Bombshell Blonde - Southern Star Brewing Company

DeathbySexyBT

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer, along with the Pine Belt Pale Ale, are staples in my fridge. I refuse to carry BMCs, so for all of my friends who insist on drinking something "not dark" I figure I should have something that I like as well.

A: "Clarity is over-rated" being their motto, you cannot complain when the beer is something a bit cloudier and darker than your typical Blonde. Good head. Ha!

S: Yeasty with notes of orange rind and floral esthers.

D: Wonderfully balanced beer! Enough hops to satisfy the hop lover, but not so much that the average drinker will complain. The yeast notes also provide an interesting background.

M: Somewhere between Medium and Medium/Heavy. A tad low on the carbonation, but otherwise good.

D: Picnic, beach, yard work, funerals; this beer is great anywhere and should be consumed by the sixer. Feel free to channel your inner-John Belushi.

Serving type: can

10-21-2009 19:48:33 | More by DeathbySexyBT

nickthegun12

Alabama

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

wow, this beer really surprised me>>>im not really big on blonde ales>>except belgian blondes>>>the smell straight out of the can reminded me of a nati light>>>>i wasn't really expecting much>>>but that first taste was awesome>>>i really like it>>>>you can def. taste the sweet malts>>>the hop presence is not there as expected>>>def. drinkable>>def. worth checking out>>>>a texan beer that is actually pretty decent

Serving type: can

10-21-2010 22:34:32 | More by nickthegun12

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz can into a pint glass. Big thanks go to jhimstedt for including what's been a canned want of mine for a while now as a generous extra in a recent trade.

Pours a hazed orange copper, with 1-2 fingers of foamy bright-white head. This retains with a thin frothiness that throws up a moderately rich cascade of lacing that then proceeds to quickly slide down the sides. The aroma is grassy and a touch spicy, with a pronounced fruitiness that mixes well with malty notes of bread and honeyed sweetness. This is flavorful and airy in the nose.

The taste is bitter and grassy up front with a green citric bite while, much like the nose, that fruitiness works nicely with the bready grains and sweetness of the malts. This finishes lightly bitter with some trailing dryness. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied, with a pleasant smooth crispness that keeps those flavors easy feeling and quite thirst quenching.

This was good and had just about everything I like in an American Blonde Ale. A moderately assertive bitterness, fruity hop flavors, a silky sweet malt backing, and a refreshing and crisp drinkibility. I pulled this cold out of the box and immediately poured it and had it with dinner. This is the type of beer I love to see being put in cans.

Serving type: can

01-25-2011 15:51:31 | More by Kegatron

Roeters

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cracked this can on the first upper 80 degree day in west Michigan.

A: nice golden yellow color with a thin cream colored head kinda cloudy as you we expect from an unfiltered beer.

S: very clean little sweet grain, with

T: slightly bready minimal hop flavor

M: very light bodied, light carbonation

O: great beer wish I had a yard to mow and a full case of these to drink. Just what was needed after finishing work.

Serving type: can

05-30-2011 19:37:29 | More by Roeters

JAramini

New York

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blondes are not one of my favorite styles, but this might be converting me.

A hazy blonde color ("Clarity is overrated" on the can). Good lacing all the way down even though the head faded fast.

Fruity aromas and flavors. Very smooth and creamy. Nice mouthfeel and flavors. Much creamier and richer tasting than the ABV would lead you to expect.

Very drinkable, very smooth. I will have to drink more blondes because I just might like this style.

Serving type: can

01-29-2010 03:14:53 | More by JAramini

EPICAC

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bombshell Blonde pours a cloudy golden, and is topped by a shiny, white head that fades to a film and leaves lace that clings to the sides of the glass. The aroma is fruity with lighter notes of toasty malts, and herbal hops.

There's a toasty, bready sweetness upfront that is constant underneath the building flavors. A mild banana fruitiness appears in the center, and moves into a a mild, grassy bitterness in the flavor. I thought this beer had a pleasing sweetness that was offset by a good depth of flavor. This blonde ale is medium to light-bodied, and has a nice crispness that's accentuated by the carbonation.

I was very pleased with this beer. It had a nice amount of flavor, and would make a great session beer.

