Bombshell Blonde - Southern Star Brewing Company

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Kentucky

Pours an opague apricot with 2+ fingers of cream colored head. Good lacing & head retention

S: Breadyness, pear, some steely hops

T: Follows the nose, plus white grapes up front & a touch of lemon too. More fruittyness, slight bready sweetness & faint lemony hops as this warms, Finishes with pear & lemony hops mixed a slight breadyness

MF: Fluffy body, slight carbonation, decent balance

Drinks eay, a slightly off-centered Blonde IMO, but more interesting than most of this style

Serving type: can

06-06-2012 01:36:53 | More by russpowell

jsanford

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Generous extra from Drabmuh, poured into a New Belgium globe

A - Hazy golden yellow with a huge creamy head. Really pretty.

S - Light, sweet malts and earthy hops. Subdued, but pleasant.

T - Sweet, bready malt dominates with more earthy hops to provide the balance. Slightly spicy finish, tastes like coriander or white pepper.

M - Smooth and creamy with medium carbonation.

D - Very drinkable, could easily session on a hot day outside

Serving type: can

09-19-2010 22:12:31 | More by jsanford

allengarvin

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is pale gold, appropriate for the style, with a large very fluffy, not dense head. Good head retention, though it falls eventually. The nose offers plenty of malt, light and sweet and not at all grainy, with a hint of fruitiness. The flavor is solidly malty, and lies on the sweet side of things. Bitterness is low and hop flavor nonexistent. A little fruity at the finish.

One of the better blonde ales I've had, though it's not a style I seek out. The bready maltiness makes it a step above most grainy offerings.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 00:53:08 | More by allengarvin

jasonjlewis

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice 1 finger head with great retention and a cloudy yellow color. I think yeast is still in the can.

Smell is of some citrusy hop with a bit of a honey malt characteristic underneath.

Taste has a low bitterness with a touch of honey malt sweetness, spicy hop flavor and some good aroma to add to it. Sort of like an extra pale ale in terms of body, sweetness, and hop flavor without too much hop bitterness. That being said there is a tiny hint of fusel alcohols in this beer.

This beer leaves a bit too much body on the palate for a blonde ale.

As the beer warms the grainy/grassy notes come out which I expect in a blonde ale.

Not bad. The beer has an interesting honey malt sweetness and a good hop flavor and aroma. However, there is a bit of fusel alcohol in this one which is sort of a turn off in a beer this light.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 03:56:32 | More by jasonjlewis

chefelf

New York

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this one in Austin about a week ago. It was pretty good but I think it was probably also amplified by how badly I was craving a beer after a long day.

I just gave it a 3.0 in appearance given that I had it out of a can. I don't really know what separates a beer from having an "awful" appearance versus an "exceptional" appearance. You know, unless there were little bits of meat floating around in it or something. I suppose that would be pretty awful.

Serving type: can

03-07-2011 18:34:44 | More by chefelf

UMNbeerhunter

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Darkness goblet on 8/12/11

Pours a pretty honey colored orange yellow with a solid finger and a half of foamy white head. Nice appearance but I would like some more lacing.

Smells of sweet malt with a yeast backbone and a nice slap in the face of citrus hops. This is a great blonde, I cant complain about the smell.

Taste is very light on the pallet. A little bit of the sweet malt and some yeast flavors but it hits off with a honey lemon flavor that dominates. I would like some more malt sweetness but it is a great summer drinker.

Mouthfeel is light in the weight and has little or no carb or hop bitter characteristics.

Overall this is a great Blonde. Very well balanced and the citrus flavor makes it a great summer sipper..

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 08:12:32 | More by UMNbeerhunter

Kaiser81

California

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Mora2000 for this as an extra.
I poured from a can into a pint glass.

A - pours a hazy golden color with 2 fingers worth of a frothy, thick head. It dissipates to about a cm rather quickly. There is decent lacing on the glass

S - Citrusy, maybe some lemon in there. No real presence of malt.

