Artevelde Gentse Leute

On our first afternoon in Ghent, the Bitter Wife and I popped into Stadsbrouwerij Artevelde to rest our feet and wet our whistles. The place was stylish, with comfortable seating and Dire Straits on the stereo, so we felt instantly at ease.

I selected a Belgian blonde called Artevelde Gentse Leute. The beer, served on tap at the brewery, is a 6.2% top fermented ale. It’s a lovely orange-gold pop with a healthy crown of bright white foam.

The Gentse Leute has yeasty, fruit-forward aromatics, with notes of sweet apple and fig. The flavour has characteristic Belgian yeast, with some spice and sweetness knotted together. Very little bitterness in this one, but it had a mellow (the Bitter Wife called it “fluffy”) texture.

A decent first touch at Artevelde, Gentse Leute was a decent little ale that left me satisfied and intrigued.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Granite Summer Ale

 According the copy on the 473mL cans, Summer Ale is the oldest seasonal beer from The Granite Brewery & Tied House, an august Toronto institution celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021. 

Summer Ale is a session-friendly 4% ale. It’s a clear golden beer with a respectable covering of white suds. SA has agreeable malt-forward aromatics with sweet grain and grass notes and a touch of apple. Based on the aroma, I expected a fairly sweet flavour, and though there is a decent dose of cereal sweetness, the beer also surprised with a decent amount of floral bitterness.

My only real complaint with Granite’s Summer Ale is the relatively thin texture. Though, for a beer with just 4%, thinness really should be expected. The balance on display in this brew is impressive and the crushability quotient is off the charts.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Bootleg Blonde

Bootleg Blonde is a 5%, 21 IBU blonde from the team at Waller St. Brewing out of Ottawa. According to the copy, this beer makes use of Belgian yeast. It’s a murky orange gold ale with a hefty layer of white foam.

It has a sweet, peppery aromatic profile that put me in mind of a saison. The flavour starts sweet and malty, but swerves a bit into a modestly spicy finish.

Typically, when I think of a blonde ale, I think boring (I know there are some great ones and it’s a big tent style, but that’s just how I feel). However, Bootleg Blonde made a positive impression on me. I’d say that the Belgian influence and the spice made the beer considerably more interesting than a run-of-the-mill blonde ale.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Ice Cold Beer 100% Ontario Ale

 

 Ice Cold Beer 100% Ontario Ale is a crushable, crisp blonde ale from the team at Toronto’s Left Field Brewery. The beer comes in cute 355mL cans and contains just 4.5% alcohol.

Simple and sessionable, Ice Cold Beer is a slightly hazy blonde ale with a thin layer of white suds. It has a sweet, corny nose. The flavour is crisp and balanced, with sweet, grain and malt out front and a faintly bitter back end.

ICB is an approachable, people pleasing ale that one might irresponsibly destroy while watching a ballgame or otherwise wiling away an unproductive weekend afternoon. It is both unremarkable and notable in its simplicity and sip-ability.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Ringwood Ale

 Born and bred in Toronto, Ringwood Ale comes from the venerable Granite Brewery & Tied House. It’s a 5% blonde ale made to star the Ringwood strain of yeast. The beer is golden in colour and slightly cloudy, under a sudsy white head.

Ringwood’s nose is a blend of toasty and malty, with a vibe that is slightly metallic and also a wee bit fruity. The flavour is initially sweet, with apple cinnamon notes. The back end is a bit toasty, still sweet, and it has a modest bitterness.

My outstanding spouse used a can of Ringwood to create a truly outstanding loaf of beer bread and the result was bangin’. The yeastiness and balance really hit the spot.

Blonde ales are seldom my favourite, because they tend toward moderation and milquetoast-iness. Ringwood had considerably more elegance than the average blonde ale, and I thought it was pretty good stuff. I’d have liked a bit more hops presence at the finish, but otherwise it was pretty solid.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Cold Brew 2.0

Cold Brew 2.0 hails from Newport, Oregon, where it’s brewed by Rogue Ales. Billed as a “blonde ale blended with cold brew coffee”, the beer incorporates cold brew coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. A 5.6% alcohol, 30 IBU ale, the beer comes in flashy 355mL cans.

An ale with a hazy orange hue and little head, CB2.0 exudes a hefty java odour that belies its light colour. To my mind, the flavour awkwardly pairs interesting cold brew with a dull blonde ale, with a result that is bitter, but unimpressive.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Boone Creek Blonde

A blonde ale accented with orange zest and wildflower honey, Boone Creek Blonde is produced in Boone, NC by the folks at Appalachian Mountain Brewery. The clear golden ale pours with a modest fog of white head and contains a quaffable 4.9% alcohol. I received a 355mL can of the suds from the peerless KC. Thanks pal!

