Maybe I am the one at fault here, comparing every single Blonde ale that crosses my road with Leffe blonde or other Belgian blondes that I have drunk. I am convinced that I am the problem. Yet the problem remains: South African craft blonde ales are just weird (to me personally). This is a highly subjective claim, and I am as I noted the problem. But I don't think that South African brewers really understand blonde ales. Or again I am the problem here thinking about blonde ales wrong. But there are some breweries that have brewed really good blonde ales, which kind of strengthens my claims.
Either way, a beer is a beer, and that in itself is a good day already!
So, join me as I explore three more South African craft beers for #BeerSaturday: Folk and Goode's, Charlie's Brewery's, and Highland Brew's Blonde Ales.
Highland Brew Blonde
Blonde | 4.5% ABV | ?? IBUs
Sadly, when we visited the Highland Brew Brewery, this was their only beer that I could take home. But the brewery was kind of a dissapointment, but I already wrote about the experience. Luckily, I could take their Blonde ale home with me (in a can).
There were lovey malt notes on the first smell; but unfortunately there was no lacing and no head. The head in fact quickly dissolved.
The first taste was very malty. At this stage, I really think that blonde ales in South Africa have evolved into their own style completely. There was no real bitterness on my tongue, but very watery and not full bodied at all.
The smell was amazing but the beer was only okay-ish (for me).
Folk & Goode Blonde Ale
Blonde | 4% ABV | ?? IBUs
Depending on where you buy this beer from, you can really pay a lot of money for it. Which is strange, because their beers for me have been a complete hit and miss. Nonetheless, a beer is a beer!
The first note on my nose was a grassy hop smell, and it was the same in taste.
There was also a sour taste at first, not really what I expected (and in expecting a beer to taste like something I have already closed myself off to new experiences; but let me not get too philosophical here).
There was a lot of overripe fruit on nose and taste - somewhat bringing this beer closer to what I expected a blonde to smell and taste like. There was some bitter on my nose but mostly sweet.
Charlie's Brewery Light House Blonde
Blonde | 4.1% ABV | 30 IBUs
This beer was the only one that I really had some hope for, and even though it was also totally different to what I expect a blonde ale to be, in its own unique way this was actually a really good and delicious beer.
It had a malty nose but with some sweetness. This was also so on the first taste. It was nice and fruity, closest to a blonde I have had in quite a while. It was actually a beautiful beer but it was not carbonated that much.
As it warmed up a bit there was nice litchi notes on nose but not on taste; and some nice bitter afternotes lingering in my mouth.
Postscriptum, or What Even is a Blonde Ale at this Point?
I am not even sure what a blonde ale is at this point. I had three blondes, each one unique and different to such a degree that I would never classify these three beers as being in the same style.
And this is my problem with South African blondes. When you order a Belgian blonde, you kind of know what you wanted, you already expected it to be in a certain category. But when you buy a South African blonde ale, you are literally cannot know beforehand what you will get. As this beer tasting suggested, I received three Blonde ales, yet, I had three different styles or three radically different beers. A style in my mind gives you some leeway to experiment with, but what is happening in South Africa with blonde ales is something strange and weird.
Either way, a weekend with some beer is a good weekend in my mind.
For now, happy drinking and keep well.
All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the beer. The drunken opinions are my subjective and own opinions. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.