Lonely Blonde - Fulton Beer

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Fulton Lonely Blonde ale. Got a growler full of it, let's drink it up.

Clear, pale gold coloring, slim white head.

Aroma: soft hops, light maltiness, a little grainy.

Taste: light bodied, bright citric hop flavor, clean and easily drinkable. A session beer, and a chick beer, without being a lite beer or a wheat beer, which is a nice accomplishment. The Dude goes for an IPA, and his Chick can have a Lonely Blonde, even if she's a brunette. (Redheads will want something more.)
Easily sipped, tidily hopped, just enough flavor to satisfy, yet…not quite enough for me. But this isn't meant for me. I don't go for blondes. Send me to a red, a black, or a brown, please.

However, once again, there ain't nothing wrong with it, and it is just as good as a blonde ale should be. In fact, it's nearly perfect for a blonde ale. But, again, I'm not going to grab at one anytime soon.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2013 06:15:52 | More by feloniousmonk

Living816

2.78/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Smells off. Vegetative smell. Not a hoppy smell but a cafeteria smell. Has a skunky smell like a Euro Lager. Looks nice and bright, but a lovely golden color.

The odd cafeteria smell continues into the flavor. Has an unpleasant skunky flavor kind of like a macro lager. Some sweetness in both smell (carmel corny) and taste. Body is decent. Has a flavor that makes me wonder if it is an all malted grain or if this is an adjunct beer. Just doesn't work for a premium beer from a local brewery.

Leaves the mouth with some fleeting bitterness.

Not a fan of this one. Why pay premium price for what could be replaced by a PBR or High Life?

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 18:13:47 | More by Living816

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a growler of Lonely Blonde after a tour Fulton Brewing. While, normally, I'm not the target audience for blonde ale, I wanted to give all three in growlers a chance.

Almost white head with irregular bubbles over a straw yellow ale with hints of amber. Fresh bread maltiness and a hint of corn in the nose with an elegant spice note and green apple from the 29 IBUs, and maybe from the yeast a bit. Clean malt and spice on the tongue that's supported by a heavier than expected mouthfeel. Almost 5% ABV, I'm guessing a good malt bill contributes to the fullness. Still a light beer, the spice floats above the malt with some impact. Nicely balanced beer that even warms up well for yellow beer.

My first sample of Lonely Blonde was at Autumn Brew Review in 2010, and my impression was far less favorable. My guess is that tough festival conditions and a small sample of a more delicate beer impaired a fair tasting. Fresh and from the brewery, it's a solid beer that's refreshing with a complex taste that explains why a large number of folks are drinking with a Lonely Blonde at the tap room today.

Serving type: growler

10-11-2012 01:53:53 | More by FightingEntropy

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served at Longfellow's Grill.
I liked this more than I expected. Had a nice hop streak running through the middle that tasted nicely and faded quickly enough to not impact the food flavor.
Poured with virtually no head. Yellow slightly cloudy body.
Soft malt aroma. Malt flavors were slightly bready and reasonably clean.
On low end of carbonation but still had a little body.
I'd get this again. Nice summer beer or with lighter foods.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2012 16:55:10 | More by garymuchow

deebo

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from the Point brewery made for Fulton.

A-Completely clear with a straw, light golden color with a weak white head that quickly breaks down. Not much for lacing.

S-Not a lot going on, reminds of an adjunct lager more than anything. Grainy-corn and barley.

T-Pretty bland, tastes like it smells and looks (pale malt and a bit of corn). A hint of bitterness that cleans up quickly inviting the next drink.

M-I really like the mouthfeel of this beer. The carbonation is rather light but works perfectly with this beer. It also has more body than I expected and a really smooth, almost creamy finish.

D-I could drink this all day.

