Smokin' Blonde Ale
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Iron Hill Lancaster on 8/27/11.

A - Hazy golden body with a creamy bright white dollop of foam on top that yielded some spotty lacing around the glass.

S - Toasted malt, spicy Belgian yeast and a strong spice character suggesting pepper, clove and rye malt perhaps.

T - Starts off with a burnt, toasted malt character reminiscent of burnt toast. I get woody and spicy but not necessarily smokey. Finish is quite astringent, giving a lasting impression of charred malt.

M - Medium bodied with a syrupy texture and moderate carbonation. Kind of dry and a bit gritty on the palate. Finish is astringent with a spicy burn on the tongue.

D - I found this one to be a little underwhelming in the grand scheme of recent IH Lancaster beers. This was not exactly what I was anticipating either. The "smokey" character was lost on me, unfortunately. The astringency needs to be dialed back a bit.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy apricot color with a full cap that leaves plenty of lacing behind, though the retention could be better

Smell: Biscuity, with the subtle smoke providing an almost minty character

Taste: Biscuity, up front, with a very interesting light smoke and minty cinnamon character developing by mid-palate and only growing stronger after the swallow; a bit of typically Belgian sweetness builds in the finish but never gets cloying

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I wasn't sure what to make of this from the label, but it is a very enjoyable beer where the smoked malt creates an unexpectedly fragrant and lively character to the beer

Thanks, Hophead101, for the opportunity