Lemon Lavender Blonde
Station 26 Brewing Co.

Bought two cans from Beer Drop. Some skill showed (particularly in controlling the lavender), but not enough flexibility in this ale: basically, it is refreshing in the summer and don't be hungry when drinking it.

While this Looks appetizing enough and its aromatics of the lavender and lemon are better than appetizing, Tastes are unbalanced; the lemon is overpowering. I suppose its Feel is OK, since I seem to have survived the Taste.

I'm glad I had I had one from Station 26, but that was enough and I'm ready to move on. Clearly, these guys are working the Front Range model of having fun brewing in Paradise. But they are now older than eight years and this out-of-balance ale does not reflect well on them. I wish them well, but I also wish they'd mature a bit faster.

11/1/21 Had the second can, edited the above a bit and am counting over @ UnTappd.

L- Orange tinged golden yellow at 95% transparency is beneath a short 1F head that quickly disappears without a trace.

N-Lemon, light barley, lavender, lime on the nose.

T- salty, zingy lemon. Not a great lemon flavor and perhaps marred by the lavender. Not so keen on that pairing actually when I think about it. Strong herbal bitter tartness on the finish is really off putting.

M-- Acrid zing on the finish. Not refreshing, more what did I just drink heightened tang leftover in the mouth and throat. Dryness and tongue pucker after tastings.

O- Another drain pour. Too acid like and bitter herbal lemon makes me think of nasty cough drops and some sour 7Up. This character has no place in a beer for my taste buds.

If you like lemon, you'll like this beer. It might be a bit much for some, but you can't say you don't get the flavor in this beer. Interestingly, I tasted something else there, but wouldn't have guessed that it was lavender if I hadn't seen it on the can. It's a nice combination, and very refreshing on a hot day, but some might find it a bit tart. They didn't overcompensate with sweetness though, so that's good.

I loved this, this is probably would I would go back to this brewery for so far. The lavender is nice, lightly tart, I really enjoyed this blonde ale.

Definitely my favorite Station product.

I'm usually not into blondes. This is the first one I've had that I would happily pick up again.

Into a nonic pint, it pours an unassuming straw yellow with a significantly hazy body--unexpected, as blondes tend to be totally transparent in my experience. The pour produces two fingers of frothy white head that leaves small specks of lacing behind.

The aroma is simple, yet beautiful. Fresh lavender flowers graze the nose, balanced nicely with a strong lemon rind presence, hiding undertones of blueberry, plum and oat cereal.

Amazingly, the lavender doesn't entirely take over the flavor, providing a nice herbal, citrusy bitterness akin to grapefruit juice, which is cut nicely with tart lemon and plum notes, finishing with a light malt sweetness, along with the more floral aspects of lingering lavender. I did not find the characteristic stale bread bitterness that most blondes dish out for the finish, which made me very happy.

The mouthfeel is interesting, as the lavender imparts a somewhat oily texture, although the tart lemon cleans it up nicely.

Finally a not-so-basic blonde. I think I'll take her to the beach next time. Cheers!

lavender is a tricky ingredient, it has the tendency to take over beers, even in small doses, so i am always a little skeptical when i see it, especially in the context of a light beer in the summer thats supposed to be a refreshing volume drinker. i was delighted with how delicate it is in here, how well it works with the lemon, and how the lavender doesnt take over the beer, like this still tastes like beer too, hard to do, and they nailed it. its still quite pungent in the aroma, leading for sure, fresh and springy, with the tangy lemon just behind it and a simple cereal malt base. the flavor has nice balance, the malt still comes through, and there is a cool honey note to it that plays well with the lavender. right at the moment it seems like it will turn too perfume forward, the lemon kicks up with a little pucker and helps kill that back. this drinks almost like iced tea, cold and refreshing, floral and summery, herbal and healthful. for me its still just a shade too much, as i can taste it for awhile even when the beer is gone and ive moved on to my next beer, but they did better with lavender than most, and the lemon with it is a really good call. nice for the summer, polarizing maybe, but i liked it! the first new one i have had from these guys in a really long time.