Kapittel Blond - Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.

DandyEssex

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

From a 330mL bottle, in a tulip.

Golden hay colour, with a slight haze when the lees are added.

Subtle, but nice aromas. Mostly banana, with biscuit & honey. The flavours follow through nicely, with the honey coming forward. Lemon candy in there as well. Slight hop spice on the finish. It is sweeter than I expected. Medium bodied with a smooth, creamy texture

This has no outstanding quality to it, but is complex enough and very easy to drink, almost sessionable even.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 22:19:34 | More by DandyEssex

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle, poured into a long tulip glass.

Color is a light, a bit cloudy, orange. Forms a two finger head that dissapears slowly, leaving just a ring of foam.
Smells much like a witbier: wheat, yeast and sweet malt.
Taste is a bit sweet and fruity in the beginning but hoppy bitter in the finish.
Body feels light and carbonation is high.

Overall this is a complex and well balanced beer. Thumbs up from me.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 19:08:00 | More by Ciocanelu

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle into chalice, best by 7/2013. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color, with a fairly dense 1-2 finger off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some slight spotty lacing on the glass, with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of light lemon zest, grape, pear, pepper, clove, honey, bread, and yeast spices. Nice and pleasant aromas with decent strength. Taste of lemon zest, pepper, pear, orange, clove, biscuit, honey, grass, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of citrus, pepper, clove, grass, bread, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance with good complexity; and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly slick and slightly prickly mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish present. Very easy to drink as well. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable Belgian blonde. Good amount of complexity and nice flavor balance; and very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:23:42 | More by superspak

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this Blond in a tulip.

Appearance- The beer manages a single finger of bright white foam that is very filmy and puffy. It recedes to barely cover the cap and has tons of bubbles.

A very hazy, honey-gold and orange body shines through the glass. A small amount of dark and leafy sediment managed to escape the bottle on my pour, but it settles quickly.

Smell- This has a very nice biscuit malt and honey scent. And when I say honey, I mean, HONEY. I don't think I could get a stronger scent of honey if I actually drizzled some in here.

There may be a little fruity character as well that reminds me of red grapes.

Taste- The drink is not as sweet as the nose, but it holds onto that slightly syrupy, honey flavor near the middle and end of the drink. The front of the drink manages some earthiness and even a wheat feel.

The drink certainly improves as the drink goes along, again, that grape and raisin sweetness combines with the biscuit malt and honey to make a rather sweet, yet soft finish. How they manage to keep it from being cloying is impressive.

Mouth feel- This is more carbonated than it should be. It is just to the point of scratching the tongue with bubbles. The beer is, thankfully, a nice medium body.

Any lighter and that carbonation would have really been overwhelming.

Overall- This beer has decent parts, but they do not come together to form a great beer. The honey scent of the nose, and the estery sweetness on the palate are great.

However, they do not come together in the flavor profiles where it really matters the most. I would have this again, as it is an enjoyable beer. It could just offer so much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 23:45:57 | More by Pintofbrown

flagmantho

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: slightly hazy yellow-golden hue with plenty of effervescence. Head is a thin finger of frothy white foam which dissipated rather quickly.

Smell: nice, clean malt aroma with a little bit of tangy zip. Green apple and pear aromas are present, as well. I like it.

Taste: nice malt flavor which is rather mild. There's some apple flavor here, but also a weird off-flavor which I can't easily describe. It's kind of reminiscent of a smoky lapsang souchong tea, which can be good but is hardly appropriate here. I want to like this beer but the off-flavor really pulls it down for me.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and creaminess. Not bad.

Overall: this is not a bad beer, but the off-flavors just make it not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 16:52:53 | More by flagmantho

impending

California

3.23/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

SF Toranado. Moderately hazy pale golden yellow, pure dense white head. minor lacing.

Aroma is restrained but has interesting notes of banana, apple and ginger.

Taste is mild in all measures. Mild sweetness to begin and mild hop flavors to end. Minimal bitter, the aftertaste is short lived.
Light bodied smooth mouthfeel.

