Maredsous 6 - Blonde - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.46/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Brown stubby bottle with a pry off cap poured in a goblet. From a gift 3 pack with ceramic goblet that I was given for my birthday.

Clear golden yellow. Big bubbly white head is about an inch on an aggressive pour and recedes to a thin cap with lots of lacing on the sides. Loads of tiny carbonation streams.

Kind of a sweet aroma backed by grains. Light grassy/herbal hops.

Lightly sweet with clean grains and hints of bananas, cloves and herbal hops.

Medium bodied with lots of tiny pin prick bubbles of carbonation.

Nothing really special about this one, but nothing wrong with it either. A solid, refreshing brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:30:41 | More by Noxious26

Arno

3.96/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Dark yellow, clear, white head. Nothing special about the foam.
S: The typical sweet/sour, almost salty, yeast, fruits like pineapple, grape and apple. Spicy.
T: Well, there's yeast for sure. Like sour bread. Citrus fruit sweetness and a spicy and light bitter dry finish.
M: Quite creamy and mellow. Medium carbonation.

O: Nice and well balanced beer. Although i like it, i think it's kinda expensive for what it is. But other then that it's definitely a beer i could drink any day.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 21:29:50 | More by Arno

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle served in a Leffe chalice.

A: Pours a yellow to orange clear golden color forming a medium bubbled and bit creamy white off head. Good retention and some few lacings left

S: The best part. Very "Belgian", of course. Sweet grains, strong on honey, bready and earthy yeast. Fruity, peaches mainly. Light flowery hops and alcohol in the end

T: Follows the nose: Slightly sweet malts upfront. Honey, earthy and bready Belgian-like yeasts. Peaches. Dry taste, in overall, with a light bitter end

M: Mediun body and medium to high carbonation. Bready and light bitter and light sour aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Actuallly, a bit disappointing taste which is too watery and tasteless to the stye

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 10:33:41 | More by eduardolinhalis

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-golden amber color with a decent white head and some lacing

S-bread, fruit, hints of spice and some sweetness

T-yeasty bread, fruit, slight spiciness, hint of sweetness with a mild bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-a decent blonde ale with pretty good body and flavor

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 18:52:56 | More by MDDMD

impending

California

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

B+

750ml into a tulip. Pours a nearly clear amber gold, dense yellow cream colored head, excellent lacing.

Aroma is of light skinned fruits, powdered sugar dipped apricot, slight spices, not particularly yeasty. If a crate of these fruits began to rot, the ooze from the bottom would be a note found here and in many other belgians. Some would say to like this is an acquired scent.

Taste has gritty pear. Full bodied well round flavor. A mild dry twang intros a tiny dull bitterness as the aftertaste. Thin to medium bodied lively mildly astringent mouthfeel.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 23:49:29 | More by impending

Douberd

Netherlands

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

ABV 6%.
Poured into a tulip type of glass. One finger of head, white in colour and thick, that didn't stay for long. Colour is pale golden,slighty haze in my second pour after I shook the bottle a bit. with average activity in the glass.
Sweet aroma. A smell of old bread that thankfully is quite faint and it's cobered by aromas of dark fruits.
Dark fruits like plums and dates also traceable on the taste. You could say it has a sweet taste.
Medium thickness on the body and average carbonation.
Overall, hmm. There are better samples of the type out there, and I know because I have tried some.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 18:49:50 | More by Douberd

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an inch or so above the glass gave this beer a big white head that settles into a pretty nice lacing above a hazy honey golden colored blonde.

When I first took a whiff of this I really didn't get much coming off it so I swirled the glass as I held it close to my nose and this released a lot of light and different aromas. Light hops, grains, grapes, yeast, dark fruits and even lighter of alcohol, spices, and apricots.

A light darker fruits taste, light yeast with some washed out grain malts sneaking in there.