BCB has the grainy and malt-driven aroma that characterizes the bulk of North American golden ales, although with the slightly sweet uptick lended by honey. However, comparisons to generic macro beers cease as the flavour comes into its own—the beer is mild, but contains multitudes, with citrus and honey combining to provide a tea-like subtext that supplements grass and grain. The finish is only marginally hoppy, and combined with its sweetness, it doesn’t make for a crisp ale. However, mellowness grants a high level of drinkability.

BCB is my third trip to the Appalachian Mountain Brewery well. Not as good as Spoaty-Oaty, but better than Long Leaf, I’d place this smooth and drinkable blonde ale in between and I’d recommend giving it a try.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Vanilla Coffee Blonde Ale

I’m still getting used to the idea that blonde roast coffee is a thing, but now my pal MM brings me a 16oz can of Vanilla Coffee Blonde Ale? What a world!

Brewed in Concord, NC by Cabarrus Brewing Co., the 4.7% alcohol, 15 IBU ale is brewed using S&D French Vanilla Roast coffee, roasted locally in Carabbus County. 

The coffee is, according to the copy on the can, blended with Carabbus Cotton Blonde Ale. The result is a hazy, dull gold ale that pours with a white cap. Sure enough the aroma does have sweet notes of French vanilla coffee—the type of java I cut my teeth in in high school before I discovered the glory of dark roasts and espressos—over a grainy foundation. The beer has a light mouthfeel that blends a bit incongruously with its heavily sweet nose. The flavour is also a bit of an oddity, with ample vanilla sweetness initially, easing into a modestly bitter and crisp finish.

Carabbus’ Vanilla Coffee Blonde Ale is a curious specimen. It partners scent and front end taste notes that are traditionally more at home in a porter with a very light, low octane and, easy-sipping ale. In short, a sweet and oddly rich lawnmower beer. While I didn’t find myself wishing for a second can, I must say I did enjoy the one that I had more than I expected to. I’d have liked a bit more boozy ballast, the sweetness could have been throttled down from a 10 to an 8, and the coffee could have been more evidently bitter, but it was still pretty decent. Perhaps there are more coffee-infused blonde ales out there, but this was a first for me. Hopefully it won’t be the last.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Ruff Draught Tropical Blonde Ale

I picked up Born Ruffians’ latest release, Uncle, Duke & the Chief this week. While listening to it for the third time, it seemed like a good opportunity to review Ruff Draught Tropical Blonde Ale, a Muskoka Brewery product brewed in collaboration with the band. Sold in neon on black 473mL cans, Ruff Draught is a sessionable 5%, 25 IBU ale that, according to its copy, won a session beer prize.  The ingredients list doesn’t mention any purée or fruit additives, so it sounds like the “Tropical” in this blonde ale is a result of brewing and not flavouring.

Brewed in Bracebrodge, RD is a slightly hazy dull gold brewski. It pours with a loose but voluminous cloud of white head, through which one can detect a a dry hops nose with some juicy fruit elements. While the aroma was a bit coy with it’s fruitiness, the flavour was a bit more forthcoming—still, for a beer with “Tropical” in the name, I was expecting to be overwhelmed by citrus and juicy papaya. Rather, the result was a beer with definite fruit leanings, but subtly nestled under an acerbic bitterness and a pleasant, almost Belgian-style yeasty fin.

As someone who appreciates a pint with less-than-obvious fruit elements, Ruff Draught left me pretty pleased—with notes of mango and peach that were plain, but not stifling. Further, the beer was definitely not too sweet, which is a treat when one delves into, and chooses to advertise, tropical flavours. All told, I thought this was a strong beer, and I’d be glad to pick up more if I see it.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Spencer Trappist Ale

Brewed in Spencer, Massachusetts at The Spencer Brewery, Spencer Trappist Ale has the notable distinction, at least as of the time of writing, of being the only certified Trappist beer brewed outside of Europe. The brewery is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Abbey, and has been brewing their 6.5% blonde ale for a few years now—I’ve been wanting to try it ever since I read about the stuff some years back, so I was pretty thrilled when I saw it sitting on the shelf at a Toronto beer vendor.

