Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde

Brewed by Hopfenstark
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
L’Assomption, Canada

Lemon citrus, floral and woody hop character greets the nose with sweet underlying malt base. Very hazy yellow-blonde body is topped by a shy but lasting white head - almost looks a bit like a witbier as it is somewhat viscous. Flavour reveals a lightly musty, honey-sweet malt character with tart wheat notable, plenty of lemon citrus, woody, earthy, haylike and floral notes from the hops but although the moderate bitterness overtakes the malt sweetness and lingers, it is never overwhelming. Somewhat spicy in the aftertaste. Light-medium body with lightly prickly carbonation that awakens the taste buds. Quite the revelation! If this were my local I’d be thrilled to be quaffing this all summer long. Shaker glass. Just above fridge temperature. Bottle (bottle conditioned) purchased at the brewery in mid-June.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, tupalev, jerc & mabel -- from the brewery via GregClow. Pours a hazy pale yellow with a small diminishing white head. Aroma of yeast, citrus and floral hops. Flavour: First thing I notice is the amount of hops, which is a pleasant surprise, especially for a Blond Ale from Quebec. Along with the hops there’s yeast, spices and a nice long bitter finish. Medium bodied. A Blond Ale that is hoppier then most beers in Canada, well done indeed!

Bottle at the no Greg tasting, courtesy of, of course, Greg, shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, Jerc, and Mabel. Nice yeasty aroma, some lemon as well Nice medium yellow, bubbly white head. Good taste - surprisingly hoppy, yet yeasty as well with more lemon. Very flavourful. A golden ale/blonde is not going to get much more flavourful than this, well done.

2008-04-10. Hazy pale pastel yellow body with a small white head (3+). Interesting aroma, yeast notes, interesting citrus, floral hoppy notes. (7+) Pleasant hoppy notes throughout the flavour, floral, pleasant bitterness, light grassy notes. (7+) Slightly fuller than average palate. Pretty solid. Bottle courtesy of GregClow<P>Re: Lord of the Rings:
"You know, the other elf... the guy who dies.."
"Jim?"

Bottle (500ml). No ClowGr’s tasting, shared with blankboy, jerc, mabel and tupalev. Very cloudy light gold, smallish frothy diminishing white head. Slightly sour aroma, plenty of sharp yeast and moderate spice - hint of lemon and dry grass. Taste - incredible surprise, heavy, thick fresh grassy bitterness, quite acidic, the malt’s way in the background here - man this is hoppy. Thick, still, acidic mouthfeel, long tart grassy-grapefruit pith bitter finish. Damn nice. Well done, Fred!!

On tap @ Vices et Versa, Montreal. Herbal, fruity & slightly floral aroma. Medium blonde golden color. citrusy, mildly fruity, nice mouthfeel. decent

500 mL, hand-labelled bottle from the brewery via Lubiere (merci!), served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.

App.: Medium golden, clear (but large flecks of yeast in the bottle...), fairly decent white meringue. Aroma: A nice blend of fruitiness, cereals and hops; cherries, berries, peaches, peppery, light treacle, a very hard to describe green smell, melons, a touch of floral honey, non-descript spices. Palate: Medium body and kinda soft carbonation that gives a soft overall impression. Flav.: Peppery-spicy-lemony-fruity; some cereals, a bit off-dry, solid bitterness; leaves a bit of alcohol behind. Reminds me of a Saison quite a bit.

Interesting stuff. Certainly has a lot going on for such a seemingly innocent “golden ale”.

Bottle from the brewery. Pours a light golden colour with a faint haziness and a good sized white head. Aroma is quite yeasty, with some herbal notes and a bit of apple. Body is highly carbonated at first, but calms down as it warms. Flavour is sharp and fresh, with notes of pepper, apple skin, yeast, juniper, and bitter herbs. A very unique beer with a lot more character than a typical golden ale.