Rickard's Blonde - Molson Coors Canada

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a straw gold. Rapid carbonation. Fizzy head blows up then settles fairly quickly. No lacings.

Honey-sweet grain on the nose with noticeable zesty hopping.

Grainy malt has a kind of nice edge to it, certainly didn't see it coming. Hops are less pilsner-grassy than citrussy. Lemon candy sort of lasts through the finish with a surprising bitter finish.

Super-carbonated, as you might expect.

I have a bit of respect for the Rickard's brand, and this is one of their better offerings. Good flavour for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 20:13:39 | More by CanuckRover

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Produced a finger of head that did not lace but did retain fairly well. The body is a golden blond with fairly slow, low carbonation.

Smell: Lots of grain as barley comes first and foremost with a light noble hop backing. Slight lemon and grape notes can also be noticed, and didn't need much warming to come out.

Taste: Crisp and has a certainly roughness to it that makes it appealing. Starts with a great somewhat bumpy barely taste that holds a minor lemon note that shifts well into a mild touch of noble hops.

Mouthfeel: It has a certain roughness that normally I wouldn't like, but this beer pulls it off well. The transistioning is nice and the aftertaste is non-exsistant which isn't a bad thing. Crisp.

Drinkability: It's medium bodied, which is a little suprising. It can certainly be put back well enough, but I wouldn't say it's refreshing, as it seems to finish with a very neutral sensation. No gas issues which is good too.

Final Thoughts: Rickard's is Molson's premium brand, and for the most part just about all of their beers can be said to be "Good for a Macro" and this one is no exception. Give it a shot, but don't expect miracles.

Serving type: can

10-01-2012 04:02:26 | More by TheHammer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clean, deep yellow color with an off white head. In the aroma, a little sweetness and a touch floral. In the taste, again a sweet malt and a bit floral all the the way through. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry floral aftertaste. A bit sweet, but not bad. I would not pin this as a pils at all.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2012 13:34:10 | More by OWSLEY069

Brad007

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice golden color with lots of carbonation and a huge, frothy head into my glass.

Overall impression is light and sweet with grainy malt and a touch of hops.

Light, crisp with grainy malt upfront. Fluffy and buttery as well. Just the right amount of hops.

Not much is left at the back of the throat. Just some lingering butteriness.

Not bad. I wasn't expecting much but it's a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: can

07-15-2012 21:55:48 | More by Brad007

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint,.

short lasting head foam, reduced to one little lace. Blond,golden color. Medium effervescence.

Smell; hum some cereals, a bit fruity.

Taste; like a normal blond, but with some edge
some malt, and hop, taste alright.

mouthfeel, nice texture, not too watery. it have some body. Little after taste of hopiness.

Overall, its better than that expected for that kind of micro-style made by giant Molson.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 20:15:38 | More by Otterburn

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a two finger white head from the can with a honey hued yellow body light patchy lacing - grainy, lemon, light grassy hops in the nose - diving in - some lemon pledge, corn, stale biscuit, grassy hops in the finish - better than I expected! - medium bodied with decent carbonation - mildly bitter - drinkable and not overly sweet - semi-dry - overall worth getting on tap if faced with a wall of macro

Serving type: can

05-17-2012 02:30:36 | More by Stocean1

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale golden blonde colour, ring of white head with a moderate amount of lace. Smell is biscuity and grainy, pretty generous amount of earthy hops, grassy with some lemon and citrus. Taste is malty and biscuity with lemon and citrus showing up, well hopped with a nice bitterness, grassy and earthy with a clean aftertaste and finish. Medium carbonation, medium body, good feel overall. I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from this at all but I was pretty surprised that it was as good as it was, its not great and probably not worth seeking out but I would not pass this up if it was offered or saw it on tap at a chain restaurant or macro focused bar.

Serving type: can

04-06-2012 18:01:45 | More by peensteen

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a decent light-yellow, creamy head which reduces quickly. It has a crystal clear yellow body, like a light apple juice. It has the smell of a dirty, cheap beer. It get corn and burnt sugar on the aroma. However, it tastes better than it smells. Tastes like a decent pilsner; I taste grain and corn. While the taste is actually lighter than I'd expect, it doesn't have that little wateriness of the other Rickard's products. Great carbonation. Full body (or a medium body for a pilsner). Like other Rickard's product little to no alcohol taste. Overall, a decent pilsner but can't say I like the corn in there.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 05:11:03 | More by maclean25

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

473ml Can - from the LCBO

Appearance – Clear yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for a few minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains, bread, hops, lemons, apples

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts mixed with grains and corn. There is also a bit of a apple juice sweetness and some lemon juice/zest. There is also a touch of what seems to be noble hops. It ends with a corn/bready aftertaste with a light sweetness.

Overall – Better than I expected it to be. Even if it's just a small amount of noble hop taste, it's better than most of the other macros on the market. I won't rush out to buy more, but it was a worth a try.

Serving type: can

03-20-2012 16:57:27 | More by spinrsx

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tallboy can from the LCBO. I figured the release of this couldn't be far off after seeing Keith's blonde in stores a while ago - although the labeling implies this to be more of a pilsener than an american blonde.

Pours a moderately deep golden colour - maybe 'blonde' is the most apt adjective to use here - topped with one finger of foamy, short-lived white head. It leaves behind a few scant strands of lacing on the sides of the glass, and an uneven cap on the surface. Aroma is of doughy malts, floral/citrusy hops with a hint of honey - pretty appealing.

The taste follows the aroma; straightforward but fresh and enjoyable. Backbone of bready malts supported with a strong hop profile (perhaps not surprising, given the can boasts about the use of 4 different varieties). Grassy and floral, with a firm lemony citrus presence that strengthens toward the finish. Slightly dry aftertaste that cleans up quickly. Thin-bodied, with fairly light carbonation for a pilsener and a particularly smooth mouthfeel that makes it easy to throw back.

