Ice House

Taste: Kind of bland, but with a barley kick. Has a slight sweetness to it, but its not overpoweringly sweet.

Conclusion: It’s a great beer for a hot day in the sun (or after skydiving) but it is still lacking in the flavor department for my liking. It is a bit stronger than your usual blond beer, but that’s no excuse to skimp on flavor.

I give it a 5 out of 10

Kona, Longboard Island Lager

Look: Clean crisp gold with slight white head

Taste: Barley and a slightly bitter finish

Conclusion: Okay, I've had this brew before at a restaurant called Islands but I never got a picture of it. I was sad, only because I'd have to buy the beer again to get the picture. As luck had it I asked my wife to pick me up an IPA from the store last week. Instead of IPA she heard "beer"....so I got me a sixer of Kona Longboard Island Lager.

Disappointed not to be downing my IPA, I cracked one of these open and tasted the mediocrity I remembered from my visit to Islands(no relation to this beer). Like a million other Budwiesers, Coronas, and Tecates, this brew tasted like "fizzy yellow beer". And as Stone Brewing states, that kind of beer is for wussies.

Not saying it didn't taste good. Actually, on a hot day a brew like this is refreshing if only because it's cool and tastes beer-like. The finish was either slightly bitter or slightly skunky...I couldn't tell the difference. As such, I dub this beer....Meh.

4 Brews!

New Belgium, Springboard Ale

Look: Cloudy urine-yellow with a lacy white head

Taste: Crisp, sweet, refreshing barley with a huge floral bouquet

Conclusion: By the number of New Belgium brews on here you'd assume I'm a large fan. Actually my regular liquor store just happens to switch their brews in and out through the seasons.

I wanted a beer my wife could enjoy too, for our anniversary weekend. By the way, if your wife desires beer instead of flowers go give that woman a kiss on the head. You have yourself a keeper. Anyway, this is a fairly strong brew(although the ABV was not listed anywhere I could find) that, like most blond ales, is crisp and light. However, the middle and finish of the brew are where it differs drastically from the norm.

New Belgium uses Chinese herbs including Gogi berries, Schisandra(I don't know what that is either) and even wormwood in the brewing process. These combine to give a savory and amazingly complex finish. My brewing compadre has it in his mind that he will someday find a superior blond. I think I may have beat him to it. This one falls right at the top of my blond list along with Phuket's. I'd prefer this one with a little warm weather but I'm positive it'd taste good in any climate. I highly recommend this extraordinary blond!

8 Brews!

Birra Moretti

Look: Light gold color with foamy white head

Taste: Lots of barley flavor with a semi-sweet malty flavor

Conclusion: This is an Italian import I found at my deli. Again, a poor offering from the other side of the pond. I guess if you’re having pasta with sea food and water just wont do, this would be the next best thing.
It has a good aroma when you hold the beer in your mouth for a bit, but then it just disappears. If they could get the great aroma to hang around for a while longer, the score would have been higher. It wasn’t that bad, but the good flavor the beer had just washed away like a leaf in the Colorado River.

I give it a 4 out of 10

Hillas Beer

Look: Foamy white head with light golden color

Taste: Malted barley flavor, but kind of soapy…

Conclusion: I picked this beer up at my local deli hoping to find something that paired up well with my sandwich… not so much. It is a Greek import that was big on malt flavor with a clean finish, but it washed away all too quickly. It was refreshing, if only for a few seconds.
I’m always looking for import beers. “Taste the world, one beer at a time.” I always say… well, I will from now on anyway. The thing I don’t understand is why many countries are afraid of flavor. I have come to the conclusion that the hotter the country, the worse their beer. Seriously, the more of this beer I drank, the lower the score went.

I give this beer a 3 out of 10

Aguila

Look: Dirty yellow with a foam white head

Taste: Flat malt, with almost no aftertaste

Conclusion: This South American beer tasted more like the commercial offerings like Tecate or Modelo. Just a very simple malt beer made to be drunk in large quantities or on a hot day. I had this with a burrito and some Tapatio hot sauce...helped to put out the fire nicely.

Here is another from the Beers of the World. I'll call this one a hit only because it serves it's purpose as a light but tasty blond, useful for washing down a meal.

5 Brews!

Okocim Brewery, O.K. Beer

Look: Orangish yellow with a white head

Taste: Flat but pleasant barley

Conclusion: This is a polish brew that has 5.6% alcohol and dates back to 1845. The drink is subtle, crisp and clean and has a medium weight body. It comes off as a light beer that could go easily with any meal. Nonoffensive but tasty. Not a whole lot going on and I wasn't very excited.

A decent blond but nothing exciting or distinguishing that would make me want to come back. This was another of the Beers of the World pack. Missed on this one.

4 Brews!

Phuket, Lager

Look: Crystal clear yellow with no head

Taste: Dull but clean barley with soft finish

Conclusion: This Thai beer is right at about 4% so it's not offensive at all. I had this with a light sandwich and it paired perfectly. The flavor is a smooth and has a quiet barley flavor that is cleaner than a lot of other blondes I've tasted. Most definitely a superb lager that avoids the oh so common blonde beer trait of ending skunky or bitter.

Supposedly the green bottles aren't as good as keeping Pepe Lepew out but I found no evidence of stinky in this fine drink. Most impressive considering it's inclusion in the "Beers of the World" pack. This is brew #2 of the bunch and so far...2 for 2! And a funny name to boot...this beer just keeps on giving.

7 Brews!

California Gold Blond Ale – Oggi’s (OC)

Look: Golden/ blond with a light white head

Taste: Strong initial barley taste with a slight sweetness to it. Has a bitter finish with a bread/ yeasty after taste.

Conclusion: The beer was very light and refreshing. It was definitely a step above Buttwiper (Bud), but just didn’t really do it for me. I do enjoy a good blond from time to time, but like in life, its hard to find a blond you want to settle with. The search for the perfect blond continues…

A 5 out of 10

Pete's Wicked, Strawberry Blonde

Look: Clear apricot with a light white head

Taste: Quiet sweet strawberry initially with barley and wheat finish

Conclusion: Hey stop calling me a sissy! Okay, this is probably my wife's favorite beer. Yes, chicks will enjoy it, but it's actually a tasty little treat of a blonde. You can smell the strawberry but it's not the fake candy strawberry flavor that goes into candies.

This strawberry flavor is real and it actually tastes like the brewers stuck some slimy fresh strawberries into the brew vat. Pete's Wicked says they stick "natural" strawberry flavors in it, which most likely means that there are strawberry flavored chemicals in there to mimic real strawberries. Nevertheless, this is a tasty little treat that is pretty dang good. If you're wearing or skirt, or would like to, try one out! Just messing, it's a great drink for anyone who's comfortable enough in their sexuality to have a go.

6 Brews!