemon zest. Yeasty, somewhat acidic finish featuring some clove and peppery spice, culminating in a fruity aftertaste with light tartness and sweetness. Medium in body, with moderately-low carbonation levels that lightly prickle the surface of the palate and foam up in the mouth, giving it a foamy texture. Not that difficult to drink, with well-integrated alcohol.
Final Grade: 3.37, a serviceable B-. In all honesty, I'm not too sure what to think of Stack's La Cloche Belgian Blonde. I don't dislike it, but there's a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that the tart aspects are a bug, rather than an intended feature of the beer. In the end, I had no trouble finishing my glass, and would consider picking up another in the future for comparison's sake - but even if it were stocked locally, I doubt this would ever become a staple for me.
Rated by wwwagainsttimeca from Canada (ON)
2.82/5 rDev -18%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.82/5 rDev -18%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
In the spirit of Leffe Blonde but not as complete. It's ok.
Dec 18, 2016
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.63/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Straw with lots of soda like carbonation, a hint of haze and a half finger of white head.
Smells of a slight hint of funk, bananas, and a touch of clove.
Taste follows the nose, with mostly banana an clove, and a light sweetness.
Light body, soda like carbonation, slight syrupy quality.
Got at Sunnyview LCBO, drinking Oct 20th, 2016
Oct 20, 2016Smells of a slight hint of funk, bananas, and a touch of clove.
Taste follows the nose, with mostly banana an clove, and a light sweetness.
Light body, soda like carbonation, slight syrupy quality.
Got at Sunnyview LCBO, drinking Oct 20th, 2016
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
2.79/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75
2.79/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75
Can: Poured a light amber color ale with a large foamy head with OK retention and some minimal lacing. Aroma of light cereal notes and fruity ester with loads of residual sugar notes is OK. Taste of faint cereal and fruity ester is overshadowed by some gross residuals sugar notes. Body is full enough for style with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. This one lacked attenuation and was way too sweet for its own good.
Sep 07, 2016
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)
3.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.44/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Smells of apple juice on pour. Moderate head settles to a decent cap before giving way to a soapy film. Some wheat in the nose, some yeast, but still quite juicy. Sweet up front, that carries on through and is a little distracting.. Wheaty and yeasty, but pretty simple, not a lot of complexity.
Passably good, a tad too sweet.
Sep 03, 2016Passably good, a tad too sweet.
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