Hometown Blonde - New Glarus Brewing Company

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into NB Globe.

Appearance: Golden yellow bodied beer with 2 fingers of white head. Spotted lace on the side of the glass.

Smell: Nice light malty profile that is a touch of bready, lager yeast, and grain notes. It almost smell like staghorn octoberfest light. A touch of grassy, herbal, and spicy hops.

Taste: It starts with a mild grainy and bready malt profile; a hint of sweetness from the malts. Transitions into the middle of the beer and finishes with mild hops that just barely over take the malts. Pretty close to striking a good balance here between malt and hops profiles. The hops taste grassy, floral, earthy, and even a bit of fruitiness, maybe tropical fruits... Its hops have mild bitterness that does not linger for all that long. The beer also has that distinct lager taste to it, probably from the lager yeast pitched into the beer; that is my guess.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Easy drinker thats really crisp, smooth and refreshing. Semidry finish.

Overall: It a good german pilsner. It honestly tastes like staghorn and two women lager blended together. Great summer beer that offers craft beer drinkers something that has more flavor than your average light beer, but you can still drink a 6 pack on a really hot day.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 19:22:57 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Home Town Blonde is the newest addition to the New Glarus family debuting in the late summer of 2012. As of now it is listed as a limited production, but perhaps with gaining popularity, we will see it again in 2013.

It pours a clear light amber color with bubbly head giving off that great, authentic pilsner taste. The scent is rather mild with the use of 4 different hops. Overall, it is a very inviting aroma.

Upon my first sip, I could not have guessed I was drinking a pilsner made in Wisconsin and not from Germany. The taste is light, refreshing and slightly fruity. The ingredients compliment each other so well it is difficult to pick out specific ingredients. Finishes with and ever so slight crisp and bitter after taste.

There is nothing better than waking up and finding out there is a new New Glarus beer on the market. This is a great, unique add to their already stellar line up of brews. I’m sure not many will find this to be their new favorite, but it is a nice transition from Totally Naked to Home Town Blonde. In the German tradition, here’s Prost!

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 18:35:52 | More by Lemke10

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Casanova in Hudson, WI. It's dry, crisp, and hoppy, what a nice example of a German pilsner. The aroma is a little hoppier than a beer straight from the motherland, but that's by no means a bad thing. The hops are herbal and grassy upfront with mild kicks of lemon and grapefruit. The malt jumps out from behind the hops, with mix of doughy and toasty bread notes. A delicious beer, it reminds me of a more traditional (and more drinkable) version of Victory's Prima Pils. The finish is biting and a little rough, like you'd expect from a healthy helping of Euro hops. I'd have another.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 00:31:58 | More by tempest

Duff27

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Near inch tall white head on a mid golden body. lots of quick moving effervescence. Very good head retention and drink-by-drink step lacing.

S- Bread, hints of lemon zest.

T- Toasted malts, balanced well with bright floral hops. Has a great clean finish, I love it.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Prickly medium carbonation.

D/O- Easily one of the most quaffable pilsners I've had. The refreshing, clean aftertaste is my favorite characteristic of Home Town Blonde. Another hit from up north.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 03:01:17 | More by Duff27

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tall New Glarus Signature Pilsner Glass.

Appearance: Pours a somewhat hazy pale golden orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Solid three fingers of white head with decent retention. Leaves a good amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell: Aroma driven by wheat grains and pale malts with some nice citrus hints. Wheat, grains, and malt upfront along with some light hints of white pepper and coriander spice. Hints of bready biscuit, crackers, straw, and yeast. Solid scents of citrus with some lemon zest and orange peel. Also a little honey that ads to the sweetness. Decent hints of grassy and earthy hops in the background. Solid aroma.