O-For the price there are better options in my opinion but this is a decent brew. Reminds me a bit of spotted cow but a little heavy on adjunct flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 00:03:58 | More by deebo

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Golden blonde, clear, with a white foam head that dissipates quickl leaving a skein. Spotty lace here and there. Smells of flaky buttery crackers, bread dough, cereal. Taste is cereal grain, crackers reminescent of Triscuits, very lightly sweet. Hop bitterness arrives and cleanses the palate. Nicely balances and a clean finish. Body is medium to light, a little slick, holds together well, decent carbonation. Overall- light but decently balanced favors make for easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 04:47:59 | More by JackieTH

emerge077

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Eric for this one!

12 oz. bottle served in a tulip glass. Brilliant golden color, bright clarity, thin layer of creamy whit foam on top. Some wispy lacing here and there.

Light toasty malt aroma, light and simple but clean and pleasant.

Toast and butter, light bitterness in the aftertaste. Simple taste, slightly grainy, papery, and a tad swilly. Light bodied with light carbonation. Overall drinkable and refreshing enough on a hot day, though i'd prefer my local version, Half Acre Gossamer to this.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:15:46 | More by emerge077

Greggy

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Blond color... as the name suggests. White head that transitions to thin cap quickly. Sparse lacing is present.

S- Grainy cereal, a little floral.

T- Starts out with dry grainy notes and finishes quickly with some mineral dryness.

M- Appropriate carbonation and good feel.

O- This is a beer for the masses to enjoy. Hot day, hell yes I'd put this back. Nothing special but it's solid per style.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 05:49:11 | More by Greggy

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.25/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a golden color, looks decent enough, mild white head that totally disappears. Aroma still had that buttery thing going that the awful Sweet Child of Vine had. Not as intense, but still, enough to put it below average and not enjoyable.

Taste, well, thankfully this was easier to digest. A little toasted vienna malt kind of taste, carbonation is higher in the mouthfeel than it is in the appearance. No hop flavors discernable. Crackery breadiness is very light. The adjetive "thin" comes to mind.

I wasn't going to drink the blonde last night, but after the awful sweet child o vine during the Marquette/Providence game, I was like trying to reset the palate with a clean beer, so I popped this Blonde Ale open. It just didn't get the job done, it was gritty at times, the alcohol seemed bigger than it should have, it just didn't leave me in a position to recommend Fulton at this point.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 20:45:51 | More by Beerandraiderfan

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not your typical Minnesota winter beer, but I'm feeling like a change of pace - something lighter. And I've been neglecting this new local brewery.

Pours a very clear light golden color, like slightly watered-down apple juice. One finger or white head, fades fast, little lacing. A tiny stream of bubbles rising up.

Smell is crisp and clean. Noble hops, a bit of spice. It's faint, and at first whiff struck me like an adjunct lager. But what's there is better than that, and rather refreshing.

Taste is simpler than I'd like. Again, some crisp pale malts, a touch of bitterness. No spice here, though. Just not much to hold onto. I want either more flavor or more subtlety.

Mouthfeel is light and fizzy, which is what I want from it. Finish is half watery, half drying.

Was this beer built to compete with adjunct lagers? It certainly seems so to me. It's light, clean, and crisp, without a ton of flavor. Not bad, but there are better beers like it around that are more worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 04:54:28 | More by zeledonia

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a pleasant but standard golden orange. Fair amount of bubbles rising to the top.

Smell is bakery and grain, can't pick up on much else. Very good smell,, borders on great.

Taste is faint, not much hop, malt, tiny bit of spice. Bit of a bakery smell, at the end of the day, tastes a little macrobrewish, with better quality. Ultimately pretty ho hum.

Clean mouthfeel, crisp and sharp, but also a bit thin.

Y'know, certainly not a bad beer, but kinda boring.The same is true for SCoV Squarely a B- beer for me, as was Sweet I am pro-Fulton but more often than not I will find something more interesting to drink. I think Fulton needs to elevate its game and get more daring.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 17:41:44 | More by lurpy1

zeff80

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, golden yellow color with a small, fizzy white head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of caramel and grains with a touch of floral notes.

