Hold Fast
Foam Brewers

Hold FastHold Fast
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From:
Foam Brewers
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Blonde Ale
Ranked #27
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,875
Avg:
3.98 | pDev: 8.79%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
41
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sunday at 05:35 PM
Added:
Apr 12, 2020
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
SCORE
89
Very Good
Hold FastHold Fast
Notes: Dry-hopped with Strata and Idaho 7, Hold Fast presents notes of candied lemon, cantaloupe, pine, and fresh gooseberries.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.82 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Sunday at 05:35 PM
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Rated by brureview from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Beautiful beer. Strong fruit /citrus notes. Good bitterness in the finish. Drink cold.
May 04, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Feb 27, 2023
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Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

3.52/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
From a 16 oz. can dated 09/29/22 and sampled November 11, 2022.

The appearance is a foggy, not hazy, looking straw yellow under a long lasting white head.

The aroma begins with an immediate lemon zest sensation and then citrus or pineapple followed by white bread crust or sourdough bread.

The mouthfeel is light to medium.

The taste is sweet and citrusy with an emphasis on the lemon juice although it does not make me pucker up like a lemon can do. Clean finish.
Nov 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.28 by ElGallo from New Hampshire

Oct 21, 2022
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Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
their cans look awesome! love the art and label shape, and this is a killer beer, no surprise from these guys, but what a flavorful and drinkable new school blonde, hoppy as they go but with so little bitterness that even my dad thought it was money. hard to ignore the quality in just about all these guys do, so fire top to bottom. cool to see this in syracuse too, glad to see some reach out of here now. anyway the beer is yellow and vibrant in the glass with just a very light frosted look to it, a head as tall as you want to make it on the pour, looks almost belgian to me, fizzy and with nice retention. so much to like about this, the nose and taste show modern hops, not quite southern hemisphere to me, but with key lime, melon, and under ripe berry notes, herbal too, fresh as they come, and not overdone, dry hoppy but light still, nothing really from the yeast at first, but in the flavor its not exactly neutral either, almost presents like a lager strain, maybe a slight house flavor developing here, not sure what they use, but its right for this, gives it subtle nuance that i love, and dries this right out. i get what must be white wheat and belgian pils malt as a base, i get some neat attention to detail on the water chemistry side, and i get a very fast finish and high refreshment value which make this almost addicting to me. subtle vanilla, white cranberry, and lemongrass as it warms, could be a citra element in here, something newer maybe, cant quite read the hops, but the profile is distinctive and gorgeously proportioned. more than a basic blonde or golden ale here, one they should be proud of, and a perfect all day drinker. great to see these guys in cans, real sharp, the beer is money! way underrated here on BA...
Oct 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Gkruszewski from New York

Oct 15, 2022
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Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.64/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap at The Sheffield in Brighton, NY.

This one pours a mostly clear golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like sugar cookie, biscuits, floral hops, caramelly sweetness, and melon.

This is definitely an odd one – it’s got an interesting hop character – melon and berries and such – but it’s a pretty weak hop character overall, without much intensity. It feels more like a average blonde ale than something that seems like it’s supposed to be hop-accented.

This is light bodied, slightly creamy, and pretty drinkable.

This wasn’t quite what I expected – still reasonably good, but not great.
Sep 23, 2022
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Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A can from 8/25/22 opened and reviewed on 9/8/22 *Strata*

Look: Totally clear gold, lazy carbonation with scattered white foam cap. Nice, sticky lace.

Nose: Strata hops seem really fruity, earthy-grassy lemon, bright reds, tropical, buttery, clean malt.

Feel & Flavor: Light feel, juicy, not really dry feeling from the dry hopped addition. Super easy, golden malt rides easy breezy. Fruity sweet and candy esque hops, like a hoppy lollipop.