Taste: Like the aroma hints, a nice taste of wheat and citrus with a surprisingly solid kick of hops. Sweet wheat grains and malts with a taste of bready biscuit, straw, crackers, honey, and yeast. Light hints of pepper and a coriander like spicing. Nice taste of mildly tart and dry citrus with some lemon zest and orange. Also some grassy hops towards the finish. A nice balance of malty sweetness and bitterness for the style.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Crisp, juicy, and fairly drying. Very smooth.

Overall: A pretty nicely done take on a Pilsner. Nice bready Pils taste with a solid hop backing.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 08:17:02 | More by MattyG85

malcontent

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pale gold body with thin, spotty head and zero lacing.

Yeast comes to the forefront and is quickly supplanted by a pleasantly sweet malt nose; somewhere between honey and freshly baked bread.

Straight-forward mild malt sweetness is nicely complimented by understated hop bitterness. Almost like a pale Vienna lager in taste.

Full-bodied with the perfect refreshing twang at the end. Very drinkable and a nice offering from New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2007 03:56:30 | More by malcontent

SMark

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was poured into a pint glass from a 12 ounce brown bottle at 42º which resulted in 1½ fingers of puffy, white foam. I had to slow down the vigorous pour to get it all in the glass. Lacing was evident with this pale golden blonde colored beverage as was a considerable amount of carbonation. No date information was present on the bottle.

Hops and a honey like sweetness were first sensed. Malt aromas were evidenced later in the floral bouquet.

There was a crisp cleanness with the very first sip. Good hop flavor balanced with the malt results in a flavorful and somewhat forward pilsner.

Nice structure and a palate pleasing pilsner. I like the clean refreshing taste which lasts into the next sip.

This was a good pilsner and could be consumed in quantity. It would be a real good beverage to sit down with on warmer days when you could probably pick up different nuances. This one is also enjoyable through the colder days as it could remind you of the warmer days although it could be après ski also. What the heck, I guess you could drink this all year and be happy.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2007 22:28:58 | More by SMark

happygnome

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a pours a hazy yellow colorwith a quarter inch of white head that dissapears fast leaving a little lacing
s: sweet barley malts with grassy, floral and citrusy hops
t: nice bready malt paired and nicely balanced with grassy, floral and citrust hops
m: light to medium bodied beer with a good amount of carbonation

overall, i really enjoyed this brew for a nice hot summer day, but i dont think ill buy it this late in the year again

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 17:49:03 | More by happygnome

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hometown Blonde pours a clear golden color with a nice size had. The smell is a bit weak, but has a bit of a malty sweetness. The taste is full, has a crisp malty flavor, that finishes a bit sweet, and has a grain like flavor. Good full flavor. Overall a very solid and full bodied pils.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 01:40:57 | More by vette2006c5r

KeefD

Minnesota

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a decent head the recedes quickly leaving no lace as I sip away. Smell is slightly sweet with grainy malts and light hops character. Taste is on par with the aroma. Grainy, malty, slightly bitter finish. Medium bodied, with good carbonation. Very light and easy to drink. Perfect for the summer!

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2008 17:42:18 | More by KeefD

sweemzander

Illinois

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a clear yellow color. Produced a nice cap of white foam. Good retention and lacing too.

(S)- A sharp grainy hay and biscuit with its of a honey, lemon peel sweetness.

(T)- Similar to the smell. A sharp grainy maltiness with a subtle honey sweetness.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Subtle sweetness and dry grainy balance as well.

(O)- Overall, its always great to be able to depend on a brewery like New Glarus to deliver a solid to great beer. Highly drinkable and sessionable while still providing good flavors and smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 20:07:56 | More by sweemzander

GeezLynn

Minnesota

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Bright straw color with great clarity. Head is on the small side with good retention.
S: Nice fresh aroma, a bit of malty sweetness and a grassy, floral (almost tangy?) hop character.
T: Initial impression is an assortment of different hop flavors. Floral, grassy, and citrus flavors all part of the lot. Plenty here to dissect. Malt is a pretty simple pilsner base with a touch of sweetness. Finish is crisp, and slightly dry with a soft bitterness.
M: Body is medium with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel as a whole is on the softer end of the spectrum relative to widely available commercial examples of this style. I tend to prefer a bit more prickliness.