 The beer has a cloudy appearance and a thin but stubborn layer of eggshell head. STA has a fruity, yeast-heavy nose, with notes of apple and cranberry. The flavour is somewhat uncharacteristic for an abbey beer, in that isn’t particularly funky or rich in Belgian-style yeasts. That’s not to say that the beer isn’t yeast-driven, but it is a bit less tart and tangy than some of the longer established Trappist beers from Europe. The flavour is well-balanced, with slightly sour fruit notes and breadiness sitting on either end of the seesaw.

After downing the better part of a corked and caged 650mL bottle of the stuff, my conclusion is that Spencer Trappist Ale is an interesting addition to the tightly regulated and prescribed world of Trappist ales. It’s a nice blonde ale, but it lacks some of the verve I’ve come to expect when I see the “Authentic Trappist Product” icon on a beer label. However, I suspect that some of my findings were due to my own mistaken expectations—I wanted to open a bottle of North American Chimay or Achel, without accounting for the fact that Spencer is not a Belgian brewery, with all of the history and baggage that comes with. Instead of comparing this ale to one from Westmalle, I should have been appreciating it on its own merits a little more. In that context, it stands up well as a pretty decent gold ale. I’d really have liked a bit more booze and  depth, and a fuller mouthfeel, but for a first offering, Spencer Trappist Ale was pretty good. I’m interested in seeing what direction the monks head in from here; a dubbel or trippel could really knock my socks off if done well.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Food Truck

Brewed in appreciation of Toronto’s gourmet mobile sustenance vendors, Food Truck is a blonde ale that, according to the copy on the 473mL can, is intended to pair nicely with chow. A product of the excellent Henderson Brewing Company, Food Truck is a low alcohol offering, at just 4.8%. It’s a a clear brass-gold ale that pours with an enticing off-white foam.

FT has a grassy, lager-like nose that features grainy notes and a touch of sweetness. The beer has a pretty nondescript taste that moves from slightly sweet to slightly bitter, with a grainy initial vibe and a finish that is sweet, yet fairly crisp.

This grog is very much a blank canvass that absorbs the colours and flavours of the accoutrements it comes with. As a result, it is wildly inoffensive, but has little character of its own. Not boring, exactly, but FT isn’t a particularly remarkable brew. Rather, it’s the background scenery in a local theatre production. A touch too sweet, but otherwise innocuous, FT isn’t much like Henderson’s other, more rambunctious offerings. It’s a fairly well-balanced but forgettable ale, waiting on external flavours to enhance its vitality. I liked it fine, but won’t remember it tomorrow.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (no photo because I'm not smart).

Sanguine Siblings: Blood Light

Lest anyone belive from the first three installments of Sanguine Siblings that Blood Brothers Brewing deals only in IPAs, Blood Light is a low alcohol blonde ale from the midtown Toronto brewery. At just 4.2%, this brew is straw yellow in colour; hazy with a bright white head. I reviewed this one with the Bitter Wife, fresh from the source.

 

Bitter Wife:

Smells like beer, with a thin but citrusy note. Smells like eating a grapefruit under a sprinkler on a summer day.

Tastes thin, but crisp, only for a microsecond. Frothy in texture, with a bit of a buried maltiness. Flavour is gone in a wink. There are mass-produced pale lager attributes, but with a refined flavour. Mostly, though, it's gone in an instant. Very little finish.

6.5 out of 10, but based on the Bitter Wife's harsh rating scale.

To my mind, this beer had a yeasty, slightly fruity scent. More flavourful than its low percentage should allow, this ale tasted slightly yeasty, over top of some strawberry notes. There was almost nothing on the finish, though, which let the beer down.

I liked the stuff OK. It was light and crisp, yet flavourful, except for a wispy finish that fell short of impressing.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Ricky and the Hendersons: Cucumber Blonde

Henderson Brewing Company's Ides of April 2017 was a Cucumber Blonde. Sold in honour of House of Anansi Press' 50th anniversary, this brew gave recognition the Henderson's neighbour. At just 4.7% alcohol, it was a sessionable spring ale sold in beautiful 650mL bottles with several local artists represented on the label: mine was Michael Winter's The Big Why.

The beer was a handsome golden ale topped with a lush white head. Its nose was definitely heavy in cucumber notes--more so than any other beer I've ever downed. Cool and refreshing, cukes were well represented in the flavour, too. As well, there were some slightly bitter notes toward the finish.

