I Forget the Rest
Walt and Whitman Brewing Company

weird as a blonde ale, they call it a hoppy one, but still, i never expect this style to be hazy, and this ends up more like a hazy pale to me, too heavy and full from all the grain density to really fit as a blonde, and there is some bitterness to the hops too. fresh and flavorful, but not real well refined to me. sunset yellow to real light orange in tone, fully hazy, with an inch of creamy and lasting white head from the faucet at the source. the nose on it is bitter orange, dried mango, and some green grassiness, a little green bite to me, a hint of detergent too, something stressed and unclean about the ferment thats clashing with the hops a bit to me, and combined it immediately takes the lightness and drinkability out of this that i seek in something calling itself blonde ale. the flavor has some breadiness to the malt, fuller for the style for sure, smooth in texture which is nice, i feel like the grain really extends this, a fairly long drink. a little zizzle from the ferment on the palate makes it seem kind of off, and the hops are bold, a weird fit too, mandarin orange, lemon cleaner, slight astringency too somehow, not green and not super bitter i guess, but not cohesive with the rest of the beer to me either. i suppose i like the effort to make this more interesting than is common in a blonde, and the attempt at modernity with these hops, but it almost tastes chemical, a thiolized yeast gone wrong or something, i can quite place it, but it doesnt work all the way. still, there is a freshness thats nice, some appealing substance from the grain, and its unique enough to not get lost in a samey style space, but overall this was hands down the worst of the many beers we drank at this awesome brewery, a great hang!