A light dry slightly bitter aftertaste on the medium bodied affair.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 23:39:34 | More by LXIXME

PorterLambic

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, dark yellow liquid with a fluffy white head perched atop. Great retention, good lacing.
Smell is malt, citrus, vanilla, cardboard(?), clove and pepper. Nice balance and complexity.
Taste is the same without the light vanilla note.
Medium body though it leans slightly fuller. Medium-light effervescence. Drying, clean finish. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:28:03 | More by PorterLambic

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden/amber color into my goblet, with a very clingy, overflowing head. Leaves cotton candy like residue as the lacing. There is some re fermented yeast at the bottom. Aroma - Very sweet fruitiness, like watermelon and pear. Yeast and malt character is going to be dominant going by the aroma as well. Taste - very bready, with wheat, banana, kiwi, melon, and candy apple. Very carbonated and medium mouthfeel. A fine, refreshing brew that is 'for anyone.'

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 00:58:33 | More by Neorebel

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

1.13/5  rDev -70.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Appearance: light gold; slight haze; head fades fast

Aroma: metallic; a bit tart; sour apple or grapes

Taste & Mouthfeel: sharp bit on the tongue, very acidic; thin body; below average carbonation, almost flat at times; very short; somewhat vegetal, metallic again

Overall: very unpleasant and bland - like drinking tin; can't even finish it

* Wondering if it was a bad bottle, doesn't seem consistent with other reviews

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 16:51:08 | More by BGDrock

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the caged, corked 750 ml bottle stamped: 2012 91-09:40. Sampled on March 5, 2012. The cork flies across the room and a nice smokiness erupts from the bottle. It pours a slight cloudy golden yellow with a small, long-lasting fizzy white head. On the nose there is a malted bread, yeast, anise, and thin hop character. The body is a bit better than medium. Up front the taste begins with sweet malts then turns over to a peppery character and ends modestly bitter but not sour. This is a decent Abbey Blonde.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 00:26:41 | More by puboflyons

Drinkerofales

California

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours lightly murky golden orange. The almost white head leaves a literal wall of lacing down the whole glass from the head that is there when I finished the beer.

Smell is Belgian yeast, fruity apple skin, mild malt and a hint of spice.

Tastes is light fruitiness, yeast, and lightly peppery.

High carbonation and a light body make this evaporate as you drink it. Easy to drink, but a little bite is present.

A fine beer that is light and easy drinking. A blonde that does what it should.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 09:45:37 | More by Drinkerofales

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a corked 750 ml bottle into a large clear goblet glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy deep golden color. Two finger creamy white head retains well and leaves sticky lacing as it recedes. Looks delicious.

Smell: Some delicate floral hops, sweet yeast and alcohol scent here too.

Taste: A really good balance of yeast, malt, hops and sweetness. The hops add a nice bitterness up front that is quickly followed by the spice of the yeast.

Mouth feel: Medium body with some good creamy carbonation. Sweet and slick finish.

Overall: A very good Belgian Blonde. One of the better Belgian Blondes out there. I like the easy drinking nature of this beer, and it would make an excellent session beer. One of the best Belgian Blondes I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 23:59:37 | More by ChopperSmith

negroobserver

New York

2.83/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Maredsous 6 Blonde
Poured into a traditional hefeweizen glass.

Appearance: 3.5
Pours with a large, light and fluffy head. About three to four inches. Color is clear golden, with light reddish/pink hues. Substantial visible carbonation in the glass.

SMELLS: 2.5
Not much going on in this category. I smells like a traditional hefeweizen. Nothing exceptional.

TASTE: 3
As expected, a pretty strong presence of wheat. Hints of sourness. Mild hoppy bitterness at the end.

MOUTHFEEL: 2.0
Light watery texture. Crisp. Most of the carbonation was lost in the pour. Very disappointed with the loss of the carbonation. It really affects the enjoyment of the beer.