T - tart and citrusy with a tiny bit of a hop finish.

M - Light body with light carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

D - I could definitely keep drinking this. It's kind of like a bmc on steroids; ya know, with actual flavor. Good brew.

Serving type: can

11-29-2009 04:45:58 | More by Kaiser81

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bombshell Blonde has a very thick, off-white head and a rather hazy, golden-orange appearance. Carbonation is relatively high and lacing is prominent down the glass. Aroma is grainy, with a orange peel background. Hop presence is good, but not strong. The taste is of roasted grain and it has a slight orange under-taste. Mouth-feel is medium. Bombshell finishes wet and satisfying. I enjoyed this ale and would have it again.

RJT

Serving type: can

08-29-2010 17:59:00 | More by RonaldTheriot

PGHeppJr

New York

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Taken from notes 11NOV2010

Can purchased from Homewood Whole Foods and poured into a pint glass.

The creamy mouthfeel on this bubblegum bomb make for one easy drinker. "Clarity is over rated" on the back the can doesn't lie.

Not the quintessential blondie, but damn drinkable.

Serving type: can

04-15-2011 02:17:57 | More by PGHeppJr

dchew85

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Yet another quality beer from Southern Star. Pours golden with a 1/2 inch pillow of white head that fades rather quickly to a thin layer. Smell is of sweet maltiness and a hint of hops but just a hint. The taste is just like the smell, sweet and citrusy and balanced extremely well. The carbonation is perfect giving this beer a creamy texture. Truly a great session beer.

Serving type: can

06-09-2011 00:45:14 | More by dchew85

jwinship83

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can drank out of my samuel adams perfect pint glass.

A- the pour yields a hazy glowing golden colored body with a finger of bright white head on top. the head stays around for a little before falling, and leaves behind small spots of lacing.

S- the first thing i pick out of the nose oddly enough, are floral and grassy hops. i wasnt sure what to expect, but nothing like this. after that i get some sweet pale and bready malts. not much else going on in here. simple and to the point.

T- the taste starts out with more of the bready and pale malts that i could smell, which impart a mild yet pleasant sweetness. after that i get more of the floral and grassy hops. not as strong as i thought it would be from the nose. nicely balanced.

M- the body is on the fuller side of light. the carbonation is just above average, but it works well here.

O- i really enjoy beers in cans, and im glad the craft beer movement is heading that way. the more camping/beach options i have, the better. i can see my cooler containing this next time i head for an outdoor adventure.

Serving type: can

06-27-2011 01:13:38 | More by jwinship83

zander4dawin

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cloudy dark golden beer with a fluffy white head. Smells and tastes bready and rich. Very creamy body, smooth, buttery. Totally not filtered. Best "all-purpose" beer made in Texas. Very little hops added, but comes off as distinctively balanced.

Serving type: can

11-28-2011 18:01:25 | More by zander4dawin

Fnord

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Transluscent yellow. The head is off-white and even. Though it starts large, it dissipates fairly quickly, leaving traces on the glass.

Smell - Not a lot of nose. Kind of a straw-like smell.

Taste - Pleasant bready malt backbone, with a little grassy hops thrown in. A bit of alcohol in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - It's thicker than it first appears. Low carbonation. Just what I like.

Drinkability - Very drinkable, even for a blonde ale. It would be almost too easy to drink a six-pack of these.

Notes - I wasn't impressed with the appearance and smell, but the taste changed my mind. That's what's most important anyway, I guess. A great beer for converting the BMC heathens, or for when you're just thirsty.

Serving type: can

05-11-2009 17:42:47 | More by Fnord

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Going for a hat-trick of tasty brews courtesy of Adouble. Cheers!

Appearance: Poured from an artfully designed can into my SA Perfect Pint Glass, the beer is a cloudy, light gold color. Unlike my previous two beers from Southern Star, this one is lacking in the head department. There's only a thin ring of bubbles encircling the beer. The lacing, however, is good with some nice sticky rings stuck on the sides of the glass where the beer comes to settle.