All in, the beer was sweet, refreshing, and innovative. A hot weather brew for sure, this cucumber blonde ale was deeply thirst quenching, though a trifle sweeter than it needed to be. Some deeper hops presence would have solidified its finish and made it elite. Still, I found Henderson's Ides of April 2017 to be a unique and captivating little ale. The marriage of cucumber and beer wasn't something that I anticipated would be enjoyable, but as often happens, I was well off the mark. It tasted fresh, sweet, and a bit crunchy.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Swing Bridge Blonde

Swing Bridge Blonde found its way into my refrigerator by way of my generous pal LW. It's a blonde ale from Little Current on Ontario's Manitoulin Island. Named in honour of the bridge that connects the Island to the mainland, Swing Bridge comes in 473mL cans and contains the standard 5% alcohol.

Hazy, pale gold in colour, and topped with a thin white head, Swing Bridge has a nice aroma that swirls fresh grain and honey. The flavour has a similar profile, with sweet honey tones and some subtle floral notes. The weak link in the Swing Bridge chain is its too thin mouthfeel, which lacked the crispness needed.

A fine effort from a brewery that is new to me (Manitoulin Brewing Company), Swing Bridge is an interesting little blonde ale. I might not seek it out, but if I had the opportunity to quaff it again, I'd certainly be game.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Bodacious Blueberry Blonde

Bodacious Blueberry Blonde is an alliterative blueberry flavoured ale from the Broadhead Brewing Company in Ottawa, Ontario. Sold in 473mL cans that describe a ninja-inspired "blueberry infusion process", this little clocks in at a standard 5% alcohol and an innocuous 12 IBUs.

BBB is a hazy golden-orange beer that pours with a layer of tight white head. It packs a powerful blueberry aroma that cloaks just about everything beer about the nose, other than a faint graininess. The flavour is a bit too far on the sweet side and there is almost no bitterness, but it has a very nice blueberry quality and a smooth mouthfeel.

A nice take on the blueberry ale, I'd buy this stuff again, though I'd be more inclined to drink it again in the summer. A bit more beery bitterness would also help a bit.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Farmer's Daughter

Perhaps unwisely, I cracked a can of Farmer's Daughter: A Blonde Ale on the coldest day (to that point) of February. While this ale was likely envisioned with summer sun in mind, I took the plunge anyway. 

Farmer's Daughter is produced in Foresters Falls, Ontario, by the Whitewater Brewing Co. (makers of the highly enjoyable Class V). FD came in an inelegant 473mL can emblazoned with an illustration of a buxom woman in a crop-top, cowboy hat, and daisy dukes--presumably the beer's namesake agrarian lass. According to the copy on the can, this blonde ale is "best served in the hayloft." At 5% and 22 IBUs, this beer's stats held no surprises, nor did its appearance--pretty golden liquid, ever-so-slightly hazy, with a shock of white head.

Immediately upon opening the can, I caught a blast of cereal aromas--grainy and slightly sweet. That's a reasonably apt description of the flavour, too, as it was characterized by sweet, grainy notes. There is just a faint burst of hops at the finish to keep the sweetness from running away with the whole damn thing.

The grassy, cereal elements of this beer were quite welcome, but ultimately I found it too sweet to be much better than not bad. I appreciate that this beer is an ale, and not looking to ape the pilsner style, but a bit more generous hopping in the manner of Czech lagers might have really assisted Farmer's Daughter. As well, drinking in a warmer season might have helped my own enjoyment.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Cause & Effect

When I see a beer can with a phrenologic theme, that's a beer that is bound to interest me. When you factor in some of the thought centers being "hoptimism" and "odd notions", my interest increases. So it's little wonder that I was quick to purchase a 473mL can of Cause & Effect, a blonde ale from Burlington, Ontario--aka a sweet spot between Toronto and Hamilton. C&E is brewed by Nickel Brook Brewing Co. It's a blonde ale that contains 19 IBUs and 4.7% alcohol. It's an almost clear brew, pale gold in coloured, and capped with a fairly thin, white head.

Malty, grainy, and grassy through the nose, with more of the same on the palate, Cause & Effect tastes good. However, it might not taste enough for some drinkers. I found myself yearning for a bit more bombast, particularly up front, where the flavour is a bit sparse. The finish, though, contains a pretty healthy measure of floral and dry noble hops to make C&E a beer worth the price of admission.

If you've a hankering for a nice summer brew, and lagers, saisons, radlers, and wits aren't to your taste, Cause & Effect Blonde is a pretty respectable choice. Although it doesn't compare to other, stronger Nickel Brook offerings like Headstock IPA, Bolshevik Bastard, and the stalwart Naughty Neighbour, I'll certainly be buying it again.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Saint of Circumstance

From Burlington, Ontario comes Saint of Circumstance, a citrus-infused blonde ale brewed by the creative minds at Collective Arts Brewing Limited. At 4.7%, it's a tad understrength, but not woefully so. It comes in 355mL bottles, each with a different image on the label--a very cool touch. I reviewed this faintly cloudy, pale gold ale topped with a layer of off-white head with my missus.

