Grolsch Blond - Grolsch Bierbrouwerij N.V.

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served at Ditto's in Litchfield, Conn.

A: A clear, pale golden color with a faint ring of carbonation which left a faint wisp of soapy lace.

S: Smells faintly astringent, with a bit of bittersweet corn and grain in the nose.

T: The taste erred "Euro lager at first" but actually mellowed to a nice, drying toasted biscuit flavor with a bit of honey sweetness and a dry hop finish. It was a real curveball, and not all that bad.

M: Mouthfeel is light, crisp and drying toward the finish.

D: I'd probably go for a one and done, but maybe for someone who wanted to take it easy for a night and liked the semi-sweet dry finish would really go for it. It's pretty drinkable, overall.

This is for a person who likes dry ginger ale, or something. One of those beers that you really can;t warm up to, but has a little twist to it that makes you able to live with it. Pretty dry and grainy, but an uncomplicated, easy drinking Euro blonde ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 05:18:47 | More by Gambrinus1184

BeerOps

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +14%

04-23-2013 00:32:27 | More by BeerOps

Giggy

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -3.5%

04-04-2013 19:18:32 | More by Giggy

bcsbeer

Florida

3/5  rDev +5.3%

12-10-2012 04:44:10 | More by bcsbeer

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -29.8%

11-11-2012 01:20:53 | More by cfalovo97

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +40.4%

09-11-2012 00:25:19 | More by Molson2000

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +14%

08-17-2012 19:15:03 | More by 4ster

bgramels

Indiana

3/5  rDev +5.3%

08-09-2012 03:42:30 | More by bgramels

Campodog

Spain

1/5  rDev -64.9%

02-25-2012 18:23:44 | More by Campodog

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3/5  rDev +5.3%

01-23-2012 04:04:42 | More by RoryOMoore

TrojanWheels

California

3/5  rDev +5.3%

01-20-2012 20:18:11 | More by TrojanWheels

cdwil

Texas

2.5/5  rDev -12.3%

12-25-2011 20:09:05 | More by cdwil

ROGUE16

Delaware

3/5  rDev +5.3%

12-01-2011 11:01:28 | More by ROGUE16

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

2/5  rDev -29.8%

11-18-2011 20:54:27 | More by Rochefort10nh

Mit

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a-Pours a nice golden colour....reminiscent of any other beer. Very short lived head.

s-malts yeast and adjuncts....hmmm not thrilled with the smell.

t-easy going...mild malts...some bready notes....almost no hop characteristic.

m- solid for a 4% beer.

o-solid drinking beer. I would def buy this beer again. I'm a big Grolsch fan.

Serving type: can

05-05-2011 22:25:11 | More by Mit

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

1.88/5  rDev -34%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

There are enough thick, cartoonishly drawn bubbles clinging on to the glass that they literally obstruct viewing; carbonation runs through the beer hurried and fervently, like a Greek making their way through the isles to find the sale on Windex. To no one's surprise the beer is banana yellow in colour and filtered to a point of antiseptic cleanliness.

The beer's hulking bubbles and unnaturally sterile appearance smack of artificiality, but those are nothing compared to the aroma. There's certainly nothing in this bouquet redolent of barley malt, yeast or hops (although granted, a case could be made that it smells a little like beer's fourth ingredient, water). How can this even be?

To answer that question: it can be because so little of those ingredients - save the water, of course - were actually used to make the beer. Designed to be as inoffensive and indistinct as possible, the brewer intentionally brews a beer with no perceivable hoppiness, an insensible yeast and only the faintest, most neutral memento of malt flavour.

And the rest is left up to branding and the marketing department. Oh, except I forgot to mention the part about how they adulterate the beer with corn syrup or some equally cheap, insipid adjunct and pump the beer with such a sharp, stinging carbonation that it numbs the tongue of all the ill effects that result from taking such shortcuts.

Adding the words "Premium Blond" to the Grolsch name may make it sound a little more impressive but I assure you there is no reason for any 'oohs' or 'aahs'. That is unless of course you are, like me, fascinated by the fact that this brewery is able to pass off such an emasculated, insipid and pathetic product as real beer and actually convince people of it.

Serving type: can

06-14-2010 04:13:04 | More by biegaman

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.25/5  rDev +14%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Not very impressive, looks BMC through its clear bottle. Aroma is nonexistant.

Taste, another winner for Grolsch. Very light, but still packs the trademark Grolsch snappiness, and boy does it go well with a spliff.

Mouthfeel, not a lot to savor. Pair this beer with your smoke, not the best in and of itself unless its the peak of summer. Very drinkable, these go down great in the right atmosphere.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 01:50:58 | More by Beerandraiderfan

FreshHawk

Illinois

3/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Light straw yellow color. Bubbly, foamy white head. Disappears fast and leaves just the slightest lace.

S - Sweet grain, mostly corn. Slight grassy smell too. Mostly sweet.

T - A lot of sweet grainy taste. A bit of grassy and floral hops. Kind of like a hoppy and sweet adjunct lager.

M - Light body and decent carbonation. Somewhat watery and fizzy.

D - Easy to drink with the mouthfeel. Flavors easy to drink and pretty inoffensive, but not a beer that I would search out. Summer beer that would be a good replacement for something like Corona. A little too sweet to be all that drinkable.