Best served well chilled on a hot summer day, a decent thirst quencher, not a sipper.
cheers
jd

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2011 03:20:44 | More by impending

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a strange)
best before A 7 12
A- This beer has a slightly hazy deep yellow body with a slight orange hint to it and a thin creamy white head that sticks to the glass with each sip. There is a matrix of slow tiny bubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The raw grain, fresh rain and dry spun sugar aroma blends together with a green candy hop note in the finish

T- The crisp clean flavor of pale malt and dry sugar turns more water as the beer opens up. There is a green hop finish with some soapy woody notes to the hops.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a filling fizz in the finish.

O- This beer has some nice soft tripel qualities with the dry sugar notes and soft but the watery taste makes this a bit too thin and the fizz masks the finish aswell.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 21:40:05 | More by rhoadsrage

kojevergas

California

2.93/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served from a bottle in 't Velootje, Gent, Belgium. Reviewed from notes.

A: Light gold colour. Decent retention and appeal. Two finger head.

Sm: Barley and hops. Pretty standard fare. It's difficult to detect individual notes with me broken nose. All apologies. A bit musty and light in strength.

T: Bland. Standard barley blond with a few hops thrown in haphazardly. Simple, but balanced. Built poorly for the style. Where are the crystal hops?

Mf: Nicely smooth and fairly dry, a strange effect for a blonde but not an unwelcome one.

Dr: Very mundane. Not worth your time compared to other Belgian blondes. That said, it is very fairly priced.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 13:14:59 | More by kojevergas

laituegonflable

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slight pale gold colour with generous Belgian head, white and foamy, bubbling a little on the top but some nice trails of lace behind. Good retention. Looks nice.

Smell is rather sweet. Quite rich with a sweet grainy edge to it, kind of oatmeal-esque with a belt of Belgian must and fresh-cut grass. Quite pleasant overall character, bodes well for flavour.

Flavour is fairly rich and sweet as well, with a big caramelly malt goodness upfront developing into a mellow but full-bodied mid-palate. It takes on some phenolic medicine notes and a touch of champagne yeastiness before the finish which is still mostly sweet, but with a bolder, almost minty, character. Guess it's just combining with those Belgian yeast phenols, it's a decent enough Belgian pale but I've had better.

Feel is suitably smooth, and surprisingly thick for 6.5%, suits the style well and goes down quite easily.

Good beer, wouldn't say great.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 14:26:52 | More by laituegonflable

sweemzander

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a golden orange color that produced a great fluffy white head with good retention. Plenty of lacing left behind.

(S)- A nice crisp biscuit-like lemon and yeast-like clay/earth. Very subtle spice.

(T)- Similar to the smell. A crisp banana and biscuit lemon yeast with a lightly green hop component.

(M)- A crisp carbonation level and a nice balance. A good feel with a great combo of classic belgian and hops.

(D)- A great belgian pale ale. I like the balance of it without being overly and in your face hoppy. Good stuff right here.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 01:08:10 | More by sweemzander

DovaliHops

California

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly cloudy pale golden color with a medium white head that disappears quickly. Scent is sweet and yeasty with some strong honey aromas. I also get some clove and lemon. Taste is initially yeasty with banana. This beer has some crisp bitterness and distinct clove flavors. I also get pepper, and it has a melon-fruit finish. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, full-flavored, with a crisp finish. Drinkability is VERY high. Overall, I'm not a huge fan of Belgian Blondes, but this one is quite tasty on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 06:31:20 | More by DovaliHops

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle.

It pours a clear gold with a tall, foamy, off-white head that dissipates with some spots of lacing.

The smell is strong and fruity, there is a fair amount of clove and orange. There are also notes of bread, honey, and hay.

The flavor isn't as good. It has a certain rottenness to it like rotten banana and orange. It is a bit reminiscent of golden raisins. The malt is there as well providing some cracker flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 19:13:52 | More by crossovert

xylophonica

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Cloudy golden colour. Minimal head with mild carbonation bubbles.