OVERALL: 3.0

I like the beer, but my expectations of a Trappist were much greater. I tried the Maredsous Tripel a few days ago and it was also equally disappointing. Sad but true. I'm particularly disappointed with this one because Hefeweizen's aren't difficult to make and for a Trappist, I expect perfection. Sadly, this one doesn't even come close.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 04:20:27 | More by negroobserver

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml Bottle, poured into Leffe Chalice. Poured a large foamy head. Amber colour, hazy. Had a Belgian yeasty aroma typical of Belgian Blonde/Pale Ale. Was slightly more bitter and spicy than other BPAs I've had. Tasted notes of berries. Normal mouthfull. Overall a beer very similar to Leffe/Grimmbergen Blonde that is pleasant but holds no major surprise.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 12:33:34 | More by jonb5

beerthirtysa

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: cloudy light peach color when held to the light, off-white head dissipates quickly but leaves some lacing.
Smell: sweet malt, warm hay, mild spice notes, but overall not too complex in aroma.
Taste: a lot of hops up front and throughout, but they aren't astringent or powerful. Wife says: a lot of grass and a lot of pepper. There's a warmth in this beer--a warming spice. Husband says: there just isn't a lot of complexity to this taste.
Mouthfeel: pleasant, sparkly feel on the tongue, clean finish.
Overall: Wife says: Not my favorite, but I'm not a big fan of hops, and this is an unusually one-note beer. Husband says: I much prefer the Maredsous 8.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 21:57:46 | More by beerthirtysa

evlu1441

Alberta (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle poured into an official Maredsous chalice. It has a a very clear golden straw colour, with a good amount of carbonation rising up to the top. There isn't much of a head to talk about. It's just a thin layer on top. It's an appetizing-looking beer, albeit somewhat ordinary.

The aroma is flowery and balanced, with green apple coming through most prominently. There is a slight syrupy-sugar smell as well. Good aroma, but again, nothing outstanding.

The taste begins some light sweetness and a surprisingly malty backbone. Much of the fruity aroma is absent in the flavour. It finishes with a hint of hoppy bitterness and a smooth malty cascade. It's very drinkable and has a medium level of carbonation.

Overall, this is a less-than-stellar offering. It's nice, but forgettable. I'd probably even prefer an Affligem Blonde to this.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 06:30:53 | More by evlu1441

BigPlay1824

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a snifter

A: pours a pretty hazy beautiful bright golden color with a large amount of carbonation bubbles and a finger of head that is pure white and lingers nicely, leaves a beautiful layer of silky lacing around the glass, also as soon as i popped the top on the bottle it began to foam, im not sure why it would do this because it had been sitting in my fridge for about a week and i dint shake it up at all when i took it out, odd but no harm no foul
S: a ton of the wheat scent i had expected, slight lemon and nice bread notes, also a finish like vinegar or Tabasco sauce, not sure which
T: begins with a nice wheat and bready note, then moves into a nice bright lemon note which combines with the bread and lingers nicely on the palate
M: strong carbonation which leaves a bit of a tingly feeling on the palate
O: a nice one from maredsous, taste an appearance stood out the most, the rest was pretty much what i had expected, nice quality

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:48:06 | More by BigPlay1824

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a three finger head into my duvel tulip, white frothy head, thick sticky lacing, great retention,cloudy golden honey colour.

Light fruit, honey, belgian yeast

Taste is banana, apple, honey, floral hops, sweet pale malt, cloves

Medium bodied with some carbonation, enough bitterness to be balanced but very easy drinking.

An excellent brew that is crisp and refreshing and seemingly sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 05:10:11 | More by Stocean1

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I got all three Maredsous beers and a goblet to go with them this year. I didn't know this was brewed by the same company as Duvel. Alright, I'm intrigued

Appearance: A slightly cloudy golden colour that boasts steady carbonation, although only a finger worth of head. Lots of clinging lace which I love and despite there not being a lot of head, it stuck around for a good long time.

Smell: Yeast is the prevalent with spiced bread notes. It's almost reminiscent of lemon poppyseed bread without the lemon, as a slight sugary note also appears. Warming helped but it could be a bit more potent.

Taste: Excellent, not to simple to be boring but not too ritzy tasting like most Belgians. Starts with a sweet bread taste with hints of yeast that build nicely as clove and spice notes come forward and are dusted off with a floral hop touch.

Mouthfeel: Superb transitioning, a nice carbonation that's both creamy and bubbly at the right times. Has a light yeast and sweet spiced bread aftertaste. Even the slight dryness it leaves behind grows on me.

