Black Isle Organic Blonde

Brewed by Black Isle
Style: Pale Lager
Munlochy, Rosshire, Scotland

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Lager glass, Shaker

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Bottled. Slightly cloudy yellow with a full white cap, served by plenty or large rising bubbles. Rather more malty then hoppy aroma. A smooth, soft range of malts arrives on the palate first but is quickly trampled by a sharp acidic storm. An odd ball beer if you ask me. Its not quite summery, not quite blonde, not quite much of anything. It certainly takes its toll on your palate though.

Bottle. Classic lager appearance, This is at the top end of pale lagers - credit to Black isle for making a good beer in what is generally a poor style.

Bottled 500ml (K-Kamppi, BB 03/2013, alc. 4.5 %)
Clear golden color, small white head. Fruity aroma with citrus, pale maltyness and yeast. Light bodied, crisp carbonation, oily palate. Citrus, lemon zest, sweet fruityness in the pale malty flavor. Nothing fancy but balanced and tasty beer for this ABV. This doesn’t taste as a lager. More ale-like.

from Bier-Bienne - hazy blond beer with a poor foam left; fruity and gently grassy hoppiness; medium-bodied and tasty, some tart bitterness and quite dry, short and refreshing dry and fruity hoppy finish - very drinkable

Bottled (from K Citymarket Lielahti, Tampere), 4.5 %. Golden colour, mediumsized slightly off-white head. Aroma is fruits, bread, mild grainy and wooden notes as well as quite a nice big herbal touch. Flavour is fruity, floral, grainy and mildly earthy. Big time hoppy floral fiinish. No haze noted in colour even though pouring all the bottle contents in. A "lager" that tasted quite much like a golden ale... The commercial description on the bottle says: "A premium quality blonde beer with a light biscuit palate and a fresh, grassy aroma". Kind of works, but if this pretends to be a lager (As the RB description says) I say FAIL. Is this a different brew from the original Organic Blonde?

50 cl bottle (4,5%) @ home, BBE 03/2013
Aroma is sweetish with fruits, grain, some toffee and hay. Flavour is fruity with toffee, some grain and hay. This feels like a hybrid with fruits from an ale and grainy feeling from a lager. Good.

500 ml bottle. BBE 03/2013.
Pours a golden colour with a white head. Aroma of pale malts, biscuits, hay and grass. Flavour of strong malts, biscuits, citrus, grassy hops and hay. Some sweet honey and citrus notes as well. Light bodied, slick mouthfeel and a light, bitter and malty finish with some pleasant citrusy notes. Really good for a pale lager, clearly the best I’ve had so far from this style.

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Bottle 33 cl from Le Tonneau Verre - Yverdon (CH). Clear blonde, fugacious white foam, low crackling. Aromas of malt, herbs, vegetables, cereals, raw meat. The taste is of cereals, biscuit, vanilla, honey, hay, wrapped in herbal notes. Creamy, without too much relief.

Aroma: What little there is gets dampened by the pillowy head. Grain and cereal notes.

Appearance: Clear golden body. Dense, white, lasting head. Lots of carbonation. Excellent lacing.

Taste: Clean and moreish. Slight boiled vegetable taste.

Palate: Thin body. Slick, watery mouthfeel.

Overall: Good refreshment and drinkability.

Bottle from Tesco
Appearance Very light straw...clear...frothy white head..some lacing
Aroma Light - grassy hops...hint of herbal hop..light straw malt
Taste Light bitter grassy hops...background of light sweet pale malt...simple beer but flavour reasonably good
Palate soft carb...thin body. Finish - same as main flavour, light bitter, bit of a zing on the palate.
Overall OK blond ale, nothing wrong with it but rather plain. More of a lager-golden ale hybrid. Better from the bottle, forget it on keg.