California Blonde Ale - Eel River Brewing Co.

AwYeh

California

1.8/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Golden-amber, two fingers of head thanks to an extremely aggressive pour. So cloudy that I can barely see my fingers through the opposite side of the glass; mere shadows are cast in their place. Great lacing though, bumps this up to a 2.5.

S: This smells like Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese, and I've washed my hands since last touching cheese. Maybe a bit of sweet, maybe caramel malts, but there's really not much going on for me here. In the end, I'll have to declare this as buttery smelling.

T: Quite bland; there's a generic "beer" taste (think pale macros) that's built upon just a bit by offering a fuller malt profile even if their particular flavors are indistinguishable. No hops to be spoken of, not even a hint of bitterness on the finish.

M: Medium bodied, with moderate+ carbonation, which lends this beer a creamy character that bolsters its enjoyability.

D: I'm fine with one glass of this, and won't be inclined to pick another up. Not sure I could identify it as an American Blonde... though the 5.6% (high for the style, from my experience) is unnoticeable. Bland taste and almost popcorn-style smell probably should knock this one down a level... but it goes down easy, so I'll leave it for now.

Despite my bad review, props to Eel River for providing a widely available, reasonably priced organic blonde ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 09:15:26 | More by AwYeh

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

1.9/5  rDev -42.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Tap@Eel River. Didn’t find in very intersting, just thin grainy malts, like their pale ale, it was easy to drink, but not interesting. These Amerucan Blondes aren't really part of style that is particularly interesting. Pretty borring lagerish sort of ale. On the bland side of things.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2005 19:21:06 | More by rastaman

ozmodium

British Columbia (Canada)

2.53/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Purchased a 6 pack from the BC liquor store. On sale $4 off. But it was right by the cash register! How could I resist an organic American micro 6 pack for $8?

Pours a bit hazy light orange. I have a jar of natural honey in my cupboard that I sweat looks IDENTICAL to this. Minuscule head. No lacing...

Smell is pleasant enough, interesting. Sweet honey and light malt. Some fusel alcohol funk? Mildly hopped but there're still right there, fresh.

Sweet honey, bitter grapefruit rind hops and again the fusel funk on the tongue. Some fusels are good in some styles. Not this one... It reminds me of the time made a hefeweizen at home a few years ago. I fermented it at a few degrees too hot for the final few days. The yeast went nuts and got fusel on me. It didn't make it undrinkable but the he subtle burnt plastic flavour is undesirable in this style.

The bottle has no info regarding abv, but my guess is around 6%? The low carbonation makes it feel more boozy than I think it really is. Not a chugging beer. Not terribly enjoyable.

It seems to me that the brewer has placed this in a bit of an awkward niche. I think that either making it lighter or stronger would have made for a much more interesting offering. Too boozy to be a summer quencher, too watery for the complexities of a strong belgian. It is however the best 8 dollar 6 pack I've ever bought in BC, where decent beer costs upward of 13 bucks for the goos stuff

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 04:37:21 | More by ozmodium

kellyst

Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear pale yellow with minimal head and no lacing. Aroma has some slight estery something going on but doesn't have the aromatic expressiveness of a good blonde ale. The flavor is ok, but uninspired. Soft grainny malts with a hint of sweetness. This beer really needs some balancing hops to round out the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 19:33:40 | More by kellyst

robbrandes

Oregon

2.65/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

poured from a 12oz bottle, left behind by a friend...

pours a slightly-hazy light orange. tight, dense head with reasonable lacing.

the smell took me a while to finally put a finger on - burnt sugar. not necessarily 'bad', but it smells exactly like a wort boil-over when homebrewing.

taste is utterly unremarkable, even for a blonde ale. honestly, plug your nose and you're in borderline BMC territory. the nice-looking carbonation is too harsh, and annoying when actually consumed.

another underwhelming performance from the undoubtedly nice folks at eel river...glad this was a left-behind from a friend, as eel river is now 0 for 2 in my book.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 04:45:11 | More by robbrandes

webbcreative

Oklahoma

2.68/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Feb 10, 2009
Light golden color. nice head. light and crisp taste. Good on a hot day, just not too much going with this one. Not something I will be seeking out again. Its definatly not terrible, its just really boring with nothing outstanding going on here.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 00:35:26 | More by webbcreative

philbertk

Washington

2.68/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Eel River Brewing Company--Fortuna, CA--California Blonde Ale. 5.80% ABV. 20 IBU's? Foamy lacy white head. Clear pretty dark rich bright gold color. Very light hop front. Thin mild sweet dry fully fermented light malt body. Spice hint dry citrus hop end. Bland Blonde! (2.0 / 5.0) 5 oz. Taster @ Fremont Oktoberfest on 9/24/2010.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2010 04:13:54 | More by philbertk

WesWes

New York

2.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a towering white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is below average. It has a musty, stale pale malt scent with some citrus hop aroma. This smells awful. The taste is average. It has a light and grainy pale malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes bitter and watery. This beer tastes like a homebrew that sat in the sun for a month. The mouthfeel is average. It is a low bodied beer with too much carbonation. This is a bad beer all around; down the drain it goes.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2005 21:29:21 | More by WesWes

brown2cu

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a hazy blonde with a fleeting head. There is a faint ring on the outside of the glass; no lacing.