According to Partner, Saint of Circumstance smells very fruity, but with a sourness and whiff of wet gym sock. It tastes less sour than it smells. There's some citrus, but also something more exotic, like lychee. There was no strong aftertaste, which she found appealing. According to my better half, this is an ale that she probably wouldn't buy again, but one she wouldn't kick out of bed either.

She gave it a 6.5 out of 10.

According to yours truly, Saint of Circumstance has a grainy aroma with a pretty evident citrus subtext. It has a thin, dry mouthfeel and one that is reasonably crisp. The flavour is an interesting blend of grassiness, floral hops, and a healthy measure of lime notes. It tastes nice enough, but I wanted it to have more body. It's a nice warm weather guzzler, but not much else.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Urthel Hop-It

Urthel Hop-It has confusing origins. The label states that it is brewed by Bierbrouwerij de Koningshoeven, in Aj Tilburg, The Netherlands; however, the cap confusingly lists The Leyerth Breweries, Ruiselede, Flanders, Belgium. Also, the bottle says "Product of Holland", which suggests that the Dutch brewery is the real source.

The 330mL bottle features a a beer-swilling cartoon fellow. This brew is pretty potent, clocking in at 9.5% alcohol. It is billed as a special blonde ale, and pours a cloudy golden colour. It has tonnes of carbonation and quite a lot of yeasty sediment. Its bright white head is very thick.

The nose is very yeasty, with a citrus tang. It's quite a bit like a witbier, but without the coriander. This stuff has a really unusual flavour combo--it's very boozy, like a Belgian ale, starts out sweet, with some citrus notes, and its finish is exceedingly dry and bitter, though not exactly hoppy. There is clearly a whole mess of hops involved in the production of this stuff, but they don't provide the expected notes of evergreen, resin, or grapefruit. Instead, the hops create a very dry finish that prevents this beer from being too sweet.

At 9.5%, it's a good thing that this stuff comes in a small bottle. It tastes quite strong, but I'd never have guessed it was quite that heavily boozed up if I hadn't read it on the label. I found Urthel Hop-It to be a bit yeasty for my tastes, but it has an interesting, rich flavour that passes through a number of different taste and texture jurisdictions. Seldom have I tried a beer that started so sweet and finished so dry. It's a unique beer, but for some reason, not one that I feel all that compelled to revisit anytime soon.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Iron Throne Blonde Ale

In honour of the return of the truly excellent Game of Thrones, I thought I'd fast track my review of Brewery Ommegang's Iron Throne Blonde Ale. Synergy!

According to the label, this beer, brewed in homage to the Game of Thrones, is "suitable to serve to kings, or pretenders to the Iron Throne". Hailing from Cooperstown, New York, ITBA is sold in impressive corked 650mL bottles featuring an image of the Iron Throne itself. It contains a hearty 6.5% alcohol and "is brewed with grains of paradise and lemon peel". The label also points out that this beer is "part of the Duvel family of fine Belgian ales". It's a cloudy, muted, golden hued ale, topped with a lusty white head.  Be sure to pour it gently, lest your beer foam over.

It has an aroma that is both yeasty and citrus-tinged. Iron Throne is quite mild, particularly on the front end. The flavour blends the bitter, tart, tang of lemon peel with a sourdough yeastiness. It has a very short, dry finish with a dusting of hops and, to my mind, the best element: an intriguing spice quality. It's subtly (dangerously) boozy, with a tame, but fascinating, flavour profile.

If I were in charge of branding at Ommegang, I'd have made the Iron Throne beer something a bit more formidable--perhaps a double I.P.A. or a take no prisoners imperial porter--in order to reflect the daunting might and influence associated with the seat.  But I'm not. The powers that be opted for a blonde ale (a nod to King Joffrey?), and they came up with a pretty fine one.

As a big, bearded, loud, occasionally drunken, and frequently boorish oaf, I can safely say that Robert Baratheon wouldn't turn down a pint (of a keg) of this nectar. This is a very approachable Belgian-style brew with enough depth to satisfy a beer snob. I'd have liked a bit more flavour; bolder citrus notes in the front end and deeper hop lines toward the finish. New initiates to Belgian-style ales: get this stuff. Hardened fans of Belgian brews might find Iron Throne a touch on the mild side.

Rating; 8.0 out of 10.