Blue Ridge (MD) Golden Ale

Brewed by Wild Goose LLC (Flying Dog)
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Frederick, Maryland USA

Took the tour of Blue Ridge Brewery and bought some of this after having some at the tasting bar. I guess I’m not used to fresh beer. But I like it. This brew pours a deep golden clear color with a large head that dissapates quickly but leaves some tracing on the glass. Very carbonated, and very sharp. Packed with flavor. Not excellent, but everything a microbrew should be... so much more character and taste than the macrobrews dominating America, so it’s safe to say I will never buy a Coors, Bud, or Miller product ever again. Not when something like this is available in my area.

I wish I could boost this little brewery batch higher. But it is far better to drive through the horrid traffic in this town than to pretend this isn’t a knock off of every other mass produced beer around. Where is the distinction?!

(12 oz bottle: Obtained 05-Jan-06 in trade with hopscotch, thanks Eric!)) Based on my old rating, there apparently was a time when I thought this was a pretty decent beer. That was then, this is now. It’s lightly sweet and fruity, very grainy, and slightly hoppy, but the overall flavor just tastes like cheap, bitter beer to me. Bitterness picks up in the finish, but after several sips, this is turning into a pretty awful aftertaste. Grainy nose is fairly non-descript and uninteresting. Body is light-medium with a somewhat crisp mouthfeel. Dark straw color, fairly clear, but there are plenty of particles suspended in the beer. Smallish off-white head unceremonously settles to a ring, leaving minimal lacing. They should supply a toothbrush in every six-pack.

Thanks to Tom, my boss, for bringing this brew back from his brewing expedition at our new OBP facility, Fredric Brewing Co..

Glowing golden, light copper body… a handsome cap of dense white head… the beer laces the glass amazingly! The aroma and flavor are rather grainy, buttery, hints of biscuit and lemongrass…an earthy and woodsy finishing hop rounds out the malt. Makes me think of oats and buttered golden corn.. Southern grits…. Very crisp and evenly dry… A pretty decent golden ale… this bottle was freshly bottled in the last couple weeks.

Sparkling pale golden body topped with a fizzy white head that disappears quickly, nice looking, though no lacing. Aroma is faint sweetness and fruits. Light and refreshing with an herbal hop ending.

A very light golden with faint, sweet malt & wheat in the nose bolstered a bit by some mild orange scents. The straw-colored body is crowned by a huge, fizzy head.... which departs rather quietly and quickly. This is very light in the mouth, the liquid wanting to bubble up some more as you drink. The flavor is a light, sweet malt with some Wheaties and a splash of orange juice. It’s oddly refreshing, which is why I’m rating it higher than I initially thought I would after the first tastes.

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Sparkling golden straw, thin fizzy white head. Subtle nose of citrus, biscuit, and florals, with even lighter tones of sweet caramel. A light herbalness was noted around room temp as well. The flavor was well balanced with light citrus and herbal-like hops up front, and a light sweet malt rounding it out. Light to medium bodied, soft carbonation, light bittersweet finish. Basic, but quite drinkable...

Pours a rust brown with little head. Hints of caramel and hops in the nose. Taste is a rush of hops rounded out by a toffee-like malt flavor. Mouthfeel is a bit too watery. Not bad. Thanks Tim (the Enchanter).