Overall: one of the most interesting Golden Ale's I've had.
Sep 08, 2022
 
Rated: 3.95 by hozersr from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2022
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Rated by The_Beer_Guru from New York

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hoppy blonde ale. Easy drinking.
May 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.88 by shelby415 from Oregon

Apr 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by AirBob from Massachusetts

Jan 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Velivolus1 from Vermont

Dec 25, 2021
 
Rated: 4.24 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Nov 21, 2021
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Rated by nelsonracite from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Has a light/gold tone. Interesting smell. Almost an earthy taste, cant quite pinpoint. Feels refreshing!
Oct 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Sep 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by 322wingedfoot from Pennsylvania

Sep 14, 2021
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Reviewed by JLK7299 from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Super refreshing after a long hot and humid southern day. Nice break from IPAs, Pilsners and lagers that I mostly drink in the summer time. Foam is great and this is further proof!
Sep 09, 2021
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Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

3.17/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Clear, light yellow with a healthy amount of foamy white head, moderate retention and a bit of lacing. Aroma is...odd. I really don't know what to make of it. It's strong, with maybe some onion / garlic notes. From afar, it doesn't smell bad, but up close, I don't like the aroma at all. Taste is moderately sweet with no hops / malt. Overall, I'm not entirely sure what this beer is trying to be, but whatever it is, I don't like it. The aroma just doesn't work for me, to the degree that I have to hold my breath when I take a sip. In my book, this is a miss from an otherwise good brewery.
Jul 11, 2021
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Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

3.97/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
I received a can from @Roy_Hobbs. Canned on 5/13/2021. Poured into a pint glass. It pours a hazy, bright, translucent grassy golden-yellow with a half finger of creamy, milk-white head and lacing. Subdued lemongrass on the nose. The taste opens with zippy citrus: lemon and a slight hint of tangerine. It's slightly hoppy but not very bitter. The mouth feel is lite and crisp with lively carbonation and with an ABV of 5.5% a second pour is not an issue. Overall, Hold Fast is tasty and enjoyable - particularly on a warm, early summer afternoon
Jul 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jul 02, 2021
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Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.11/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Hold Fast from Foam Brewing. Received in early June 2021 in Ninja box from @Roy_Hobbs. 16 oz can stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 28/6/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom stamped “CANNED ON 05/13/21”. Served at 48.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 56.3 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Pale Straw (SRM 2), opaque. When rear-lite, translucent.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), white, medium density initially but quickly opening, average retention, diminishing to leave a 0.4 to 1.3 cm lacy crown and a thick partial cap. Small islands of lacing remain as the head retracts. Second pour produces a dense 1.1 cm head.
Lacing – Good. Wide band of torn curtain lacing beneath the ring of islands left as the head retracts.
Aroma – 3 – Definite hints of DMS. No hops, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3 – Begins with light sweetness quickly switching to slightly bitter with light hop flavor. No malt, no yeast. No ethanol (5.5 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Gastric warming does not occur. No diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, approaching syrupy, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Neither clean nor crisp, this looks good but that’s where the resemblance to a good lager ends.
Jun 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by hockeypuck from Maine

May 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

May 08, 2021
 
Rated: 4.21 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Apr 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Hendry from Vermont

Sep 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by benjaminsa from Vermont

Sep 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Aug 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jul 23, 2020
 
Rated: 3.79 by SawDog505 from New Hampshire

Jul 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4.04 by GreenMind from Pennsylvania

Jul 16, 2020
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Reviewed by BrewLoverNH from New Hampshire

4.53/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
As a fan of high gravity, hoppy front and back ales, I wasn't expecting to get excited. Yikes was I wrong! This is a very well balanced, crisp and flavorful ale from start to finish. At 5.5 percent, this is the Pappy Van Winkle of "lawn mower beers" and I mean no disrespect. Amazing taste for a low abv beer.
Jun 16, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by lochraneg from New Hampshire

Jun 12, 2020
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Rated by Mrcam from Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Has a somewhat bitter aroma and a pleasant taste. Has the right amount of hoppiness for a golden ale. Foam always makes impressive beers.
Jun 09, 2020
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Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

4.21/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a whitish-blonde hue with a one-finger head into my glass. A touch of spice upfront with a light note of citrus hops and cut grass in the nose. It all comes together in a flavorful mix of citrus, cut grass, bread and spice. Clean finish too. I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this.
May 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.03 by clake from Vermont

May 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4.59 by JMScowcroft from Vermont

May 03, 2020
 
Rated: 2.76 by fermentedbarley from New Hampshire

Apr 29, 2020
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Reviewed by bobv from Vermont

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
16 oz. can.
Canned 04/09/20.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a nearly one inch white head over a slightly hazy light golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of banana, slight spice, and even slighter citrus. Taste follows nose fairly close with banana, a slight sweetness, and a finish of very slight spice. Nice feel and overall, a pretty good representation of the style, highly crushable at 5.5% abv, would recommend and have again. Cheers!
Apr 23, 2020
Hold Fast from Foam Brewers
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 41 ratings