Drinkability: Very easy to drink but not the most refreshing. Medium bodied but given the 6% ABV it does a marvellous job. I could easily drink this all night, although I'm sure I'd hit the floor awfully quick if I did. A little gassy though, but that's not a big issue.

Final Thoughts: An excellent job on this beer I must say. This is a case that the brewer knew his limitations and didn't try to push the yeast too much like so many Belgians seem to do with me. Crisp, clean, simple but not boring and certainly worth a try. Easily a rival for even the Trappist brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 04:02:15 | More by TheHammer

magictacosinus

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap into the beer's trademark goblet at Les Frères Berthom in Tours, France.

Had Maredsous 8 a few weeks ago (which I shall get around to reviewing) and found it to be excellent, so I thought I'd have a go at Moortgat's other non-flagship beers such as this one. It pours a clear, golden yellow tone, pretty much resembling most Belgian pales I've had on tap in Europe. There is a nice creamy, foamy appearance to it, but overall pretty low carbonation – almost the exact opposite of Duvel, to be honest. Decent looking.

The aroma is filled with grainy notes and that of sugar cane. Not much fruitiness at all. It's really hard to find too many complex aromas on this one. I suppose it's not really meant to be this brew's forté, but there are blondes that are more diverse aroma-wise than this one.

On a few successive sips, it proves itself to be a balanced overall. Contains a light spiciness and low bitterness that counteracts with the sweetness. Creamy and refreshing. It's definitely a Moortgat product based on the good yeasty and malty quality, and stands out as a humble yet good blond. It's drinkable and doesn't unload you in the face with ABV like the brewery's other products do.

It's hard to find a lot to write about Belgian pale ales. To me, there are supposed to be simple yet flavorful and refreshing beers that provide good quality without having to flex any muscles. This beer successfully nails the definition of such ales. I would take this over a Leffe blond ale any day, and it could serve as a good gateway beer for people who are just starting to try new brews.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 16:14:06 | More by magictacosinus

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice clear golden color to it. It has a nice white head that dies down slowly and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of a sweet fruitiness, yeast, floral notes and some spices.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice sweet bready malt character, nice citrusy notes coming from the hops, slight lingering bitterness, yeast and some spices. Not too complex but still nice.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium/high carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 20:26:13 | More by SebD

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before May 2014.

Beer is light golden with a relatively small white head.

Scent is yeasty, a bit of hops, some light fruit flavours- pear, peach. Floral. Nice but not notable or exciting.

Taste is similar to the nose. Yeasty, slight bitterness from the hops, a bit of spice, and some light fruit. Very mildly funky. Like the nose - enjoyable but not great.

Very carbonated- irritating and impacts the flavour. Medium bodied.

Overall, a decent but unexciting Belgian pale. No harm in drinking it but there is much better out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:20:07 | More by jrenihan

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - clear golden orange with a quickly dissipating head that sticks around as a thin cap.

Smell - Fruity with pears and peach pie aromas, floral, lightly tart.

Taste - Very clean and crisp, but still has a soft, complex fruitiness - peach, mineral, yeast, and a slight tartness on the end.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 01:25:10 | More by

DeSoto

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I bought this beer after work from Spec's in El Paso. I have had the other varieties of Maredsous but have never seen the Blonde. It came in a nice paper sleeve which makes a great gift idea.

Bottle type: 1PT./9.4 oz

Served in a 15 oz. snifter

Date: Best before March of 2012

Appearance: Beautiful Burnt Orange Hue. Normal lacing on the glass. Two fingers of white head diminished to one after 35 seconds but still there. Nice hazy middle with great yeast residue.

Smell: Great nose. Hints of peach cobbler, autumn squash and Tamarind. Beautiful balance of sweet and sour notes. Small over-watered sunflower profile at the end.

Taste: Nice and sharp. A little weight on the palate. Great balance. Nothing overpowering. Small sour notes at the end. You would expect a lot going on from the nose, like a tripel or quad, but a nice drink from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Refreshing. Not abrasive. Clean and inviting.

Overall: Great beer! Maredsous does it right to start off with this one in their portfolio. Great pairing for some triple cream cheese, honey, and crackers. A must have.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 06:37:00 | More by DeSoto