T - It tasted sweet with caramel and grain flavors. It had a light spicy bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This was an okay blonde ale. I'd like to try some more beers from Fulton.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 03:07:52 | More by zeff80

MattyG85

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a bright and clear golden orange with lots of rising bubbles. Decent three fingers of white head with good retention. Lacing is moderate around the glass.

Smell: Sweet and bready pale malts with some caramel and toffee. Lots of grainy wheat. Some hints of lemon zest and honey. Also some hints of noble hops. Smells crisp and fairly sweet.

Taste: Like the smell leads, a sweet and crisp taste of pale malts with some bready caramel. Big presence of wheat grains throughout. Some hints of lemons and honey. Finishes with a light amount of noble hops.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very crisp, clean, and smooth.

Overall: A pretty solid take on a Blonde ale. Tasty and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 06:45:03 | More by MattyG85

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 12oz Tumbler Pint Glass

Appearance - Pours a Clean Wet-Golden color with a half finger head after an aggressive pour. Carbonation starts out strong, but tapers off after a minute or so.

Smell - There's a pungent bread/biscuit/yeast smell in here as well as some graininess, but not in a bad way! There's also a pleasant sweetness aroma in here as well, which gives the smell more appeal

Taste - Very Biscuit-like taste with some very prominent sweet malt notes. There's also a slight earthy hop taste on the back of the palette, which is unusual in a Blonde Ale, but I feel it gives a sort of freshness to the taste

Mouthfeel - Very light bodied and carbonation is fairly mild, so it's fairly smooth. It's a beer that's all around pretty easy to drink.

Overall - This is an example on how to do a Blonde Ale correctly and it's perfect for any occasion. It's not complex in flavor, but it doesn't need to be. It gets the job done as being a beer that doesn't sacrifice it's flavor for simplicity!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 01:27:13 | More by NuclearDolphin

jera1350

Minnesota

2.23/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A crystal clear pale yellow with a fizzy head on top that is clean white and fades quickly. Leaves a few rings of lacing however. Kind of a BMC look I guess.

The nose is extremely faint. All I am really picking up is some light graininess, but that is all.

The taste is extremely weak. Again, some light grain and actually a touch of bitter hops in there. A very safe and boring flavor that reminds me of BMC.

Pretty thin and watery feeling. Dry as well.

This one really does nothing for me. I hope Fulton does well and I enjoyed the Sweet Child, but I have no need to ever try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:27:05 | More by jera1350

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. long neck brown bottle into a standard clear pint glass.

Appearance: Pours clear pale golden with a one finger white foamy head that faded fast and left a little lacing behind.

Smell: Sweet and malty, with a faint fruit aroma like pears or dried apples. Pale sweet malts are predominant. A slight whiff of alcohol, which is unusual for a low ABV beer like this. It could be that the other aromas were so faint that the alcohol makes its way through.

Taste: Like it smells...light, sweeter and malty. The fruit notes of the aroma don't come out in the flavor, unfortunately. This is a little more watered down and basic than I hoped for. It's not a horrible beer for the Blonde style, but it's nothing special either. A little more balancing hops or yeast would have been nice, to add something to the simple flavor.

Mouth feel: Light body and crisp carbonation. Finishes semi-sweet on the tongue.

Overall: I like Fulton's "Sweet Child of Vine" that I've had on tap on a few occasions, and will try that one from the bottle next. I was hoping for more from this beer based on the recent hype over the brewery opening in town and bottles being available. This isn't a very good interpretation of the Blonde style and just doesn't do much for me. I won't seek it out again...but I'm hoping they try some more adventurous beers in the future. I might suggest this beer for friends or family who usually drink "Light" beer...but not for my other craft beer aficionado friends. Half a point bonus for the nice labeling on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 23:43:28 | More by ChopperSmith

TCMike

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a glass it produced a 1 finger, short lived, white head. The beer was a very translucent, light gold color.

The smell was of bread, and light citrus.

The taste was bready, with a slight hop finish. Medium carbonation, and a light mouth-feel.

Decent beer, but isn't much better than a BMC beer. Easy drinking, but lacking depth, and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 05:20:22 | More by TCMike

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- a bubbly golden yeloow with a decent head. little lacing that drops slowly.

