Checker Cab Blonde Ale - Chelsea Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear blond colour with a nice yet thin white lace. Doughy malt, spicy hop and very crisp. Touch of grape from the malt shows the use of imported malt. Spiciness of the hops gives just enough bite to clean the palate.

A tasty light brew, a great choice when starting off with some apps.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2002 14:33:25 | More by Jason

CADMixes

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -7.4%

04-29-2013 23:00:54 | More by CADMixes

GeoffreyM

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +8%

02-01-2013 05:26:22 | More by GeoffreyM

abcdefghijkyle

New Jersey

2.25/5  rDev -30.6%

10-24-2012 21:41:29 | More by abcdefghijkyle

t0rin0

California

3/5  rDev -7.4%

09-10-2012 03:13:46 | More by t0rin0

jnardone235

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +8%

09-03-2012 03:40:04 | More by jnardone235

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.05/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On draft at House of Brews in NYC. The beers is transparent and light golden yellow colored. The aroma is mild, with a touch of grain and lemon. Ok flavor with a touch of lemon rind in the finish. Light bitterness throughout. Light in body and refreshing. Overall, eh...

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 17:01:37 | More by Huhzubendah

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Kent Ale House in Brooklyn, NY

A: Pours a crystal clear pale straw yellow in color with significant amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a thin white had that reduces to a patch of very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Dominant aroma is that of sweet grainy malts. There is just a little subtle hint of skunk in the nose as well.

T: The flavor of this beer is grainy/cracker malts with some light grassy hops. There is a light amount of bitterness which lingers and just a hint of citrus.

M: Light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Crisp.

O: This beer seems to be more of a kolsch than a blonde ale - very easy to drink and sessionable, especially on a hot summer day. Enjoyable but nothing special.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 14:37:37 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Kent Ale House, Brooklyn, NY

A: The beer is crystal clear light straw yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that died down leaving a large ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of sweet grainy malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of grainy malts along with some hints of bitterness and citrus.
M: It feels light-bodied and slightly smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems to taste a little more like a kölsch compared to a blonde ale. It’s easy to drink, especially if you are looking for something light-bodied on a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 01:01:25 | More by metter98

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -7.4%

07-12-2012 21:23:53 | More by rolltide8425

Jimbolikesbeer

3/5  rDev -7.4%

03-17-2012 02:31:53 | More by Jimbolikesbeer

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -7.4%

02-03-2012 16:27:06 | More by RoryOMoore

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a couple fresh pints at the Stagshead in Midtown. This actually seems like a fine example of the style. It even reminded me a bit of a good English bitter.

Upfront there's a clean, light toasty white bread note with a little sour cherry flavor to complement the malts. There's a nice, mild citrus hops kick to the finish to provide balance. Overall a fine beer, though I can understand how it wouldn't satisfy a lot of beer geeks or hop heads.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 13:57:06 | More by tempest

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

2.88/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this on tap last night at one of the House of Brews in midtown. Seeing that I can't get this beer in Jersey and it's was one of the few on tap there that I hadn't had, I figured I'd give it a crack. This was listed on the menu as a Kolsch but after seeing how light and malty this was, I could see why this would be classified as such.

Light pour to this - just like straw with not much of a head and hardly any lacing to be seen. Very malty with grape, apple, and pear flavors with a grassy aftertaste. This went down easily but not in the good sense. The carbonation was nearly nonexistent and since there was *some* body here, this didn't fall into the category of the mass-market brews or summer ales that are light as water. That being said, there wasn't any sweetness, bread, or complex fermentation in the mouthfeel. Just beer that went down without much thought or effort, with only a hint of alcohol to be found.

Sure, I could have had lots of pints of this but one was enough to give me an idea of what this beer was about. Sure this may be enough to refresh someone on a hot day and introduce them as to what's possible with beer but I felt like this was a missed opportunity. If this was a bit more carbonated, crisp, and filling, it could stand out from other lighter beers. I'd sooner have a Sam Adams Noble Pils than this and this is one beer that I'll probably not be hailing again anytime in the near future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2011 05:36:28 | More by JerzDevl2000

vfgccp

New York

3.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

- Free sample at a Chelsea Brewing tasting. Special thanks to Big Z's in Huntington NY -

A - Pale, clear gold. White head settles quickly.

S - Bright, clean lemon and light malt.

T - Crisp lemon rind. Touch of pith. Light water cracker.

M - Light, semi-watery body.

O - Not bad. Good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 18:30:39 | More by vfgccp

LordSMAF

New Jersey

1.78/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A - Pours light yellow with little head and no lacing.

S - Very faint malts. Little aroma to tempt the senses.

T - Light and bland. Slight malt taste.