This is a great fall beer for me and a reminder of how much the style has to offer when it’s done right.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 06:30:16 | More by GeezLynn

zeledonia

Minnesota

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Trying to work my way through all of New Glarus's beers. This isn't exactly the best fit for a snowy winter day, but it's on deck. Tasted 10 December 2012.

Pours pale golden yellow, clear, with a fine stream of bubbles rising up. One finger of white head, dense and fluffy. Good retention and lovely lacing.

Smell is light, crisp, and lager-rific. Spicy hop presence, plus a little citrus burst. Clean and peppery with a touch of lemon. This screams pilsener, in exactly the right ways.

Taste is a little thin, though some of that is because it's overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the mouthfeel. Clean and dry, grassy, and a little buttery.

Mouthfeel is stellar. Light body, dry, with fizzy, tingly carbonation. Finishes even dryer. It's almost perfect.

This beer is truly impressive. I'm not thrilled with the taste, but everything else about it is darn good. And the mouthfeel is about the best I've encountered in any beer, any style. Just like that, it's gone. I plan to drink a whole lot of this come next summer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:19:07 | More by zeledonia

mecummins

Illinois

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- it poured a lightly hazy golden yellow with a two finger fluffy head. Wonderful sticky lacing

S- I could smell pale malts, bready yeasts and some mildly bitter hops. A little honey sweetness was there as well.

T- I could taste the bread and wheat notes right away. Some sweetness from the malts and a bit of honey. There was a bit if citrus there as well. The hops came in towards the back. Well balanced and really enjoyable

M- crisp & dry with a good amount of carbonation. Moderate mouthfeel with a medium finish.

O- I'm not really big on pilsners, but I could drink this all day. Really well balanced and just plain enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 20:04:24 | More by mecummins

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy from Monger: Poured a bright gold yellow color beer with a nice big pure white foamy head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of floral malt with some dry crisp hops is quite enjoyable. Taste is also dominated by some floral malt with some light sweet notes and a medium dry crisp finish which is quite enjoyable. Body is full for the style with some good carbonation. Another very good beer from a great brewer from a style that produce too much crap IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 18:54:00 | More by Phyl21ca

jeffmonarch

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle in a pilsner glass.

A - Slightly cloudy golden yellow with a little white head.

S - Very little sweet hoppy smell.

T - A little sweet with good hop flavor. The rest of the flavor is very complex. There's a lot going on but I can't make out the individual flavors.

M - Light bodied with good carbonation.

D - Good beer with a complex flavor that keeps you drinking and wondering what is that taste, in a good way.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 07:02:17 | More by jeffmonarch

DubbelTrubbel

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into New Glarus Signature Pilsner

A- Golden-yellow, two and a half finger white head.

S- Light hops, slightly funky malt aroma

T- Moderate hop bitterness, very pleasant carbonation, delicious fresh malty flavor.

M- moderately thick

O- excellent, well bittered pilsner, but still with a "backbone" of malt, as the bottle says. A great, relaxed drinker from New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 00:26:52 | More by DubbelTrubbel

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

$7.00 / Six Pack
County Market
Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Appearance - A light yellow with an 1/8 to 1/4 inch of white head.

Smell - The sweet malty scent is firm and strong.

Taste - The toasted grain and malty really control the flavor of this brew. There is a tiny bit of sweetness if you can find it.

Mouthfeel - The flavor is tasted on the outside rear of my tongue. This brew goes down smooth and easy.

~ For a lighter beer the flavor is well established and firm. The character of this beer is impressive.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2007 21:23:06 | More by cdkrenz

tapman

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appears to be very standard and, well, blonde. Thin, quickly receding head over a light, golden body. Pretty average so the score is thus a 3.

Malts smell of a thin bscuit, typical pilsner maltyness. Hops are noticeable enough to give it that 'beer' smell.