S- Malt with a sweet almost honey scent

T- Nice crisp malt flavor with a bit of sweetness mixs in the middle and a nice bite to finish it off.

M- Nice carbonation and nice little bite at the end

O- Good good beer, more flavor than I expected from a blonde beer. Nothing too spectacular though.

Serving type: Bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 23:40:31 | More by OleJohnnieAle

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a light honey golden. Head is virtually nonexistant. And what is there doesnt last.
S- Aroma is sweet fruityness. There is a bready/grainy note.
T- Quite sweet at first. There is a light apple and pear note up front but it finishes with a sweet grainyess, with a honey graham cracker character.
M- Medium light body. More carbonation would have helped.
O- A simple beer and one that is easy drinking. I'd bring this one to a tailgate.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 02:22:22 | More by jsprain1

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a clear pale gold color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes within seconds into almost no lacing. The aroma is of light bready malt with a hint of honey. It is nice, but it is all very faint even for the style. The taste is similar to the aroma. I like what I am tasting, but it is just to light even for a blonde ale. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium bodied with a thin texture, and moderately high carbonation. Overall, this is an average blonde ale that I will probably pass of next time.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:56:19 | More by KarlHungus

gatornation

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap @ kings in a pint glass

A- a hazy blonde yellow color with a good white head

S- malts and grain faint floral hops

M- follows nose with just average hop taste with german malts and a grain taste

M- crisp and clean with medium carbonation a smooth and creamy taste

O- a good summer beer with a low abv,,easy to drink but flat on the taste..still an allright brew to try

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2011 03:20:23 | More by gatornation

bsp77

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from tap into Pint glass.

Appearance: Light straw-colored gold with a fairly hefty white head and some decent lacing lines.

Smell: Sweet apple and caramel predominantly, with light spicy hoppiness.

Taste: Semi-sweet grainy malts with an emphasis on apple and caramel. Ends with a nice floral and spicy hop kick that is ample for the style.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, creamy medium body (fuller than expected), dry finish.

Drinkability: Comes across as a creamier, fuller bodied, hoppier lager, and that is a-ok with me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2010 18:29:57 | More by bsp77

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Acadia Cafe. I'd enjoyed Fulton's Child of Vine and hoped this would prove tasty as well. But frankly I was let down with Lonely Blonde. It's just another clean, grainy blonde ale. I already know what 2-row barley tastes like and there's nothing new here. Plenty of other breweries have made this same beer for years, there isn't much reason to single this one out.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 14:42:34 | More by tempest

kdpark

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on-tap at Pizza Luce Downtown 6.28.10

Appearance: A lovely blonde color and little hazy

Smell: Some malt and german hops

Taste: Nice bready malt, then some wheat that gives it a grainy taste that I don't particularly care for. Hops are spicy at first but then end a bit harsh, not sure but it could be minerals? Finishes sweet, overall good.

Mouthfeel: Medium to Low, again the harsh after taste.

Drinkability: A nice balanced beer, refreshing.

I will try again to reaffirm my impressions, I know that the first time I had Sweet Child of Vine, I did not care for it, but have had it since and enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2010 21:56:09 | More by kdpark

mwagner1018

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this as the beer of the month (June 2010) at Bunny's in SLP, on tap.

A- Received in an English style pint glass, light golden blond color, sunshine, rising effervescent carbonation, very light white head, little head retention, no noticeable lacing.

S- Light yeast, melon, ripe pear. Mild zest of citrus hops, light floral note.

T- Ripe light fruits present, with a nice crisp clean malt flavor, mostly finishes with a mild honey, light wheat texture, balanced bitterness completes.

M- Crisp, light body, fruit notes are nice, but not overly sweet or overpowering, well balanced, slight creaminess and smooth texture.

D- Very nice summer blond, refreshing, flavorful enough to keep me interested, balanced, clean. Very nice beer from the new kids on the Mpls craft beer block...

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 16:24:28 | More by mwagner1018