M - I've seen other reviews saying this was overly carbonated - I found just the opposite. There was too little carbonation. Perhaps that was the fault of the bar/keg rather than of the brewer.

D - I've come to expect much more out of blonde ales. I didn't find this refreshing or interesting at all.

I'm really shocked at the positive reviews for this beer. Maybe this one falls on dirty lines and a somewhat flat keg?

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 00:45:42 | More by LordSMAF

TheDeuce

New York

3.25/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Checker Cab Blonde Ale...on tap at the brewery...

Served in a normal pint glass, pale gold blonde with a two finger lace head that sticks around for a second and then leaves.

Smell-lightm buttery aroma, light mixtures of balanced hop and malt.

Taste/Mouthfeel-light to medium mouthfeel, balanced malt and hop flavor, buttery grain taste on the way down, finishes fairly clean, very smooth.

Drinkablity-no major issues, easy to drink.

Overall-not outstanding but a nice session beer, the drinkability is what makes it their flagship. Not overly complex but no major issues.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2010 02:34:02 | More by TheDeuce

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip nonic. Poured a hazy orange-gold with a quarter inch bright white cap. Concentric bands of lacing were revealed as the brew was consumed. Nose was light and clean - some yeast and perhaps some light, fruity esters. Taste consistent with nose, citrus is revealed upfront, with a yeasty/bready quality at the back. Mouthfeel was light, with a pleasant and even carbonation, culminating in a fairly clean finish. A pretty tasty and sessionable ABA that pairs well with food.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2010 22:05:02 | More by Jwale73

CHickman

New York

3.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours clear yellow with a 1/4 inch creamy white head; smells of wheat, light malt, light hops and a little lemon, but not very pungent at all on the nose.

Tastes of wheat, yeast and lemon up front with mild hops and malt trailing to the dry finish. There's a mild malt skunky-ness that is not bad at all in the finish, but that might turn some people off or it may have been due to dirty lines at Wildwood in NYC. Very crisp and light with high carbonation and a lot of bubbles moving up as the beer sits. Decent lacing for a blonde ale, and overall very easy to drink.

The taste is on the dull side, but for a blonde ale it wasn't bad and is the type of beer to drink all night or with food. It is better than most light beers, but just boring and conservative.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2010 18:43:30 | More by CHickman

albern

Massachusetts

2.45/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I think the bros. who reviewed this is way off on this beer. This is watered down, very light crap of a beer with very little taste or substance. When I asked the waitperson about it, he said it was an attempt to recreate an Amstel Light or Stella or something equally bland. The brewer succeeded, but there isn't much to say about this beer other than move on to something more substantial. It's pale, its light, it has very little taste, there are some cardboard like malt tastes, there is a touch of lemon citrus. Next ...

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2009 23:23:58 | More by albern

Nascartailgatefa

New York

3.35/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap from Rattle and Hum NY. Pours a clear light yellow with a small head which fades rather quickly. Faint smell of malt. Average tasting, ever so slightly bitter but no aftertaste. Good mouthfeel. Nothing special. Good drinkability although not my particular favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2009 22:03:34 | More by Nascartailgatefa

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the Chelsea Brew Pub in NYC.

Poured a lighter yellow color with a small sized white head. Aromas and tastes of grassiness, some light citrus with some maltiness. Lightly sweet. Thin body and lively body.

Notes from and tasted on: 09/17/05.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2009 15:51:35 | More by hopdog

maddogruss

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got a pint of this at the House of Brews in NYC.

A: Pours a light, golden, straw-yellow body with a small, white head with low retention and no lacing.

S: A faint, malty smell that was nothing of great significance.

T: A light, malty taste with a light, crisp honey aftertaste.

M: A light, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel. It felt a little over carbonated.

D: A fairly drinkable beer. A nice combination of mouthfeel and taste made this beer quite formidable. A nice, refreshing, summer beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2008 01:56:12 | More by maddogruss

dionisio

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had this at the Crocodile Lounge in Manhattan. I was very thirsty, ordered this, and was immediately pleased by the taste. I drank it down pretty quick because I was quite thirsty, and it was really delicious. A light but not at all weak taste, relatively unique flavor, extremely easy to drink. Kind of an uplifting, happy taste, if that makes any sense. Went well also with the free pizza they give you with your beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2008 19:14:45 | More by dionisio

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chelsea- Checkered Cab

On tap at House of Brews 51st St. NYC

A- Clear golden orange with a smal foamy head.
S- Sweet crisp lemon and strong cracked grains.
T- Sweet fresh bread crust grains with a touch of citric lemon.
M- Very crisp and clean with a mild dry finish.

Overall- An excellent beer to start the day or 1 to drink on a warm afternoon. If in Manhattan during the warm months find this one and enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2008 23:04:07 | More by NJpadreFan