City Steam Blonde On Blonde - City Steam Brewery Café

pbrian

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bright tin gold. Clumpy, sticking white foam. Spotty shards of large bubbled carbonation. Minted evergreen and lime peel aroma with soft red licorice candy accents. Initially crisp, powdered lime hoppy and evergreen bitter with a lasting spearmint aftertaste. Clean pale malt sugared backbone with a strong bitterness to squelch it, although it’s more chalk than abrasive piney resin. Hints of lime dust and red licorice careen off brisk evergreen flavors all the way to the end. Finishes briskly hopped and just sugared pale malty enough with a telltale fusion of non-citrus based hop elements. An awesome classic.

FG

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2006 15:38:20 | More by pbrian

WhaleHopper

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Blonde in name and color only, not really a "Blonde Ale" - but description says a very hoppy pale ale, so that's spot on. Certainly more pronounced aroma and bite than typical pale, verging more on mild American IPA in taste and mouthfeel. Strong cascade presence in aroma and taste. Great on tap at the brewpub.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 18:41:18 | More by WhaleHopper

Homebrew35

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass with a nice one and a half fingers worth of a creamy and bubbly white head. Clear pale straw colored body. Good lacing and fair retention.

Smells like a juicy grapefruit, some pine resin and bready yeast.

Tastes like a bubbly, juicy grapefruit mixed with some pine and bready malt flavors. A firm lingering resinous bitterness.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Somewhat coating and oily on the finish.

Overall this is a great beer. Nice job Ron. This is fairly well balanced with great hop character.
$5.50 a pint.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 13:39:09 | More by Homebrew35

RedwoodGeorge

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep golden brown with a clean white head. The foam drops off pretty quickly but leaves some pretty white lacing.

Smells surprisingly hoppy with grassy herbal notes predominating. Slight sweetness in the nose but mostly hops.

Very well balanced taste. Sweet golden biscuit notes up front, an almost honey like smoky note, then a strong hop attack worthy of an IPA. Very "East Coast" in flavor with woody, grassy, herbal hop flavors. It almost tastes like they've thrown in some lawn clippings for extra oomph (not that that's a bad thing...)

Mouthfeel is good - especially for a growler. Rather light bodied but just enough sugar in there to give it some heft. Carbonation is fine and smooth, only a slight residual coating on the tongue. Good bitter finish.

A very tasty brew - it would make a great session beer but the ABV is just a tad bit high. Calling it a Strong Ale invites comparisons to the Bastard and other Strongs but I don't think that's at all fair. This is just a rich, flavorful ale with a bit of a kick...

Serving type: growler

11-13-2006 03:00:16 | More by RedwoodGeorge

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

clear ginger color with two solid, sausage fingers of silky foam which leaves equally untarnished walls of lacing. dissolves over much time into a thick, swampy haze of beer porn.

minty fresh hop aroma wafts up, impressively, with a snappy crispness. sharp pungent yeasty note defines this as a beer soda, want to dive in headfirst.

musty hop bang evens out to a bitter bite with nutty hints. finishes very refreshing for something that brings so much botanical hop bitterness to the party.. this is one of the first city steam beers i've had that really showcases the raw spice of the hop. half the glass of this beer is gone in seconds.

this beer is an amazing sessionable option when you're digging one of those big, hazy, unfiltered ipa's from up willimantic way. equally flavorful and a surefire winner from RP downtown.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2006 21:58:33 | More by goodbyeohio

far333

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear and golden colored with coppery highlights and a firm and frothy head of off-white foam that lingers long and leaves fat rings around the glass as it's drained. Inviting aroma of citrusy hops, some grassy and woody notes.

Sharp hoppy flavors full of tangerine and grapefruit, morphing to pine, sappy with hints of mint and herbal notes. An understated honey malt flavor rides beneath and keeps this one well balanced. Grapefruit pith lingers. Even mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, full and round. Great beer, very hoppy and very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 01:08:52 | More by far333

oscarthebrody

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A quasi-local beer here in southern Connecticut; had one from a bottle tonight after a nice one on draft several weeks ago. I do wonder if the style is most properly listed as American Pale, when it seems to be making a conscious effort to be a lighter-flavored beer.

In any case it is a crisply dry brew with a healthy quantity of hop bitterness. A fine and refreshing mouthfeel, while by no means bursting with carbonation.

This would be a truly outstanding beer at 4.5%. At 6% it's too alcoholic for a session beer, which is what its flavor is best suited to. Still, really enjoyable and a beer I'll return to this summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 06:01:49 | More by oscarthebrody

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From the external appearance, I could have assume that this beer would be as simple as many of the mass produced brews.
It pured just slightly more amber than your 'light' beers.

