Grimbergen Blonde

Brewed by Brasserie Union (Alken-Maes / Heineken)
Style: Belgian Ale
Jumet, Belgium

This one pissed me off from the get go! Popped the cap and it spewed all over the place. Including my keyboard. Pours a light gold with small head (because most of that ended up on the floor). Even thought it was a real mess it is still a pretty good beer. A sharpish malt and spice flavor.

Bottle sample at the Newtown brewfest with Mad Indian and Beerded_one. Pours golden with a white head. Aroma of citrus, pale malts, and slight hops. The flavor is yeast, citrus, and slight bitterness in the finish. Decent body, ok brew.

Drank with Stegosaurus and Beereded_one at Newton brew fest. I liked the double ale better from them. Pours a clear golden red color with small head. Sweet aroma with a decent hop finish. It was just okay for me.

(Bottle BB 24/05/07) Yeasty and fruity aroma. Golden colour, clear and average size, white, creamy, slightly lasting head with good lacing. Slightly acidic, yeasty and fruity (banana) flavour. Lively carbonated, slightly alcohol (warming) and medium-bodied palate. 05/10/06

This was the first one the Grimbergen that I have tried and liked it until I tried the double. Still a great beer with a nice malty sweetness

Pours with a frothy, initially three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The beer is more amber and copper hued than it is blond and it is brilliantly clear as well. As I pour this beer fruity notes of pear and apples waft from my glass. The fruit notes are certainly the dominant note in the aroma, but are joined by notes of vanilla, a touch of caramel and just a wisp of toasted grain character. As my nose gets used to the aromas notes of honey, wild flower nectar, and some grassy notes start to become noticeable. All in all this is a pretty enticing aroma, it makes me think that the flavors of this beer might lean towards the sweet side of things.

The taste is a touch sweet, but not at all cloying and in fact much more lightly so than the aroma suggested. Herbal honey notes and some vanilla add some complexity to the light sweetness. Hints of clover, a touch of astringency, even something like dandelions all seem to lightly be noticeable in this beer as well. I would describe this beer as being really soft. It is not just quaffable, but somehow seems simplistic despite the flavor complexities. I can’t quite make my mind up on this one. There is certainly nothing wrong with this beer, and it is definitely tasty, but it just seems a touch too ordinary for some reason. Maybe I am just being picky, because I would certainly have this again.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

75cl bottle. Pours golden colour with a white head. Aroma of yeast. Flavour is malty.

(06.29.06) 11.2 oz brown bottle as gift from Tom D. 6.7% ABV. Poured light clear brown with small white head. Soft carbonation. Sweet toasted malt aroma. Medium bodied ale that starts with light malt sweetness and toasted malt/nuts/fruity ester flavors. Slight flavor of lactic acid. Finished with light malt fade. A good drinkable beer.