Snake In The Grass Belgain Blonde
Taft's Brewing Co.

 

my first beer from these guys and boy is it a good one, wow. we all loved this, especially with some grilled chicken, the essence of summer right here! a simple and light belgian blonde as a base, but jazzed up beautifully with lemongrass and fresh basil. the herbal additions make this beer special, but they are well enough restrained to let the belgian yeast still be a major flavor agent. i love how fresh it all tastes, and how delicate it drinks, i could sip on these all day long! golden in color with a solid white head on it. nose is lemongrass before basil, light on the basil actually, but with other botanical elements too like green tea, meyer lemon, and even verbena or something like that, a little bitterness to it, and with the green banana and white pepper esters from the yeast, its complex and springy and awesome. the basil is a little more prominent in the flavor, but still comes on really late, so fresh and natural too, lovely with this yeast, they have the balance absolutely perfectly dialed for it. the lemongrass is there the whole time, and comes out more and more as we let it war up. things like elderflower, green apple, and new zealand white wine come out of it. carbonation is high enough, and the finish is really dry. i love this kind of beer, great use of the botanicals, a beer i wish i could drink all summer long. really impressive introduction to tafts for me, loved this!

Look - clear golden color with a slight white head no real lacing
Smell - Belgian fruity yeast and grains
Taste - just like the smell but pretty grainy
Feel - medium body and carbs
Overall - pretty good

 

From the growler via Jungle Jim's Eastgate in a snifter. This nice Belgian blonde
pours a bright honey amber with nice clarity and a quickly dissipating head that
falls to a thin ring and thin layer. Nose of basil and lemongrass with yeasty esters
and light cracker notes. Flavors surpass the nose with cracker and sweet light candy
malts awash in lemon grass and herbal basil notes that are balanced and not overpowering
with a subtle herbal and zesty hops kick....again....balanced and nice. Nice mouth feel, smooth,
refreshing, and very lightly carbonated. More in the saison mode than a blonde or pale, but still
pretty nice.

Cheers