But thats where the similarity ended!. The nose was full of hops and citrus. There was a definite bouquet fresh pink grapefruits.

The first taste was like the bouquet. A good dose of hops, just the right bitterness along with nice citrus lemon,orange grapefruit.

This one tasted very crisp and alive. The mouthful was big along with a good lingering after taste

Surprisingly nice

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 03:30:59 | More by rdilauro

JMD

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy golden yellow with hints of burnt orange. Frothy white head that fades slowly.

S: Great hoppy aroma. hints of pine and citrus with some bready notes.

T: Tangy hop flavor with big blast of citrus. Lemon zest and ruby red grapefruit dominate, but balanced with some bisquity malt. Herbal with some hints of vanilla and spice

M: medium bodied, crisply carbonated.

D: This is a solid offering from city steam. Great flavor and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 22:16:35 | More by JMD

erosier

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a clear yellow colored beer with a medium sized white colored head that laces the glass nicely on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet toasted malts, hints of citrus, and a nice citrus/grassy hop finish to it.
T: Tastes of sweet toasted malts, hints of citrus throughout, finishing up with a refreshing citrus/grassy hop flavor.
M: Crisp, fresh, refreshing, perfect amount of carbonation, light bodied.
D: Pretty drinkable beer with a nice mix of flavors. I would have liked it to be a bit sweeter but it was a good session beer nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 10:06:23 | More by erosier

Kendo

New York

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. Body is hazy dark golden with a small whitish head. Decent amount of lace left behind.

S: Fruity and hoppy - citrusy hops over fruity yeast and sweet malt.

T: Good balance between sweet and bitter, with a good amount of fruitiness thrown in as well. Starts out fruity, then becomes malty-sweet (think honey and butterscotch). Finishes with citrus (orange & lemon) bitterness.

M: Light-to-medium in heft. Good creaminess.

O: Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 22:42:08 | More by Kendo

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Never heard of this brewery before, and it's right in my backyard over in Hartford, which is closer than Boston. Oh yeah, a date on the bottle! Bottled on 2/28/13.

The head rises up after the pour finishes and gets to a nice 1.5 finger fluffy and thick head, that fades semi slowly with nice soapy lacing, over a hazy sediment laden obviously bottle conditioned and unfiltered. So far so good...

nose is nice for an APA, grassy slightly herbal earthy hops, a bit of a leafy hop aroma, with some grainy toasty blond malts. Pretty simple but done fairly well.

Taste is lighter at first, but not bad... a light grainy toasty blond malt kicks off first with a slight juicy malt sweetness and faint amber malt flavor. Then hops kick into gear, lighter at first but increases with each second in my mouth and each sip. starting with a grassy leafy hop and mild bitterness, slightly herbal and earthy as well but not vegetal or that Euro style hop I can hate. A very light juicy citrus hop kicks in as well, but very light, with a faint orange pith. The hops get a little spicy the longer it goes and more bitter, to finish with a quite bitter spicy earthy grassy hop that dries quite a bit, long quite bitter grassy spicy hop finish that borders astringent.

Mouth is med bodied, nice fluffy carb.

Overall a nice APA, drinkable, tasty, decent hop to malt balance but the malts are a little light overall, nice carb, nice hop profile as that seems to be what they were going for the grassy leafy slightly herbal hop flavors, although I don't really get teh "West Coast American" aroma hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 19:54:38 | More by jlindros

Gavage

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a slightly hazy yellowish orange color with a two inch head that lasts a while. Nice lace develops during the session.

Smell: nice citrus and floral hop aroma.

Taste: caramel, oranges, pears, and a floral hop bitterness creates a straight forward pale ale.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp to start, less crisp and a bit dry at the finish.

Overall: a very quaffable and sessionable ale here. Nice and flavorful, this one is also refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 21:23:26 | More by Gavage

Thads324

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not retired anymore. pours a clear golden yellow with lots of bubbles. Small head of thick and quickly dissipating odd white bubbles. Smells of grassy hops and a bit of citrus. A sharp bitter hop on the tail end stings the nostrils. Undertones of sweet caramel malt and honey. Taste starts out sweet then has a really nice earthy, slighty citrus hop flavor. Just a hint of bitterness at the end. It's all carried through with a nice malt character that is sweet and a bit corn-like. Mouthfeel is light and very drinkable.