S: A sweet grainy sweetness topped by a delicate hop aroma. Nothing flashy

T: Tastes like carbonated water that has had grain steeped in it for a couple of minutes. Not a lot of character. There is a soapy bitterness towards the end. Overall it seems to taste like a batch of beginner home brew, not something I would expect from a large brewery.

M: Heavily carbonated, not sure how appropriate it is for the style, but makes for easy drinking.

O: comparable but better than most macro lagers, However, not something I would buy again. I want to give another example of this style a try before I write it off.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:38:39 | More by brown2cu

birdypowder

Oregon

2.93/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This Blonde showed up in my fridge and I seriously don't know how she got there. She was cold so I offered her my coat, though I think the Bud Light Lime next to her was colder. Glad I didn't buy a sixer of this (same for the BL lime) but glad I tried this Eel River offering.

Aroma:
Sweet and malty! Juicy, smells like unfermented wort. A slight floral hop aroma? Hard to tell.

Appearance:
Small to medium sized white head which forms and then leaves quickly. Slight lacing, lacing light? Very hazy. New filter operator? Golden with very slight orange notes and some greenish yellow too.

Taste:
Sweet with vigorous carbonation. Gentle backend bitterness and medium bodied. Enjoy the first several sips because the taste goes somewhere after that.

Finish:
semi-sweet and semi-dry finish

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2009 04:52:39 | More by birdypowder

mrfrancis

Kentucky

2.95/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a hazy gold with a thin white mousse.

S: Very neutral on the nose, with aromas of grass, lemon, biscuits, and caramel taking some time to reveal themselves.

T: Notes of caramel, grass, straw, chalk, minerals, lemon, and biscuits wash across the palate. The finish is fleeting with notes of lemon, grass, and biscuits.

M: On the lighter side of medium in body, chalky, and very dry. Carbonation is extremely active. A bit busy and distracting and a real chore to drink.

O: This is a very mediocre ale. There just isn't enough flavor for this to be all that interesting. Skip this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 13:44:28 | More by mrfrancis

mactrail

California

2.98/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

An attractive amber in the glass, on the darker side, with plenty of carbonation. A little bit of a grainy nose. Slightly sweet with a cereal flavor like peaches 'n' cream instant oatmeal. Some hop flavors enliven it a little. Caramel flavors go along with the more substantial than average body and mouthfeel.

There still seems to be a weedy, seeds and stems flavor to this allegedly organic stuff. Slightly harsh vegetable aftertaste, like artichoke. Otherwise, totally forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 05:09:34 | More by mactrail

Billolick

New York

3.05/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle, without any freshness info being offered on the label. Pours clear golden amber, minor head and I'm not seeing much lacing. A couple of sips of this one and I've had enough, somebody else mentioned an of putting plastic sort of note and I believe I'm getting a hint of that as well. Not real impressed with this one. With so much quality beer out there, give this one a pass.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 00:35:07 | More by Billolick

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Single 12oz bottle picked up in a mixed-sixer from Total Wine. Haven't had anything from these guys. I was in the mood for something light and easy-drinking, so I grabbed this.

Pours a lightly hazy dark gold with a thick 2-finger bone-white head on top. No lace left behind. The nose is really sweet with honeysuckle, apples, and sugar. The mouth is overly-carbonated IMO. Way too spritzy of a beer to be downed easily, which is within the bounds of this style. Simple sweet flavors carry over as well. Pale fruits, honey, lemon noted. Little-to-no bitterness present. Lighten up those bubbles and this is a decent summer beer. Glad I tried it. Not bad for an organic concoction.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 16:30:41 | More by Onenote81

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.08/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Good presentation, a darker gold color, not that super faint straw yellow you come across in some blondes. Pretty mild aroma, some sweetness to it, that's about it.

High carbonation and light body should lead to some kolsch comparisons and discussion. Easy drinking, nothing bad or adventurous to it.

A little more expensive than it should be given the relative lack of ingredients, I don't understand why this and their porter, ipa etc. . .are the same price.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 18:53:50 | More by Beerandraiderfan

beerguy101

California

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Medium gold color. Small head. Aroma is fruity and sweet, touch of grainyness. A medium bodied blonde ale. Mild malts, medium hops. Good balance. More kick than most blonde ales. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is malty and slightly bitter

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2003 01:59:07 | More by beerguy101

alexgash

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light haze in a copper peach body. Small, spittly, off-white head. Nose is bready and sweet, with notes of butter (diacetyl?), and apricots. Taste is bready, but light. Semi-sweet, with a soft fruity edge. Slight stale edge. Backed by peppery, mildly bitter and citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is a little thin and dry. Not terrible, but also may be better fresh off the tap at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2005 01:28:11 | More by alexgash

philipquarles

Louisiana

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear dark gold with minimal head and no lacing. Pretty uninteresting.