Here is where the beer shines and proves its craft reputation. Tastes like Pilsner-style malts and hops blah blah blah, but it all just tastes better. I drank MGDs for a while and its as if this beer is 50 of them condensed inot one beer. The malts are fuller and richer, the hops less stringent and sweeter.

Feels like 50 MGDs, also. Texture is fuller and the carbonation is much less biting than other pilsners.

Very drinkable. It's not my prefered style of beer, but if this was the only craft brew in the joint then you won't find me complaining. Its nice to have a beer that does its style well, een if its not your favorite.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2007 00:10:57 | More by tapman

Strix

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear golden, decent initial head, leaves pretty quickly.

Grassy, grainy nose, slight green pepper/lemon note.

Toasted malt, black pepper, spices, lemon zest.

High carbonation, medium-thick mouthfeel.

I'm not a huge pilsener guy, but this was simple and quite refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:20:27 | More by Strix

logansboat15

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An American take on a German Pilsner, New Glarus Brewing's Home Town Blonde is a big step up from the standard Joe-six-pack pilsner. Pours a golden amber with a light foam head and no lace. Smells lightly hoppy with a hint of fresh figs. Nice sweet taste that finishes to a slight hop bitterness. Very well balanced and moreish. Substantial mouthfeel and highly drinkable. Great as a marinade with steak, bratwurst.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2007 09:20:50 | More by logansboat15

trevorwideman

Manitoba (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle traded to me by demcorhip. Thanks man! Poured into a pilsner glass.

Pours an unfiltered deep straw colour with a hint of orange. Big 1 1/2 inch of fluffy head off a pretty vigorous pour. head retention is great, carbonation is mild in the glass, and there's some nice, sticky lacing. Aroma is earthy, nutty, and lightly spicy and floral. Typical pils aroma, but very nice.

Taste is lightly spicy off the top with a peppery note, then some more floral sweetness, then some nutty malt and a lemon sourness. There's a surprisingly hoppy bitterness here, and it's welcoming and flavorful. This is a very tasty pilsner, and very dry, it keeps you wanting more. Carbonation is just zippy enough, and the body is medium-light. Great all around flavourful pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2008 19:51:36 | More by trevorwideman

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a clear looking yellow color with a foamy white head on top. The head retention was pretty strong on this from start to finish. The lacing wasn't much to look at other than a few scattered clumps on the glass. The smell of the beer was of fresh grains and yeast. The taste of the beer is very mild, it's slightly grassy but mostly grainy with a subtle hop spark in the finish. The mouthfeel of the beer was clean, light bodied, moderately refreshing and dry in the finish. Overall this beer was pretty good for what it is. It's not something I am all that into but it's a good beer that fits the style I think. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 03:58:15 | More by Knapp85

birchstick

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden yellow stalk like color. Nose is sweet cereal malts with a nice caramel malts and a bit of grassy hops. Taste starts off with citrus lemon. These move on to a grainy malt flavor and are finished off by some spicy, grassy hops. Like most of their beers, really soft mouthfeel, smooth and full taboot. Overall, this is a nice, lightly hopped pilsner. Props to NG for brewing a really nice pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:20:49 | More by birchstick

botham

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

this brew pours a blonde color (who would have thought?) with two fingers of white head that dissipates quickly, leaving a nice lacing on the glass.

smell is full of hops. a subtle fruitiness is present, along side alcohol in the background.

taste is rather sharp. hops up front, with a good amount of carbonation alongside. for the amount of hops in the taste, this one is not very bitter in the mouth. New Glarus did well with this one.

aftertaste is somewhat dry, with only the hops sticking around.

mouthfeel is light, with a decent film left around the mouth after swallowing.

drinkability is good, although the carbonation might fill the stomach before the beer does.

all in all, this is a good german pilsener. for drinkers that like this style, this one would make for a good try.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2007 03:34:46 | More by botham