Not the most traditional German pilsener, as it is lacking much of a noble hop presence - but the abundance of other fresh hop flavours more than makes up for it. Sort of reminds me of Labatt 50.

Final Grade: 3.48, a B-. One of the better offerings in the Rickard's portfolio. There's not much here for beer geeks to appreciate, but there's not a lot to nitpick either. This one is worth a spin, but frequent repeat purchases seem questionable as this is not particularly outstanding for either a pilsener or a blonde.

Serving type: can

03-17-2012 07:50:39 | More by thehyperduck

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a clear golden color with lots of bristly bubbles rising to the top rather aggressively. The head is thin, and white, but the little of it that there is retains well enough. The lacing is much the same, there not being that much, and it's kind of fizzy at that...however, it does stick to the glass for a short amount of time before noisily disappearing.

S- There is a primary malt aroma that contains caramel and hints of brown sugar. This stays in front of some mild whiffs of grass, corn, and dry grains. I don't detect much in terms of hop bitterness...perhaps the flavor contains more....

T- For a macro, this has a nice combination of distinctive malt sweetness and some tart fruitiness. The malt flavor itself just seems to be good old fashioned barley, while there is some mild citrus providing the countering tartness. The finish still doesn't have any real bitterness about it...I wouldn't exactly call this a Pilsner style beer, but just flavorful lager!

M- To me, this has a medium-ish body to it, and the carbonation, while aggressive, does smooth out a bit after settling in the glass for a few minutes. Reminds me more like something I'd enjoy with dessert....it has tons of flavor, yet the finish is clean and crisp.

O- I think this fits well within the Rickard's lineup....a premium macro type beer that should fit within almost everybody's likability factor. A decent year round lager that would be suitable with a meal/dessert, or on it's own in warmer weather....I suggest giving this one a go!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:31:38 | More by ChrisCage

6pkhbt

3.68/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The other Rickard's varieties do little for my personal taste, but this one is a standout for a truely drinkable lager. I have no problem finishing this one and then another.

Sweet malt evident, nice carbonation level. Muted, but beautiful hopping. Clean lemon with classic german pils grassy/spicy notes. Rather plain yeast profile with no burnt match sulphur character which I personally like in a lager. Others may like it best as is. A very well made beer and my favourite from the big Canadian brewers.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 16:49:36 | More by 6pkhbt

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

341ml bottle poured into pint glass 26/2/12

A clear golden yellow with lots of big bubbles but just a short lived film that leaves no lace

S sweet malt with a little honey not much in the way of hops or anything else for that matter perhaps a little hay

T I get some sour corn I didn't smell and I could live without it, not too bad but not good either

M fairly light, decent carbonation and a weedy aftertaste, feels like a macro

O perhaps at a bar with no other options but the bars I've been going to all have much better options

I can tolerate Rickard's products more then the average macro but that's not saying much

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:07:18 | More by wordemupg

ledjip

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: clear-medium golden

Smell: strong floral hops smells,

Taste: malty and surprisingly for a macro, a strong hops taste (grapefruit). Not bad at all!

Mouthfeel: balanced

Drinkability: smooth to drink, overall a very decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:36:41 | More by ledjip

DoctorStrangiato

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a 341-ml bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance - bright clear yellow beer with a 1/4-inch sustaining white head. Lots of carbonation and some notable lacing.

Smell - fresh, creamy malt smell.

Taste - fairly light, balanced taste with a subtle hoppiness coming through. Not an overpowering flavour by any means but definitely a nice malty taste.

Mouthfeel - very even start to finish, does finish quite wet.

Drinkability - nothing stopping me from having several of these except that this is my last one.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 05:30:31 | More by DoctorStrangiato

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I jacked this from my father-in-law's 4-pack mixer.

A - Pours a crystal clear golden colour with a copper hue, finger of soapy head with solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Musty, leafy hops, classic pils scents, a tad metallic and some bready wheat on the finish.

T - Surprisingly flavourful for a macro, nice grassy notes, bitter leafy hops, touch of wheat and buttered bread with a hint of sweet corn.

M - A tad thin but goes down smooth and finishes wet.

O - Definitely surprised by this one. Offers the classic pilsener flavours from a macro. Easy drinking and would order this at a pub if it were available. Nothing spectacular, but by no means terrible.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 15:45:10 | More by andrenaline

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

355ml bottle, part of their new mixpack. 4 hops, eh? In variety, or in quantity?

This beer pours a clear medium frozen golden colour, with one finger of fizzy, foamy white head, which leaves a low hanging wall of thin painted pockmarked lace around the glass as things drop away.

It smells of faint pale malt, floral, dead weedy hops, and just a bit of nail polish. The taste is semisweet grainy malt, some dank aged citrus, a light acrid, metallic edge, and earthy, sweet floral hops.

The carbonation is somewhat zippy, the body lightweight, and just too prickly for straight ahead smoothness. It finishes off-dry, with a somewhat musty floral character.

Well, this is a bit different - off-putting, to a degree, but yet not skunky or skanky? If you turn your brain off, and just drink, all will be well, thank you cognitive dissonance! Otherwise, you'll start wondering aloud about marketing minutiae like, when is a 'Blonde' ale not a 'German' pilsener?

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 20:39:48 | More by biboergosum

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: It has a nice pale yellow/golden colour to it. It has a nice white head that dies down moderatly and has nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas give out hints of sweet bready/grainy malts with light grassy floral hops.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice sweet bready/grainy matliness with nice grassy hops coming through to add a slight bitterness and a slight fruitness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice light balance of malts and hops.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with ok flavours and aromas.

Serving type: can

09-16-2011 23:38:28 | More by SebD