Hales Drawbridge Blonde

Brewed by Hales Ales
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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This was very predictable. Not the flavors itself, necessarily, but what Ratebeerians thought of it: I took one whiff and said "I bet the site average is between 3.2 and 3.3." And as I write it is 3.25 with 18 ratings! Light yellow color, a bit of head, but otherwise plain--I think had I had this in a brewpub I would have been even less impressed than I see it in my kitchen. The aroma offers an initial shot of hops but later it reveals much more European complexity, suggesting bubblegum, greater citrus, and spice--perhaps clove even. The flavor was light and reasonably a refreshing take on the aroma. The palate faded relatively quickly--before it had even really warmed. It must have lost carbonation and ended up sligtly sweet but on the limp side of sticky. Seemingly dry at the end though (hop influence). Not a bad beer, but generally unremarkable.

Somewhat fruity zesty aroma. This is nice. A good light flavor with some fruit in the middle. Surprisingly refreshing and would make a great session beer.

Bottle. This one was a gusher. Pours murky amber with some floaters and a 4 finger foamy beige head that leaves delicate lacing. The nose is fruity and grainy. The taste is caramel and fruit with a grainy finish. Medium mouthfeel. Not that great, but I think it’s an older bottle.

Draught @ the brewpub. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a small white head. Has a fruity malty aroma with some grainy hints. Fruity malty slightly hoppy flavor with some grainy hints. Also some hints of citrus. Has a fruity malty hoppy finish.

From a 12oz bottle purchased at Belmont Station in PDX--Poured a clear copper-amber body with a medium whitish head. Fruity, creamy, sweet with a hint of caramel and nuts. Malty thin body and weak finish. Very drinkable but dull.

clearish light amber with thin head. no aroma, light fruit notes and malty taste very thin body

UPDATED: MAY 10, 2010 1999 12 oz. Bottle. 4.85% ABV. (4.25 / 5.0) Clear pale bright amber color. Floral hop front introduces rich balanced pale ale crystal malt body with light spicy caramel fruit flavor. Hops spice up cloying finish. Sampled 5/14/1999. 2000--12 oz. Bottle. 4.85% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Clear rich golden color hazes at end. Mild light floral hop front. Nice bouquet. Crisp smooth mild pale malt body. Mild balanced floral sweetness. Clean mild hop end. Hints of biscuit. Nice lace in head. Sampled 11/6/2000. 2001--12 oz. Bottle. 4.85% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Slightly cloudy rich golden color. Malty light fruit floral hop front. Crisp mildly citrus light biscuit body with good texture and flavor. Balanced sweet hop end with clean refreshing citrus notes. Sampled 5/15/2001. 2002--12 oz. Bottle. 4.85% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Bottle Conditioned. Clear light golden color. Mild floral hop front. Crisp mild sweet creamy caramel butter body. Dough hints. Mild clean balanced light hop spice end. True light tasty balanced Blonde Ale. Sampled 10/19/2002. 2003--12 oz. Bottle. 4.85% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Bottle conditioned. Clear rich bright golden color. Thin mild lace head. Tasty mild floral hop front. Mild creamy doughy butterscotch and light sweet citrus fruit caramel body. Clean mild hop end. Nice. Sampled 8/12/2003. 2004--12 oz. Bottle. 4.70% ABV. 25 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lacy head. Slightly hazy bottle conditioned sediment rich golden color. Floral mild hop fruit front. Smooth creamy buttery mild sweet bread banana fruit body. Clean mild hop citrus end. Residual malt sugars. Mild. Tasty. Sampled 9/14/2004. 2005--12 oz. 4.90% ABV. 25 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Tight lacy head. Clear bright golden color. Mild floral hop malt fruit front. Smooth tasty butterscotch caramel bottle conditioned mild sweet ester fruit doughy body. Creamy mild sweet hop citrus smooth refreshing end. Sampled 7/18/2005. 2006--12 oz. Bottle. 4.90% ABV. 25 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Mild lace head. Bottle conditioned sediment. Clear bright rich gold color. Mild hop front. Refreshing clean smooth mellow butter caramel banana ester mild sweet body. Clean smooth malt tang mild CO2 hop end. Tasty Blonde! Sampled 10/26/2006. 2007--12 oz. Bottle. 4.90% ABV. 25 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Mild head. Bottle conditioned hazy bright golden color. Mild floral hop front. Semi sweet mellow caramel butter fruit ester no biscuit Blonde body. Mild fruit hop fresh clean easy refreshing mild end. Nice Blonde. Sampled 5/26/2007. 2008--12 oz. Bottle. 4.90% ABV. 25 IBU’s? (4.0 / 5.0) Bottle Conditioned. Mild lacy light white head. No sediment. Clear thin bright light gold color. Mellow floral hop flowery front. Crisp mild caramel butter delicate tasty fruit ester mild zesty body. Refreshing smooth mild hop clean satisfying end. Brainy Blonde. Sampled 7/3/2008. 6-Pack $7.99.

Amber with small white head, few lacings. Aroma is floral hops. Taste is mild with slight hop bitterness, some decent malts. Very quaffable summer blonde. Drink, repeat, etc.

Bottle: Deep blonde with a golden hue. Smallish white head. Aroma is light, but floral and bits of grass. Flavor is maltier than expected, some light florals and again grassy. Not bad. One of the better blondes that I choose to remember.

Pours a nice golden color with a medium fizzy white head. Slightly sweet malty grain and citrus aroma. Good flavor. Slightly hoppy and bitter finish. Above average.

Pours cloudy light caramel with a decent head. Aroma of wet dishrag, corn and spice. Flavor is watery corn, spice with a bitter finish. Sucks.