Keweenaw Pickaxe Blonde Ale

Brewed by Keweenaw Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Houghton, Michigan USA

I have had many blondes over the years (think about it). This is not the best, kind of reminiscent of a smutty blonde I picked up in a dive bar up in Munising, but I digress. No sir, you cannot compare this to the "Gold Standard" in American Brewing (Blatz), but it’s not bad if you have a few in your fridge. You can always unload them on your unsuspecting neighbors or in-laws. OK stuff, and it will certainly make you appreciate that golden ambrosia (Blatz) even more. Enough of these and you’ll be screaming long into the night: "Ich habe eine große Wurst erhalten"

I drink, drink, drink from the can. Hazy straw-yellow body, thin/medium off-white head. Cerealy nose with grassy hops and light, biscuity malt. Tangy and a touch metallic. Grassy body, biscuity, with notes of bread dough and lemon. I am perplexed by the commercial description, "a slightly malty American Blonde Ale with just a kiss of hops." Slight of hops and malts, what am I drinking? This is actually a pleasant beer, and I do not regret the $1.50+tax+deposit+overtime I paid to sample it.

12oz can thanks to xnoxhatex. Pours a slighlty hazy glowing light golden with big soda carbonation and white soda bubbly head. Aroma of vanilla, pale malt, hint of orange, yeast. Upfront flavor is actually fairly pleasant, doughy lightly fruity yeasty golden ale, cashews, finishing more malty before becoming astringently metallic and slightly tangy, macro. Chalky medium/thin body with nice crisp medium carbonation.

Had this one at the hotel after Founders Fest 2009. 12oz can pours golden clear with a small, fizzy white head. Aroma is of straw, malt, grass, and spice. Taste is of straw, malt, and slight spice. The "kiss of hops" is exactly that, just the slightest presence of hops. Has a very grassy taste to it all. Mouthfeel is crisp, and heavily carbonated. Lingering spicy taste. It’s not harsh or bad, it’s just nothing special.

I first enjoyed this while hanging out in a cabin of the shores of Lake Superior. Between cans of Keweenaw Brewery fare and growlers from the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery, Paradise Michigan lived up to its name. Glad to see that this brew has made it downstate where we Trolls reside.

Hazy blond pour with two fingers of white head. Malty nose with overtones of caramel with a distinctive hops bite. Flavor is similar – slightly sweet malt body with a mild but noticeable hops twang in the finish. Funny that they should use the "Kiss of Hops" line that Schlitz uses - here your lovely partner slips you the tongue, there your aunt Minnie pecks you on the check. Nicely balanced flavor with distinctive character. A delicious light ale.

This beer tastes like the beers of my youth--that is, the kind that my grandpa used to let me have a sip of. Straw/corn flavor with a bit of hops in the end and a lingering "macro beer" finish. Fizzy and light.

12oz can 4/6/04 (Woodman’s Green Bay)-Pours a golden body with a small ring for a body. Aroma of grains and some hops. Taste of hops, citrus, malt, and spices. This light bodied brew is not bad and was expecting worse.