Coffee Blonde Ale
The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery / Caiseal Beer & Spirits
- From:
- The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery / Caiseal Beer & Spirits
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- American Blonde Ale
- ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- +6 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.62 | pDev: 9.94%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 11, 2024
- Added:
- Jun 08, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Fifteen pounds of local Rogue Elephant coffee gives this blonde ale a surprising roasted coffee character. Contains Lactose.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia
3.09/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.09/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I don't see a date code on the can or the label.
Appearance: It has a hazy gold body without any real head. There is a small white ring around the glass but it never formed a head when pouring. No lacing.
Aroma: It smells a bit like dark chocolate and there is a pepper-like coffee scent. The aroma is medium strength.
Taste: Up front there is more of that pepper character with a bit of coffee. It is a touch earthy and there's a bit of a tartness to the beer that is nondescript in any specific flavor profile. The flavor drops off quickly towards the middle of the mouth where there isn't much character. The flavor of the beer is alright when it is suspended on the palate but when casually drinking the beer it has a noticeable drop-off. There is some residual coffee flavor that hangs out on the tongue which is almost like an aftertaste before the beer leaves the mouth.
Mouthfeel: It is light bodied with a touch of bite which comes across as a light heat and bitterness.
Overall: The text on the can states that this is a "COFFEE BLONDE ALE WITH NATURAL FLAVORS." It does have some coffee character and it is consistent with a lot of the pepper notes that come with a lot of coffee beers. The base blonde ale is lacking in any supportive character and it only serves as a blank slate for whatever these natural flavors are. As a whole it's a drinkable beer but it doesn't really do anything well so it's not a beer I'd likely buy again and it's not one I'd recommend buying.
Sep 11, 2024Appearance: It has a hazy gold body without any real head. There is a small white ring around the glass but it never formed a head when pouring. No lacing.
Aroma: It smells a bit like dark chocolate and there is a pepper-like coffee scent. The aroma is medium strength.
Taste: Up front there is more of that pepper character with a bit of coffee. It is a touch earthy and there's a bit of a tartness to the beer that is nondescript in any specific flavor profile. The flavor drops off quickly towards the middle of the mouth where there isn't much character. The flavor of the beer is alright when it is suspended on the palate but when casually drinking the beer it has a noticeable drop-off. There is some residual coffee flavor that hangs out on the tongue which is almost like an aftertaste before the beer leaves the mouth.
Mouthfeel: It is light bodied with a touch of bite which comes across as a light heat and bitterness.
Overall: The text on the can states that this is a "COFFEE BLONDE ALE WITH NATURAL FLAVORS." It does have some coffee character and it is consistent with a lot of the pepper notes that come with a lot of coffee beers. The base blonde ale is lacking in any supportive character and it only serves as a blank slate for whatever these natural flavors are. As a whole it's a drinkable beer but it doesn't really do anything well so it's not a beer I'd likely buy again and it's not one I'd recommend buying.
Reviewed by Radome from Florida
4.08/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Tasted in a sampler flight at the taproom.
L - Slightly hazy, light golden color. Weak, white head
S - Delicious coffee aroma, like a freshly-opened can of French Roast ground beans.
T - Coffee flavor predominates, fresh and not acrid. Blonde ale flavors are shoved into the background by it, but the beer truly showcases the coffee well.
F - Light body and crisp, spritzy carbonation expected for the style. Medium hops bitterness, perhaps augmented by the coffee’s bitterness. Clean, light finish with very light alcohol presence.
O - A well-made palette for the coffee. Would be a flawless, but uninteresting blond ale without it.
Apr 08, 2023L - Slightly hazy, light golden color. Weak, white head
S - Delicious coffee aroma, like a freshly-opened can of French Roast ground beans.
T - Coffee flavor predominates, fresh and not acrid. Blonde ale flavors are shoved into the background by it, but the beer truly showcases the coffee well.
F - Light body and crisp, spritzy carbonation expected for the style. Medium hops bitterness, perhaps augmented by the coffee’s bitterness. Clean, light finish with very light alcohol presence.
O - A well-made palette for the coffee. Would be a flawless, but uninteresting blond ale without it.
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