Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde

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

Now hear about this lovely and rocking little novelty. It is a cloudy golden ale topped by an honest sheet of white foam. Appealing and growing on you nose takes one aback by its rather estery fruity notions that march beside the skillful extraction which allows such clean and pure graininess, crunchy fresh cereals from the most humble and yet apt basic pale malts. Natural and engaging carbonation and its sibling yeastiness impart an invigorating texture which deploys its charms down to the bottom of the throat. Crisp noble hops appear more and more vigorous by the sip, grassy, leafy, yet more into bittering and balancing purposes than aromas. Now that’s a pleasant and unexpected surprise. An absolutely gorgeous little session ale, basically what could be made into a futuristic Saison if we ever come back to the hardcore farming. This is feeding by its mere texture, light in alcohol, hugely drinkable and charmingly flavorful, screaming its love for the ingredients it originated from while letting the drinker know of the masterful hands which are behind their integration.

Any first impressions?
-A frothy head dissipates into the hazy pale straw.
-Well-developed cereals proudly reach the nostrils as subdued hoppiness do not announce the potency of their presence in the flavor profile.
-Soaring noble, herbal hops carry into a leafy bitterness, gravitating around the purported chewy cereals.
-The ample yet drinkable maltiness and soft, big-bubbled effervescence emulates Franconian/Bavarian unfiltered lagers.

What if you dig deeper?
-Honeyed bananas discreetly approach the spicy, herbal hoppiness.
-I am reminded of Drei Kronen Schesslitz’s Lagerbier. Very impressive!!
-Immensely drinkable yet never frail, this competently-brewed German countryside classic (as an ale, in this case) cannot fail to please. An amazing beginning for this new microbrewer. THIS is a golden ale!

On tap at Vices et Versa, Montréal and at the brewery.

Tap at Spuyten Duyvil. Pale blonde beer, slightly hazy with a thick creamy head. Aroma is very wheaty and spicy. Softly fruity with a bit of light chewy character. Lightly melony and a bit minty as well. Juicy and peachy with lots of honeyish character. Lemon and a bit of soft bubble gum and bread dough. Nice, juicy fruity brew.

A light hazy golden ale with a thick creamy white head. A biscuity malt aroma with peppery hops notes. In mouth, a crisp sweetish malt, light lactic notes, herbal hops, and light berry notes. Medium bodied. On tap at Vices versa, Jan. 2007.

Sampled draught at the Mondial, Montreal (May 2007). Opaque yellow-gold with just a touch of head retained....pleasant malty nose, honey-vanilla notes with very little hops, but so fresh and forward with the malts that I’m not caring....ah, but then on tasting it, BLAM the rough, earthy-grassy bitterness overwhelms the senses, toasty and a bit smoky even, carrying all the way through to the finish with just enough underlying pale malts to hold it together....citric and rather hard finish but quite refreshing, grapefruit and lime pucker the mouth but leave a smile on the lips....

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.

cloudy yellow/peach and unfiltere. Good yeast and hop and fresh. Grapefruit and some yeast in aroma. Medium plus creamy mouthfeel.Nice hopping. This is a big time upcoming brewery based on 6 months’ real time brewpub displayed here.

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!!