Belgian Blonde
Banded Oak Brewing Company

a really basic beer, nice and light for drinking on their patio, but without much grain character to it, the belgian yeast stands out almost a little too much for me, especially when this warms up a little bit, it really gets estery, even though its not all that intense comparatively, the minimalist nature of the rest of the beer makes it seem that way. a little hazy from the tap but soft and inviting under a smallish white head. the aroma is all from the yeast for me, maybe some light hops on the back end but its green banana and white grape and white pepper and ground clove and anise and bandaid, not unappealing but out of proportion for me, and thats true in the flavor as well. the beer is of high quality though, nice and dry, fluffy feeling and well carbonated, summery like a white wine spritzer, herbal at the end, with the spice complex from the yeast really standing out. faint sweetness like pineapple juice and honey in the middle too, gives it a nice wrinkle there. overall if the yeast could be scaled back even a little bit in here, or perhaps the malt profile fleshed out just a tad more, this would be more balanced and a much more drinkable beer. still nice to have a patio pounder here though among all their heavier barrel aged beers, especially considering the patio is bigger than their inside space! i was shocked to see this as strong as it is, it drinks a whole lot lighter than its posted abv! look out!

 

On-draught @ the brewery.

A little boozy, but all the right elements are there.

Low B- / WORTHY