Serving type: can

02-18-2010 02:35:54 | More by EPICAC

AustinBeerLvr

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce can into a shaker pint glass. No freshness date, but not to worry, as it's brewed just right down the road in Conroe.

A: Much darker than what you would expect for a blonde ale, as the body is a amber/copper color with lots of bits and pieces of stuff floating around, hence their logo "clarity is overrated." Not much head retention, but a little left, and some pretty good lacing on the glass.

S: Toasty malts dominate the nose, with the paler malts more evident upon a few more smells. Nice citrus character from the hops along with a bit of esters shine through as well.

T&M: Starts off with a earthy toasted sweetness, and a cleaner more refined texture than what you would generally expect from an ale. Their website states it is fermented colder than most ales, which explains the more lager like characteristics. That said, some fruity ester flavors do make themselves present as the beer warms a bit. This is the most complex "blonde ale" I have ever had, as the taste transitions from the toasted malt flavors to a nice citrus bite from the hops in the end that is nicely accommodated by a trail of residual sweetness. Hint of alcohol in there as well. Mouthfeel is very rich for a blonde ale, arguably just a bit much for the style.

D&Notes: This is actually a good brew, but odd as it may sound, may just be a bit too rich and flavorful for what somebody expects for the style. It really doesn't taste much like a blonde ale, as in a blind taste test, I would say one could easily take it for a light vienna lager or amber ale. That being said, with a semi-complex flavor, moderate ABV, and the fact that it's canned, this is a great anytime, anywhere session beer for a beer geek.

Serving type: can

03-20-2010 17:56:22 | More by AustinBeerLvr

Jayli

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired this from gramatton so a big THANK YOU goes out to him!

A: This beer pours a hazy orange color with two finger of white creamy head. Head retains nicely leaving a thick coating of sticky lacing.

S: Nose is of pale malts, grain, touch of citrus and floral hops.

T: Taste starts with a bit of lemon citrus hops. Malt character quickly takes over - pale malts, grain and a hint of biscuit fill through the middle. Finish then has a fruity nature of some apple and banana in the finish coupled with a hint of floral hops.

M: Light body, medium carbonation, with a light but creamy feeling on the tongue.

D: Well balanced, nicely blended, decent representation of style, goes down very easy and definitely one to sit with for a while.

Serving type: can

03-23-2010 00:03:32 | More by Jayli

GPHarris

Alabama

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a - poured a four-fingers thick fluffy white head into a nonic that settles into a thing ring with good lacing. the body is bright golden and clear.
s - bready and grainy with a hint of pale malt sweetness.
t - bready malts with a hint of spicy hops.
m - medium and slick.
d - great session beer.

Serving type: can

06-25-2010 01:12:11 | More by GPHarris

northaustin

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours a pretty hazy blonde with a fat finger of even white head which lasts a long time but leaves no lacing.

smells like some dang old two row

tastes like it smells.

this is one of the better blondes ive had. its full flavored but it doesnt end up syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2010 21:43:33 | More by northaustin

BeardedRiker

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I enjoyed Southern Star's Pine Belt Pale Ale enough to warrant grabbing a 6-pack of the Bombshell Blonde. This blonde is excellent.

It pours slightly a slightly hazy and golden, with the unfiltered particulates floating about even in the beer, and makes a frothy but bubbly white head.

The smell is of citrus, its bready from the wheat and yeast, and slightly spicy from hops.

The Bombshell Blonde tastes great. I would prefer a more full-bodied feel, because that's what I always like, but there are some great flavors. The yeast is there, as is the citrus tang, but what I think makes this beer stand out is the lingering flavor of the hops that adds bitterness and gives the beer full flavor.

It's like a German hefeweizen mixed with a light pale ale. A good beer here!

Serving type: can

02-25-2011 18:50:40 | More by BeardedRiker

zrab11

Indiana

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a Nice Golden Color with a 2 finger head

S-Has a pleasant smell of cirtus and yeast.