Notes: A lot like a Macro/everyday lager. Not a great beer, but decent compared to things like Corona, which it taste like. Unfortunately that is not really what I look for in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 01:31:58 | More by FreshHawk

joedon

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Yellow-gold beer with thin white head. Very clear but not overly carbonated.

Smells a little bit medicinal with very little hop aroma.

Tastes like the macro-beer that it is. Listed as a blonde ale but tastes pretty much like Grolsch lager. Not bad, just kind of blah...

Mouthfeel on the watery side with a little bit of malty-hoppy aftertaste. Very drinkable.

Serving type: can

08-16-2009 18:30:37 | More by joedon

Ragingbull

California

3.33/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is a blonde lager despite being listed on here as a blonde ale. At least Grolsch calls it a blonde lager. Anyway, the beer pours a light yellow or pale straw color. The head is wispy and light with traces of lacing. The nose is a "classic" beer nose of light malts and grains like most macrobrews and festival type beers. The attack is fresh and clean, but there is really not a whole lot of flavors to cover in a review. Some light malt and clean grains. The finish is crisp and clean. Nothing spectacular, but not bad. Its relatively easy drinking, but I hesitated to bump up the drinkability because it wasn't exactly calling me back to drink another. It was another beer I fished out of my brother-in-law's beer fridge.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2009 13:42:37 | More by Ragingbull

DoctorStrangiato

Alberta (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a 500-ml can into a draught glass.

Appearance - pours a bright yellow colour with decent head formation. Gives way to strong lacing along the sides.

Smell - bright floral and corn notes, fresh leaves and grasses.

Taste - starts with a decent bitter effect and then switches quickly to Euro-malt sweetness. Tastes of thin veggies to the finish along with a resurgence of light bitters.

Mouthfeel - not bad, some active carbonation on the front. Not a champion of smoothness.

Drinkability - this is the second time I've had this brew. As with the first time, it's a reasonable light beer choice because it's not all watery. Also there is decent bitterness for the ABV - often 4% beers are weaker on this character.

Serving type: can

04-06-2009 00:55:45 | More by DoctorStrangiato

KevinBrewer

California

2.63/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Clear light gold with fluffy white head the dissipates quickly leaving a moderate amount of lacing.

N: Sweet biscuity malt and cooked corn with just a hint of pungent hops, barely noticeable. Also a slight solvent-y aroma.

T: Candy-sweet malt with a hint of biscuit followed by a light hop bitterness and a metallic aftertaste. Very little hop flavor.

M: Medium light body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly dry finish.

D: A little on the sweet side. Aftertaste is a bit off-putting. Not terrible, but I'm craving something else now.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 07:07:19 | More by KevinBrewer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a. Pale yellow with a very short livid head.

s. Smell is not very strong, just grains and wheat in the nose.

t/m. A nice crystal malt body with notes of grain. Noble hops in the background. Biscuity yeast and finishes slightly dry. Mouthfeel is smooth, crisp with ample carbonation. Light bodied and refreshing.

D. A surprisingly decent blonde. Not a style I even care for but this is on par with the guidelines and pretty good actually.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 23:16:18 | More by Stinkypuss

yesyouam

New York

2.68/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Grolsch Blond is an extremely clear, very sparkling blonde lager with a bone white head. It leaves good lacing. It smells a little funky and farty. There is a hint of light grain in the nose. It actually smells pretty fresh for something that came out of a clear bottle. It's pretty smooth, light bodied and reasonably crisp. It has a very light flavor of light grain, crackers and lemon pepper. It's a bit funky.
(rated Feb 12, 2008)

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 15:12:47 | More by yesyouam

ProfessorHomer

New York

3.93/5  rDev +37.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Overview: An "American Blonde Ale" brewed in Europe that tastes like the offspring of a Lager and a Pilsner and yet is an Ale - me really likee!

A: A good-looking, pretty beer in its clear bottle, it pours out seemingly even more clear and somewhat carbonated (less than expected) with a nice white head.

S: Smells just like a lager. An American Lager.

T: Here's the interesting part - tastes like a cross between a Lager and a Pilsner! Starts off with distinctive Pilsnerness and finishes with that mildly hoppy Lagerness well into its lingertaste. Quite mild tasting, with no offense nor too much carbonation. Goes down smoothly, almost too smoothly, you need to pay close attention or you will miss its mild supple subtle seductiveness. You will probably need to drink two just to make sure. Finishes clean.

M: Good, Pilsner-like with nice carbonation. Lighter, not overwhelming. A GREAT summer, hot-weather beer.

D: This has "mass-market US hit" potential written all over it. A great session beer, nice quality balance of ingredients, solid water base, mild tasting, clear & clean, can easily put down two (or more) at a party. And that fascinating balance straddling the styles of a Pilsner and a Lager while being an Ale! All wrapped up in that clear, pretty bottle. Women will buy it, men will fall for it.

This Homer was weaned on American mass-market Lagers and Pilsners. This beer is a giant step up and over them American standards. I sandwiched a few of these between a few of those and Grolsch Blonde Ale blew them others away. And this Homer don't usually like blondes!

If this had become more available nationwide at the beginning of Summer, Blue Moon would never have become successful. I am a little worried though about the clear glass bottle and the beer turning too soon. If only all brewers put a "born on" or a "best drunk by" date on all their beers....

Drink it - you will not be disappointed. I can't wait to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2008 16:41:45 | More by ProfessorHomer