Smell: Though I wasn't really expecting much of a nose due to the nature of the style, I'm not really picking up much of anything here. It's slightly sweet, but that's about it.

Taste: The beer has a malty, bready, biscuity kind of sweetness that reminds me a bit of a toned down Marzen. For the style, however, it's pretty spot on.

Mouthfeel: Here is where the beer really shines, IMO. It's got a great, smooth, easy drinking texture, and a nice light to medium body. It's just a refreshing brew.

Drinkability: If you are looking for an in-your-face, over the top beer...this isn't it. If you are looking for a simple, very drinkable brew to enjoy and relax with, here it is. This is the kind of beer you can just sit down and drink without having to think about or analyze. Enjoy it for what it is...I sure am.

Serving type: can

05-09-2010 01:52:32 | More by krisandajt

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice blonde color (duh) with a small head that leaves some good lace. The aroma is lots of melon fruitiness and a nice breadiness with some yeasty notes. The flavor is honey with some white grape and baguette plenty of fruity citrus notes and some mild hoppiness. Just delicious.

Serving type: can

12-20-2010 20:40:05 | More by BieresDesMoines

HopsKeepDroppin

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a golden straw color with some yeast floating in the beer. Thin white head that hangs around for a while.

S- Very bready and grassy.

T- The taste is dominated by the malts. A lot of biscuit flavor and not a lot of hops unless you look for them.

M- This beer is very easy to drink and the carbonation level is just right. Really like that they can their beers.

O- This is a great session beer and a perfect beer to take to the beach or fishing. Keep up the good work Southern Star.

Serving type: can

08-11-2011 18:04:14 | More by HopsKeepDroppin

wagenvolks

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can into a Unibroue tulip. Gotta love the canned craft beer movement.

Pours a dirty, copper-blond hue with lots of haze from the tiny chunks of yeast. Good retention on the inch of eggshell-white head, as it leaves a plethora of lace along the inside of the glass. For a Blond Ale, the aroma rocks, as it adds delicate notes of flora hops that balance lightly toasted biscuit and caramel malts. A hint of passion fruit and mango chime in from the yeast esters.

Flavor starts off with some biscuity sweetness from the pale malts that combines with nutty notes along the way. Hops are fairly muted, but distinctively floral and saved for the back of the palate where they add a slight bitterness to the finish. Mouthfeel is solid, with a great carbonation level, medium-thin body, and a smooth (somewhat dry) finish that both refreshes and leaves me wanting another sip. This Blonde Bombshell did her job well; keep up the good work Southern Star!

Serving type: can

03-28-2009 06:48:33 | More by wagenvolks

BgThang

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours golden with alot of head. To me this is definitely a beer for the people who are wanting something lighter for those hot summer days after mowing the lawn.
The smell is fruity, sweet, bread with some malt undertones.

I can drink many of these easily and could prolly keep going.
I am taking some of these to my BMC friends to see what they think. Show them there is other beer out there.

Serving type: can

04-06-2009 16:32:09 | More by BgThang

whoneeds8

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass pale straw yellow with a nice thick white head. Lacing all the way down the glass. Smell is very fruity, suprisingly strong. Taste is very malty, with hints of various fruit flavors. The hop bite at the end leaves a slight dry feel, which is the only downer. This is going to be a great Texas Summer beer.

Serving type: can

04-24-2009 00:47:28 | More by whoneeds8

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to screach for tossing in another canned extra from this brewery.

Pours a golden color with at least two fingers of fluffy head, fades at a slow rate, lots of floaties in the glass, as the can says, "Clarity is overrated."

The smell is almost nonexistent, I can barely make out even the sweet malt.

