Drakes Blonde Ale

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Kölsch
San Leandro, California USA

12oz bottle. Huge gusher upon opening, with eighty percent head and twenty percent hazy blonde, with plenty of yeast sediment and haze. After much foam scraping and a good ten minute wait, it is fit for consumption; well, kinda. Subtle hop spice and bready yeast on the nose. I swear that there is also an acidic astringency, but it is hard to really tell. The flavor is super dry with a tart tang and plenty of yeast. Finishes a little astringent with some hop bitterness. Extremely carbonated to the point of being almost undrinkable. Three bottles now, and something is definitely off with this beer. I’m not sure if it’s infection or a bottle conditioning problem, but it is too dry, too carbonated, and too acidic. Part of me wanted to like this because the flavor had vague flashes of a demented Orval, but in the end this was just undrinkable. Hoping that the rest of my sixer managed to avoid this catastrophe. (2.2)

Rerate: Last bottle of the sixer, and the only one to avoid the huge over-carbonation gushing problem. Clear gold with a modest white head. Grassy and spicy nose with a little dough aroma as well. The flavor has some slightly sweet cracker pale malts, and a good dose of grassy and spicy hops with plenty of bitterness for the style, though not too much in general. Light bodied with ample small bubbles. Still nothing I’m too wild about, but this one last bottle showed to be a decent blonde ale.

Bottle courtesy of BMan1113VR. Pours gold with a generous rocky head. Smells lightly fruity with some grassy undertones. Tastes of grass, a touch of lemon, wildflowers, perfumy. Great beer!

Poured on tap at Lanesplitter a blond color with virtually no head. Aroma was malty grass. Flavor is malt with some cardboardy grass notes and a slight toast with some sour tones. Palate is light and tart. This beer just didn’t suit me. Maybe because I had a Death and Taxes before, but this came off as stale and hardly drinkable. May try again one day.

Very light and clean. Crisp on the palate. Spicy hop aroma. Clean fresh hops taste. Malt is more evident at the end.

Pours hazy with a nice white pillowy head and a really night light hay golden color Nose of clean base malts and some noble hops. Flavor: Smooth soft round and refreshing - clean malt complexity, restrained hop flavor and a creamy finish. A fleeting tartness is there - the creaminiess seems to hide this Palate: Slightly creamy and a hint of dryness in finish Overall: A really nice well made beer - perfect for a grill on a summer day. Nicely balanced just wish the aroma would be more expressive

12oz bottle from BevMo La Mesa. Very impressed with this blonde. Pours a very slightly hazy golden color with a small fizzy white head. A calm nose with hints of yeast and malt with a light hop presence.

Pours golden clear with off white head. This isn’t really my style, bit it seemed good after a long week and hot weather. Nose was bitter and a bit harsh, but the flavor was much more subtle and smooth. The finish was a bit malty, and all together a very easy drinking beer.

Pours a light gold in color with a nice rocky head that quickly disappears. Smell is the said noble hops and some spice. Taste is crisp and spicy. Very nice. Clean, crisp and refreshing.