Grand Ridge Natural Blonde

Brewed by Grand Ridge Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Mirboo North. Vic., Australia

Serve in Tumbler, Weizen

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This not a bad beer but in the style of Grand Ridge, can be hit and miss. This is a lovely light, belgian wit style with some lovely wheat notes and the tast of clean malt. Can be great.

If you told me that this beer was a piece of performance art involving a dogdy home brewer substituting his beer for a well-regarded label to be sold in a national chain of bottle shops, I’d believe you. I’ve got nothing against yeasty beers, but the aroma on this one is distinctly amateurish. It took me back to the undrinkable swill that me and my mate put together in his shed 20 years back. The taste is much more palatable, if a bit bland. There’s some malt, banana and hops. I’m still yet to have a Grand Ridge beer that I really like.

Never had an Aussie Wheat beer before. Brown 330ml bottle from Booth’s Supermarket chain, best before June 2011, drank and reviewed June 2010. Poured, sediment and all into Hoegaarden Grand Cru glass. The beer was a clear blonde until I allowed the sediment to gush out into the glass, it then turned into the cloudy murky off orange colour I was half expecting. Next to no head, just a wisp or two and a thin collar. The smell was wheaty and orangey, the taste a dry orange flavour, and flat almost, poor condition in my eyes anyway. Lacked sparkle and life in general to be honest, not impressed at all. It has travelled a long way to be slated, but this didn’t do the business at all for me.

Draught @ White Horse on Parsons Green, 1-3 Parsons Green, London, Greater London England SW6 4UL.

Unclear medium orange yellow colour with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, white head. Aroma is moderate malty, toasted, moderate yeasty, fruity, apricot, pineapple. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter with a average to long duration, fruity - tropical fruit, light yeasty. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20101229]

Pours cloudy pale amber with a small head. Nose shows doughy wheat, lemon, soft phenols, subtle spicy hops and coriander. Hints of banana surface as a flavour alongside the doughy wheat. Finishes with a slightly metallic bitterness. Underwhelming. Carbonation is perhaps a little on the high side. Body feels a little watery.

From a 330ml bottle on 22/3/2011. Pours a cloudy straw colour with a reasonable head. Has a slight aroma of lemons and yeast. There is more lemon in the taste, along with oranges, and a slightly sour spiciness in the finish. A curious little wheat beer which is decent if not great.

Bottle, 4.5%ABV. Hazy orange with a modest white head. Aroma of wheat, lemon pudding, coriander seed. Thinnish body. (Over) mild sweetness, some lemon tartness, orange peel and a spicy drying finish. Pleasant and thirst quenching. The low sweetness makes it less interesting but I could drink more of this than many Wits.

On tap. Not very interesting. Aromas of citrus and leaves. Taste is sweet and dry, with a hint of sourness, and average length. Palate is oily, with a thin-to-medium body. Yellow, with a persistent head.

Bottle. Fairly cloudy. Very drinkable with nice hints of orange peel. 4.5% not 4.9% as stated here.

28h October 2010
On tap at the White Horse, Parsons Green. Clody gold-amber beer. No head. Light dry and crisp palate. Very dry palate!!! Mildly spicy malt. Crisp but tame hops, traces of grapefruit and orange. An okay beer but really too bloody dry mate!

Bottle. Left-overs from Beer Fest Asia 2010. Having tried a few very uninspiring beers from Grand Ridge, I can’t say I was going into this beer with an open mind. Turns out it’s actually a fairly decent wit. The spices are alright, got some coriander going, the yeast is a bit AWOL but nothing unexpected. Not good enough to warrant a revisit though.