The vibrant hops are nice and shine well. Malts is basic and a bit soapy, which is a bit odd. Overall a pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 21:33:11 | More by Thads324

dexterk1

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from bottle into a pint glass. Pours with a nice head and is a light amber or slight reddish color.
Odor is floral and very typical of a pale ale.
mouth feel is a little light. It is pretty carbonated.
Taste is crisp at first and then gives way to hops and ends with a hoppy bitterness. After taste is bitter hoppy. Overall a solid effort and a above average pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:37:02 | More by dexterk1

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, golden in color, clear, high carbonation

Smell: grass and piney hops

Taste: sweet caramel start followed by light pine hops and big citrus hops

Mouthfeel: high carbonation, light bodied, sweetish start bitter middle with a less bitter end

Overall: I like the combination of hops on this one. A nice clean bitter beer. Nothing mind blowing but certainly something I could see myself picking up again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 14:36:32 | More by tigg924

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with a Bottled On Date of 2011-09-27. Pours a hazy burnt orange color with a half inch of head. Fair amount of lacing. Aroma is tangy with some floral and tropical fruit notes. Taste is floral hops with some fruit flavor. Can't really put my finger on what fruits. Nice amount of hop flavor. A bit tangy. Floral again near the end. I've had this at the brewery before and its one of their better offerings. Glad to see it bottled. Now I just hope Acapulco Gold gets bottled. Overall, solid pale ale with a good amount of hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 05:14:25 | More by PicoPapa

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Had this at the Marlboro, MA festival.

A - Pours a hazy light yellow hue with a quarter inch head that slowly fades to a thin blanket.

S - Aroma is a bit too bready for my liking, with some light grassy hops.

T - Taste is fairly solid. Nicely grassy hops with some faint bread/yeast notes.

M - Mouthfeel is fairly typical, medium bodied.

O - Overall, not a bad APA, just too malty/bready for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 18:53:04 | More by rudzud

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

unretired, bottled, and now distributed at least locally

A - pale yellow, blonde indeed, a thin white head fades to a lacy ring fed by moderate carbonation

S - delectable hop profile, but not overpowering. Easily distinguishing this from an IPA. Malty sweetness in the form of oaky vanilla-ness backs up that aroma creating a bipartisan bouquet.

T - The two main parts of the aroma have appeared to battle it out in the flavor, and the hop profile won. The piney, grapefruity hoppiness hits big and hits first. The sweetness remains cloying, its there, but never really lands and finished with a wallop of pine

M&D - lively on the palate, a bit hoppier than I expected, perhaps not for a beginning hophead, not because it is a hop bomb, but because its a bit unassuming in the hops department

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 22:30:41 | More by sinstaineddemon

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a yellow gold color with a residual 1/4 inch of fluffy white foam. Looks like a blonde, semlls like a pale. Light pine smell. Taste is a light malt that builds quickly into a hop wall. Leaves a small bitter taste on the tongue. Some citrus in the finish.

Just different enough to be unique. Interesting and pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 14:47:42 | More by KTCamm

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.39/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Poured from the 12oz bottle into a small snifter, not perfect but I feel like snifters handle all styles very well. A fairly clear body with a blonde color. A foamy head forms with fine bubbles and about one finger high, nice retention. This cap leaves a lot of long, fuzzy lace rings.

S- European hops with some sweet light caramel malts come out the most in the aroma. Floral, some citrus, peach and herbal hops in the nose. Fades out pretty quickly after drinking some, have to really try to pick things up.

T- Hop flavor is immediately more noticeable here, specifically the elements of Euro hops. The classic spicy and herbal flavor comes through as well as some floral, pine and grassy elements. Light malt sweetness, fresh cracked grain and some caramel provide a backdrop for the hops. A lot more bitter than I would expect, just seems like an abrasive bitterness not like the good hoppy kind.

MF- Light body overall with big, foamy carbonation that feels silky on the palate. A good creamy texture with the aforementioned harsh bitterness.

Pretty decent hoppy pale which I respect because of the heavy use of European hop strains. However, there is a semi-abrasive bitterness that isn't the good kind that comes with most hoppy brews, could be a few things but it takes away a bit from the enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 02:17:05 | More by cbutova

david18

New York

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had a couple of drafts of this at a local neighborhood bar. Not a bad pale ale but not the best.

Color was a pale golden, typical of the style with a good amount of carbonation.

Aroma was of hops but not as strong as I would have liked. A little more citrusy than I would have expected for an East Coast beer.

Flavor was similar to the aroma but a little underwhelming.

Decent beer. Not great.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 23:52:05 | More by david18

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - A nice 3 finger head of off-white/cream foam. Body is golden blonde. Head sticks around for a while and becomes rocky. A little lacing.

S - It has that artificial sweet scent like pez. I get some floral smells as well.

T - Again with what I taste as artificial sugar. There are some good hops though that help out. Very mellow. Some lime and orange flavors

M - Carbonation is a little much. Body is just about right.

O - This is very easy to drink, but not a whole lot going on.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 03:56:18 | More by RuckusDu