Pure Blonde
Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd.

When I was a fresh-faced, just out of high school 18 year old, I loved my Pure Blondes. Truth be told I didn't know shit from shoe polish when it came to beer, and I think I enjoyed it for it's light, crisp taste, and it's tremendous marketing at the time. The bogan truck driver going through the pristine forest, where angels were bottling Pure Blonde out of a river, only for the truck driver to grab a Dove out of the area and open up a beer with the dove. It's fallen by the wayside for me ever since I had my first Pale Ale, and since then I've watched it go from 4.9% ABV, to 4.6% ABV and now a rather pityful 4.2% ABV.

CUB have also played around the marketing of this beer, over marketing the fact it's "low-carb, and vegan, and organic" etc.

Let's see if I still have fond memories of my 18-year old self. Poured into my pint glass from a 375ml can

Look. Having poured this out of the can aggressively, it's only produced a fingers worth of frothy white head that's dissipating quickly. Standard Aussie Lager look, clear, pale golden, maybe slightly lighter than your more full strength options. Clear, filtered, bog standard.

Smell: Grassy/Citrus hop notes but definitely Pride of Ringwood in there as well. Slightly malty, slightly grainy, slightly bready. Not too bad.

Taste: Smooth, mellowed malt sweetness, followed by a slight bitterness. Slight grain flavour, but a few seconds after the sip I do pick up a chemical aftertaste.

Feel: Highly carbonated, but easy drinking. Goes down smooth. Highly refreshing. Would be worth a can or two to quench the thirst on a hot summer day.

Overall. It gets a pass from me. Maybe it's old nostalgia from my adult teenage years, but I can't hate it completely. It's not nearly as good as I remember it from being 18, and I think the reduction in ABV from 4.9 to 4.2% is playing a part on that, as the flavours are quite mellow.

I don't buy into the whole low carb charade a lot of Aussie beers are going with now. It's probably one of the better 'low-carb' lagers out on the market as it's not overly sweet, and easy drinking. I'm unlikely to buy this at the pub, or a slab of it unless it's on special

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pale, clear lemon yellow with a small but lasting and lacing creamy white head. Aromas of grain, straw, lemon pith and grass carrying through onto the palate. Light in body with medium to full carbonation, a firm but thin mouthfeel with a short finish of lightly bitter citrus zest and grain.

 

 

Format: a 355mL green bottle with a pretty standard macro label.

Appearance: a pale amber yellow in colour with sparse carbonation. A fluffy white head that drops to a thin film, sporadic lacing. Okay.

Aroma: not very much there at all. It was at this time I noticed it was a low carb. Oh God.

Taste: actually picks up a bit here - some light but quality grains but that's about it. Still, okay for a low carb.

Aftertaste: drops away very quickly, as expected. No hop bitterness, just a slightest touch of grain.

Mouth feel: light in feel with a moderate to higher carbonation. Feels pretty much like a standard macro lager, which isn't bad for a low carb macro lager.

Overall: if my brain fell out and I decided that low carb beers were a good idea (even though carbs are low in beer anyway, and it is kilojoules to watch out for), this wouldn't be a bad one. Fortunately I am still have my full faculties however, so this is going into the "not bad for a low carb, but still pretty ordinary as an actual beer" category. Probably okay for AU$43 a case for the hottest of hot days, but I'll still just have my good old Carlton Mid - cheaper and better.

Unpleasant to smell,Largely tasteless, quite bland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

okay, I will admit it, there are times, trust me, when the Australian sun is just too much for a session of big beer, even normal craft can be heavy in the oppressive heat. but we have to drink beer right? what can I session when its 100 and something degrees out? this beer is the answer. its pleasant enough in aroma and flavor to not be offensive, repulsive, or even make you feel like crap. its a pretty well made, extremely light lager that drinks just a little easier than tap water. well carbonated, it packs a lot of refreshment value when its ice cold. the color of its name, this beer has many advantages over the other affordable light beer. it tastes better, costs the same, and seems to be just about everywhere. I like it for what it is, and it kills a corona, or whatever else people usually drink on the beach. best low carb/cal beer on the aussie market.

 

 

 

 

 

Pure Blonde is the go-to beer of a fair amount of carb-conscious Aussies, and it is retailed fairly widely on the back of Carlton’s substantial marketing budget. You will find it on tap at almost any drinking hole with little regard for beer connoisseurs.
L: Yellowy golden
S: Unpleasant to smell, if any smell at all.
T: Largely tasteless, quite bland.
F: Heavily carbonated, probably the brewer’s attempt to try and inject some level of excitement to this beer.
O: When faced with a line of macro beers, I would choose it, if only for its ‘low carb’ and well-marketed aesthetic appeal (Gives me a headache, but individual experiences will differ). Before my beer baptism of fire, this was one of my go-to beers, when I jumped on the ‘low carb’ bandwagon. I definitely steer clear of this beer unless it’s free.

 

 

 

 

It is what it is, and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. Mostly inoffensive. Grainy with some skunkiness, probably attributable to the green bottle, and maybe some slight fruity character. Almost flavorless, thin and watery, albeit light and refreshing, especially during a hot summer day (in January) overlooking a beautiful expanse of Bondi Beach while eating fish and chips.

Sidenote: beer is outrageously expensive in Australia