T- Has a nice yeast flavor with notes of citrus and spices

M-Light Bodied with nice carbonation

D- I really enjoyed this beer alot. VEry drinkable and very cheap. Will be picking this up to throw in my disc golf bag to drink on the course. Give this one a try if you havent

Serving type: can

03-20-2011 19:11:18 | More by zrab11

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 3-18-11
Reviewed cold from a can to a glass

A - Poured a nice two fingers of foam, cloudy light orange color, lots of carbonation present. Nice head retention

S - Slight malt wheat combination. Bready aroma with some citrus notes

T/M - Lighter bodied brew with a bready after taste. Slight hop bitterness as well with a lighter malt body

D - Pretty good brew. Very easy to drink a few of these during a sitting, nice spring summer time brew. I would have this brew again and would recommend it

Serving type: can

03-28-2011 03:08:16 | More by FreshmanPour77

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I didn't know what to expect from a Texas Blonde ale, but this one pours a slightly hazed honey golden hue with a bright white head. Aroma is pretty mellow layers of grassy herbal hops and sweet honey drizzled bread notes. Flavors more grassy herbal hops lending a slight bitterness with a nice honey dipped breadiness full all grain malts going on. No rough offness just a clean drinkable golden ale. Satisfying maltiness and even carbonation with a light to medium body straight from the can into my favorite mug. Overall experience so far with these Texan canned beers have been nothing but positive, if you see them grab some especially fresh pale ale or any form of the Buried Hatchet Stout.

Serving type: can

04-27-2011 00:09:16 | More by WVbeergeek

txbrew81

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from can into pint glass

A: Deep hazy golden color. Nice fluffy two finger head that settles fairly quickly.

S: Sweet, carmel and honey.

T: Tasty brew. Follows the nose with a little unexpected banana. Mainly sweet malty goodness but has a touch of hop spice. Almost buttery.

M: Thick compared to most other blond ales I have had. medium carbonation.

O: Great beer from southern star. Since it comes in a can I can see myself quaffing alot of these by the pool.

Serving type: can

06-13-2011 22:19:47 | More by txbrew81

EnojysAnyBeer

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Solid looking, unfiltered, deep golden body with an impressive film of head leaving sheets of big-bubbled lace.

S- Gentle, lightly nutty and grainy. Hints of caramel and butter on top of carbonation

T- Very smooth, light malt flavor with a decent pinch of bitter hops. Hop flavor and aroma is minimal but does have a fresh feeling to it. Caramel and butter become more noticeable as the beer warms

M- Very substantial for a blonde ale. Carbonation is moderate and pinches a bit.

D- Damn speedy drinking and canned for easy delivery.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 01:37:07 | More by EnojysAnyBeer

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to tsatem for this!

A - Murky and cloudy amber/yellow. Thick white head with huge bubbles vanishes before my eyes.

S - lemon, black pepper, tomato, sweet malt.

T - Clean and crisp malt, some vanilla, touch of lemony zest.

M - smooth and creamy, quite light. A touch drying.

D - well this is very drinkable. tastes pretty good, pleasant, and not heavy.

Serving type: can

02-07-2011 21:28:45 | More by ColdPoncho

kemoarps

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the can: "Clarity is overrated."
This beer pours a hazy straw colour with a beautiful off white head that dissipates quickly but leaves a nice fine... layer? Is that really the best word I could come up with for it? Anyway, it leaves a nice ___ on the top, which contributes to the lacing. I love watching the bubbles come up through this opaque brew.

The nose is almost fresh cut hay, Like straw harvested maybe a few days early. A bit of bready malt as well. Think a picnic in a barn on a warm summer afternoon/evening.

The straw characteristics carry through to the palate, alone with the mellow bready malts. Maybe a hint of hops on the finish, but not readily identifiable, almost like an afterthought.

kind of thick and chewy, but drinkable. I would continue with the farmhouse comparisons (man, I'm getting all nostalgic over here for childhood summers playing with hay bails). I'm not generally a big fan of blondes (at least not when it comes to beer...), but I really like this brew. I'd love it on a lazy summer afternoon. The fact that it is in cans also makes it that much more accessible to bring camping/hiking or to the beach or to a hayfield somewhere for a midsummer picnic. Grab a sixer if you see one and like the summer months. Well crafted and immensely enjoyable.

