Blonde Ale
FOK Brewing Company

 

From a 12oz bottle with a Jan17 best by date. Pours an amber color with little head; darker in color than I expected. Nice caramel, malty notes on the nose and palate with appropriate bitterness on the finish. A very serviceable brew, and an appealing low abv for sessionable drinking.

 

 

 

the least impressive of the beers i had from these guys by a considerable margin. its a real basic style, but it doesnt seem to be executed with the same precision and creativity as the others, and for me left a little something to be desired, although others in our group liked it more than i did. hazy and somewhat darker than is the norm, it just doesnt really look the part, almost murky rather than bright. smells and tastes alright though, no off flavors for sure, but it feels a little thick, and maybe a little tannic, like the sparge was too hot or something, pulling some weirdness out of the grain hulls. its not sharp, but its not all that mellow either. some grassy european type hops there on the back end, which i think is the most interesting feature, and enough yeast leftover to taste that too. i dont dislike it at all, but as a classic american blonde, it missed the mark a little bit, and may have sacrificed some refreshment. it perhaps has a little wheat malt in there, and definitely something a little more on the crystal side too, but i dont think it contributes anything desirable. overall not a bad beer, but definitely the least impressive of the FOK offerings i had this week.