6.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Can from Kisjes Slijterijen, Meppel. Aroma is vanilla, some beany coffee, notes of mocha, powdery cocoa and pale malt. Flavour is sweetish with a light to moderate bitterness. Body is light to medium. Light with a pleasant aroma of mostly vanilla and coffee.

7

Beer #2 of my inappropriately named beer flight.

7.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

12oz can. Pleasant enough coffee Blonde. Nice bitter balance, not overly sweet like its close relative the White Stout. Medium bodied, not thin. All around enjoyable.

7.3

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Golden ale from Michigan flavoured with coffee - an unlikely ingredient perhaps in blonde beer styles (though common in porters and stouts these days), but I had several other blonde ales with coffee and sometimes the combination works well. Medium thick, opening and thin, snow white, loose head on an initially clear but later misty yellow blonde robe with apricot tinge. Aroma of indeed coffee in a sugared kind of way but certainly recognisable as such, white chocolate, breakfast cereals, ripe pear, cherry blossoms in spring, ripe melon, vanilla extract and a persisting scent uncannily similar to Cécémel. Clean onset, sweet with a sourish but refreshing, mandarin-like side note, hints of pineapple and ripe pear, softishly carbonated; slick and thin, even rather watery mouthfeel. Sweet pale maltiness, notes of melon, pineapple and mandarin subtly continuing and accompanied with these odd Cécémel and white chocolate elements, with the coffee powder providing some mildly astringent spiciness in the end as well as a bit of dryness - much needed, because hops remain very understated and the faint bitterness which is present, seems to be generated more by the coffee than by hops. The lack of hops does not help the already thin and watery feel, but the overall flavours are admittedly fascinating, with the coffee behaving less spicy and bitter than expected - instead, this whole beer feels like a light, sweet, mellow, summery quencher with odd but pleasant aromatic effects. Quite distinct and enjoyable for what it intends to be.

6.2

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

12 oz can from Total Wine. Pours a cloudy gold color with an off-white head and good retention. A few spots of lacing. Aroma of light vanilla and bread. The taste is light coffee (verses a dark roasted coffee) and bread, with some light vanilla in the finish. Light body and low carbonation. Not bitter. I'm not a coffee fan, but this is light enough to be tolerable. Actually, it's a nice, mellow mix.

7.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

12oz can at beer festival - definitely different - coffee is noticeable on nose and palate - but light on the palate. Not my fav, but i could see the attraction

7.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Can from Holiday Market. Pours a mostly clear gold with a finger of white foam that lingers. Light roasted coffee aromas with faint cream soda notes as it warms. Dry cream soda on the palate with some pilsner malt notes. Lingering coffee and light bitterness. Not sweet at all with a relatively dry finish. Pretty fun beer.

6.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Can. Unclear golden color with white head. Aroma is coffee, a touch vanilla, a bit sweet, but nice. Taste is coffee, vanilla, blonde ale sweetness. Silky mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Nicer than expected.

6.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Can. Blonde. Coffee, citrus and peach in the aroma. Thinnish with soft tart notes. Sweet. Powder sugar. Coffee and Cocoa. Weird but drinkable.