Serving type: can

02-07-2012 21:48:03 | More by kemoarps

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a modest head that leaves a few strands of lace

Smell: Sweet biscuity malt with a hint of a herbacious, grassy character

Taste: Sweet and biscuity, up front, but with a growing grassy, herbacious and peppery bitterness that adds a lemony citrus character by mid-palate; after the swallow, the tart and sweet flavors blend together nicely, with a lingering touch of honey on the tip of the tongue

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, creamy, with prickly carbonation

Drinkability: Not a beer I would have sought out had I not heard the review on Craft Beer Radio; not sure this qualifies as a blonde ale, I think it is a very creative take to define a new style

Serving type: can

10-28-2009 01:53:01 | More by brentk56

eclipse54

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 12 ounce can I received as part of turfy's "Taste of Texas LIF!" Drank on 09/03/2011, and reviewed from notes taken then.

A large, 4-finger white, bubbly head develops with good retention. A hazy yellow and straw colored body is accentuated by an endless stream of bubbles emanating from the bottom of the glass. The aroma is of wheat, straw, hops, lemon, orange, a slight funk, a bit of spice, and a bread/biscuit finish. It tastes of bread, straw, lemon, orange, some hops, and a bit of funky yeast. Mouthfeel is very smooth, and crisp on the finish. Overall, a delicious, refreshing brew.

Serving type: can

11-07-2011 01:31:52 | More by eclipse54

HardTarget

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A) Hazy dark gold/orange amber glass holds a half finger of tight white lace that clings to the sides of the glass.

S) Heady orange blossom citric floral blend with a mild yeast character.

T) Excellent balance, doesn't taste sweet or bitter, but has light hop flavors and a malty grainy finish. A little yeast flavor punches up the beer.

M) Medium heavy body is surprising given the mild tastes, lower carbonation helps.

D) Yep, keep them coming. I can see this being a staple canned beer setting beer; lake, pool, sun, yum. Really nice work, very clean and flavorful. Blonde beer done right.

Serving type: can

05-18-2009 22:31:25 | More by HardTarget

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great canned extra I was able to grab recently. I had a couple other offering from them but never this one. So why not. Went for it. This twelve ounce can was served cold and poured into a pint glass. Consumed on 06/28/2009..



The pour was sublime. Rich amber in color, light with a nice head of white on top. Lots of carbonation coming up toward the surface throughout the session, reinforcing an already strong look. Light hops get stronger as it warms up. Nice bit of grain mixing in as well now, nice depth to it I have to admit. Crisp, clean taste and feel here. Really again very well done I have to say. Light finish which was quite dry and I have to admit this was very, very session able. You never can tell what is going to happen when you try a new pale ale, but this was surprisingly very good.



Overall I would definitely go here again. This was a superb offering for a hot summer day. Highly recommend.

Serving type: can

07-02-2009 00:41:40 | More by mikesgroove

nlmartin

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Wagonvolks for sending this beer as part of Ryans Ghetto Bif. The beer was served chilled in a pint glass.

Appearance: The body of the beer is a dirty copper coloration. The head was about half inch high white in coloration. Good retention of the head is noted. Lacing speckles my glass marking its passage.

Smell: The biscuity aroma of the beer is covered in caramel and honey. Floral hops combine with citrus to create a marmalade aroma. Very nice!...

Taste: The flavors mirror the aroma. This beer is well balanced malty and hops. Again very nice and well executed.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability: The beer has a light body. It never dips into the thin bodied notes. The carbonation is active and totally appropriate to this beer. This is a beer that I could session with and never be bored. Well played!

Serving type: can

09-10-2009 01:53:30 | More by nlmartin

jpaltan

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Golden colored, quite cloudy and hazy, making slightly opaque. head is thick and frothy and sticks down the sides. smell is a bit fruity. mostly pear and apple. little hop aroma. taste follows the smell, with hints of pear. hints of a bready finish. definately a nice malt background on it. a slight bitterness closes out the finish. drinkability is incredibly high on this one.

Serving type: can

01-23-2010 05:04:39 | More by jpaltan

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Received in trade from TexIndy, Thanks for the opportunity.

Pours a cloudy pale golden color with a monstrous creamy white head that shows much resilience. Fruity bready aromas waft in front of my nose with some bitter citrus as a supporting player. Taste is creamy rich and malty with lots of fruit citrus and honey. Rich creamy velvety mouthfeel, medium level of carbonation, light to medium body. I am very impressed with this one. Very light and flavorful. I could see downing many of these if I still lived in Houston.

Serving type: can

01-29-2010 23:57:50 | More by johnnnniee