Toasted Blonde
Disgruntled Brewing

 

Poured from a 750ml crowler into glass. Fill date marked as '9/14 (2017)'.
Cloudy, pale gold colored body. One finger white head persists as thicker cap. Good coverage of lacing.
Biscuity malt aroma, with hints of citrus hops (hops may have faded due to time in the can).
Light malt taste, combined with mild grapefruit and vanilla. Slightly nutty also.
Toward a medium mouth feel, smooth drinking. Carbonation a little lacking, probably due to age.
Really a solid, easy drinking beer, that tastes like "beer". Recommended as an entry beer from the macro world.

L:

L: bright gold with a light haze under a 2" lacy white cap with fair retention

S: mild New World hop aroma of citrus and tropical fruit buttressed by mild biscuit

T: Slightly sweet traces of vanilla, white toast, light bread crust and mild fruit start the flavors leading to a dryinging, lightly bitter finish

F: body and carbonation are medium

O: Lightly toasted malt and mild hop flavors keep this easy drinking blonde ale interesting.

This beer pours a fairly clear golden color. The head was white, 1 finger, frothy. Head retention was average.
The nose is, well, hello! I wasn't expecting such a rich, citrusy notes from this beer. Pineapple, orange, grapefruit.
Taste is, damn! Really rich with a grapefruit flavor. Deep, and it is on both sides - front and back.
Smooth feeling, full bodied.
Ok, I picked up this crawler in Minneapolis - how the heck do they get Disgruntled crawlers there, but not in my central Minnesota home? This is a crying shame, because this beer blew me away.

This beer pours a deep clear gold with an average head. The aroma features crisp, toasty malts, buckwheat, honey. grass, and dry roasted peanuts. The flavor is gentle, with honey, toasted coconut, almond, white bread, and cereal grains all present. The mouthfeel is rather thin and light, with carbonation that starts bright and fades to foamy. Overall this is a nice lighter beer, gentle in approach and subtle, though maybe just a touch too thin.

 

I've reviewed over 2,000 beers now over the last ten year and this just might be my favorite blonde ale/crossover type beer I have encountered in Minnesota brewpubs.

This is a pretty broad style but for me in this style I am looking for an ale with helles, pilsner of vienna lager like qualities. I think it should lean toward the malt for the new drinkers (and guys like me who like malty clean drinking beers). Bemidji Brewing does a real good one. Rhombus Guys is along those lines. A lot of places lean too strong on the hops.

Now this beer has both Citra and El Dorado hops in it but it never feels hop forward. In fact I never would have guessed those hops were in this. It is simply a delicious maltly, easy drinking blonde ale.

It lives up to its name with the toasty malts front and center on the aroma and most definitely on the flavor. Light nutty characteristics as well. Hops never intrude. Just do their part in balancing this out to a truly great beer.

Carbonation, and body are perfect. Clean and well made. Nothing even slightly off. One of my favorite beers of the year that I have tried. Macro drinkers would have to like this wouldn't they? Maybe too much flavor...

I'll go out of my way to enjoy this beer. Would make my top 5 summer beers list.