Smells faintly of sweet, almost honey-like malt, some grassiness, as well as a bit of hop. The taste is similar; quite sweet and grainy/grassy. Not offensive, just not much there.

Overall, a really mediocre blonde.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2008 02:08:20 | More by philipquarles

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a cloudy pale orange color. The head is a half inch in height, and recedes slowly into a nice cap of lacing. The aroma bready and toasty malt with no real hop presence. The taste is malty like the aroma, and bland in general. The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with lively fine carbonation. Overall, this is a decent Blonde ale, but I don't think I'll drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 21:59:16 | More by KarlHungus

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear, peachy-amber hue. Slim ring of foam.

Pithy pine and citrus aroma, clean,and minor-key, but hoppy, still.

Crisp, clean, minor hops up front, then smooth and done. Finishes quickly, leaves little flavor in the mouth, on the palate.

Drinkable, but forgettable. Lacks flavor, and I just can't give points for good intentions.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 07:57:50 | More by feloniousmonk

CWiggins

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Well, this is a style I certainly have avoided like the plague for a long time. My hunch was that it would be a rather bland, unexciting genre hardly befitting my need for a complex, tasty, and taste-fulfilling concoction. But, in the spirit of adventure, I was willing to go the extra mile and sample this version of the Blonde Ale style. Admittedly, it took a free sample bottle from a local representative to get me to that point, but, oh well!

It pours a straw yellow with amber-ish background, with a fizzy, white head that came and went very quickly. The aroma is mainly of grain and light malts, with a citrus overtone. Wow, this one sure is highly carbonation: one swallow and I felt my belly poof up like a balloon! It's lean bodied, and the mild flavor is mostly malt and sweet citrus. A mild hop character comes forward at the finish, but it, too, is lightly noticed. Definitely related to kolsch, but without the complexity.

Easy to drink, that's for sure. This is a style I don't find myself getting interested in, but I'm sure its "drinkability" will garner many fans.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2008 01:51:08 | More by CWiggins

cjgator3

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a golden orange color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is a light fruity sweetness with some grain, citrus and floral hops.

T- The taste features some grain, citrus flavors and some peppery and earthy hops in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a heavy dose of carbonation.

D- Not a bad blonde, the 5.8% ABV helps keeps this one from being as sessionable but it is a solid beer that I could drink a few bottles in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2008 03:00:51 | More by cjgator3

TeeCee

Louisiana

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Quick review: I get more enjoyment from a Budweiser. But I think this may be old stock.

This beer happened to be at Dorignac's one visit. It's one of several beers that have come onto our scene recently unannounced.

I poured it into an American style pint glass hard enough to produce ~3" of head, which quickly dissipated leaving little behind. I can swirl it and produce some tight-knit foam which also dissipates on short order. The body is a shade or two towards brown going from Honey.

Malty on the nose with something else like peanuts. A little funky as it warms up.

Drinking it, I can't really taste the maltiness or peanuts I was smelling. The taste is a bit thin. It also almost takes like someone was smoking cigarettes when they brewed this beer. I get all kinds of bittering hops as I drink it, but not so much of anything piney or flowery.

Medium to thin in the mouth. No carbonation to add to it. This beer is rather uneventful in the mouthfeel department.

I could drink several of these if it was what was around, but I'd prefer something with more to it. I'm not saying I'd take a Heineken over this.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2009 23:11:03 | More by TeeCee

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, orange-amber body with a small, off-white head.

Smell: Light pale malts with minimal hints of grain and dry caramel. Spicy hops with a light herbaceous quality to them, imparting a vague tea-like note. Faint, faraway fruitiness.

Taste: As with the nose, it's light pale malts with a touch of graininess and some dry caramel with no more than some faint sweetish qualities to it. Minor hint of fruit. Spicy, slightly herbal hops with a medium-low bitterness. Again, it reminds me of a small sip of white tea. A slight transition back to the pale malts, but then the clean finish hits very quickly.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: An okay, adequate blonde in terms of an easy-drinking, balanced ale, but, to be honest, it's a tad forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2009 20:46:11 | More by ChainGangGuy

farrago

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Average thickness to the off-white head, lacing dissolves swiftly. Zinc orange color that gains from a slight murkiness, the rims drop off to a yellow squash hue. Sour nose of pine, grapefruit rind, tobacco leaf, meadow grasses and green straw, mineral water, even a touch of tar, presents light biscuit or oats in contrast. Light to medium-bodied, the heavy duty carbonation aims at masking the lack of heft. Through all the fizziness comes orange, lemon citrus peel, dried malts, snap peas, sourdough bread notes. The yeast there but not really concentrated. Lacks some sweeter component to provide contrast. Herbaceousness builds past the mid-palate. Hard to capture many positives, easily drinkable but not sure how it aims to hold your attention.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2009 00:14:54 | More by farrago