12 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA as a single.
A lovely, golden body with perfect clarity and some excellent wispy, fine lace. Bone-white colored head. Carbonation is medium. Good color, and the fact that the name includes the word “Golden” seems appropriate.
Nose and tastes reveal a very subtle, but potent hop profile. This is VERY reminiscent of a wet-hopped beer. I don’t know if it is ACTUALLY wet-hopped but it certainly smells and drinks that way. Decent malt backbone holds it all together and although the hop profile is strong, it is also light and delicate at the same time.
Not my favorite type of beer, but New Belgium seems to have crafted a nice beer here. Should appeal to the hop loving crowd, but the delicate nature also finds a place on my palate too. Nice beer to dovetail with the upcoming, cooler season. Crisp and dry in the finish it works well. Tailgating anyone?
Impressive and simple, this beer is one that I was surprised by and enjoyed very much. I’m a touch confused by the American Blonde categorization but that’s trivial, it’s still a good beer.