Taste is light and crisp yet also has a soft edge to it, carbonation is good, mostly sweet malt with a hint of citrus, a good smoothness to it, slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

Not usually a fan of blonde ales but I'd say this is one of the better ones I've had.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 23:01:39 | More by deltatauhobbit

omnigrits

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Definitely one of the oddest beers I've drunk recently. And this new craft-beer-in-a-can trend is one that, as a bartender with limited space for stock, is one that I encourage other breweries to try.

Pours a hazy light copper colour with a minimal head that doesn't subside too much. The first thing I though when I stuck my nose into the glass was 'Dang it, I forgot to make bread today!'. There's an overwhelming smell of bread dough with some floral undertones and a malty sweetness. The taste is... not challenging. By that, I mean it's good but fairly middle of the road. Not too sweet, not too hoppy, not too bitter, and with a medium body. This style of beer (when brewed by a craft brewer) is almost craft beer with training wheels, and is hopefully a stepping stone for the macro beer drinker to develop a more discerning palate. For someone who drinks something like Arrogant Bastard or Sierra Nevada Torpedo, this beer will be as easy to drink as a glass of water, but for someone who wants to try something other than Budmilloors, it's a great first step into beer advocacy.

Serving type: can

04-02-2009 22:01:56 | More by omnigrits

Sweasty

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep hazy copper. Off white head. The head is short lived and leaves adequate lacing down the glass.

Smell: Toasty malt sweetness. Thats followed by a bity of yeastiness and some floral hop notes.

Taste: There's a nice malt/hop balance at work here. Light Citrusy/floral hops are followed by a bit of yeastiness and biscuity malt backing. The finish is grainy with more pronounced biscuit notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with adequate carbonation.

Another craft brew in a can - always a welcome sight. This is a nice session brew here. Its easy drinking and perfect for the hot summer months. Keep up the good work Southern Star.

Serving type: can

06-14-2009 02:06:04 | More by Sweasty

Wasatch

Utah

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to JJFoodie for this brew.

Pours a very nice cloudy yellow color, nice carbonation, HUGE three-finger foamy head, which settles down to some very nice sticky lacing. The nose is malty, slight yeast note, citrus. The taste is sweet, malty, nice little touch of yeast, also some nice citrus notes. Light/Medium body. Drinkable, a very nice easy drinker.

Serving type: can

01-03-2010 00:58:23 | More by Wasatch

MEsquandoles

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can from 6pk, poured into pint sized UK shaped glass. Bottom of can roused and poured as well. Also available on draft. Website shows 5.25% and 20 IBU. I'm sure this is the brewery's best seller.

Looks like hefeweizen. Golden with apricot, hazy with some oily swirls, some yeast particles. Good head retention.

Smells of Vienna malt, biscuity and bready, some pale ale malts, apricot. Not much hop aroma in this sample.

Flavor is same as aroma, but with a wave of bitterness and subtle German hops and tangerine. That Vienna Malt reminds me of Oktoberfests, but this has way more going on. Lightly buttered biscuits with a lil honey. A little earthiness and spice, maybe coriander (I'm pretty sure this is not spiced though).

Very creamy, feels great. A little slick and oily. Very yeasty for Blonde Ale - but not too estery. Lots of subtleties. Easy to drink, but doesnt have the "poundability" like a drier, less complex, less heavy Blonde Ale.

This is an American Golden Ale - sure a "Blonde Ale" - but it leans towards a lesser hoppy Pale Ale, Cream Ale, and Wit. Unique and definitely worth trying. And revisiting.

Serving type: can

09-02-2010 07:59:04 | More by MEsquandoles

MurphyMacManus

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. can into pint glass.

A: Somewhat cloudy gold. Big white head with huge bubbles and some stick.

S: Sweet, slightly floral.

T/M: Pale malt, slightly floral, a bit sweet up front, and some balancing bitterness in the finish. Nothing overpowers. Body is slightly heavier than a lager of comparable color.

D: Very much so.

Serving type: can

02-07-2011 03:11:46 | More by MurphyMacManus