S - Banana & vanilla with a touch of aniseed.

T - Slightly spicy with strong carbonation. Sweet honey with some sour aftertaste. All this is combined with again a bit of aniseed.

M - Bittersweet; bitter at first but softening. Very lively but smoothing out as you drink.

D - Nice and mellowing as you drink. Not great though - taste is just ok....

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 10:10:52 | More by xylophonica

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a one finger white head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving no lace. Almost clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Light honey nose. Flavor is smooth, honey-like, more malts than hops. Slight dry finish. $19.95 for a mixed 4-pak 330ml bottles from Colonial Spirits Acton, MA.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 22:18:52 | More by jdhilt

ThreeDimesDown

Connecticut

2.58/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy gold with a white head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing.

Aromas of light malts, floral hops, banana, and wet hay.

This is where it all goes wrong....The taste is very mild for the most part with some honey sweetness and floral hops, along with the light malts. The overwhelming taste that smacks you with the weight of a 2"x4" is some sort of minerally copper. It's up front, in the middle, and in the finish. The more you drink, the less of it you notice, but it just isn't good.

The mouthfeel is thin and watery with very little carbonation,

I won't be going back again for this. I believe they used a new technique that uses dirty pennies in the mash.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 14:51:06 | More by ThreeDimesDown

JohnGalt1

Idaho

2.95/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Small bottle picked up at the COOP on Saturday.. Poured into my SN XXX goblet.. short lasting white head.. the brew is hazed golden orange... splotchy lacing and nonexistent cap.

Nose is bready with some lite clove.. only slightly estery with some background orange..

Esters show on the palate as some overripe pear and green apple skin.. odd metal flavor builds from the front and peaks mid palate and finishes the same.. coppery.

Not digging this one at all.. the bones are there, but the 2nd half of the glass is too much effort.

3.5/3.5/2.5/3.5/3

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 06:42:15 | More by JohnGalt1

BobZ

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

11.2 oz. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Managed a 1/4" head after a hard pour that quickly dissipated. Nice yellow with a few yeast floaties.

Smell: A little bit of citrus and sweetness, pleasant enough.

Taste: Up front bitterness that verges on metallic, never really seems to go away it's masking over some better flavors of sweetness, not horrible but not good either.

Mouth feel: The bitterness and lack of balance impacts the mouthfeel to. Lightly carbonated may more would have helped.

Drinkability: Too many negatives to make this an enjoyable session beer.

Hard to believe this is from the same Belgian villiage (Watou) as St. Bernardus, disappointing blond.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 23:53:08 | More by BobZ

mdfb79

New York

3.25/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 2/13/10 notes, had on tap at Max's Belgian Beer Fest in Baltimore, MD.

a - Poured a clear golden color that was very transparent. Little head or carbonation evident.

s - Smells strongly of yeast. Also hints of hops, some fruit, and grain.

t - Tastes strongly of yeast as well. Little bit of fruit as well, but kind of bland

m - Light body with no carbonation.

d - Overall I thought this beer was ok. Strong yeast notes to it and the bland taste made it definitely not near the top of the best things available at Max's. I wouldn't have ordered it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2010 21:19:17 | More by mdfb79

JBogan

Nevada

2.85/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a muddy looking dark gold with a very small white head which leaves minimal lacing.

The aroma is of sweet malt, honey along with some buttery notes.

Taste follows the aroma closely. Sweet malt is the predominant factor, then the slight buttery aspect along with yeast in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was very smooth and thick, almost creamy. There's just enough carbonation to keep it from being dull.

All said and done, there are a lot better beers out there in this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 19:11:51 | More by JBogan

haddon

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

golden color with a cloudy haze. nice frothy head with lots of lacing down the goblet

classic belgian fruity notes: apricots, peaches, dates, malts & a very faint alcohol smell mixed in as well

taste starts off metallic, almost off-putting. the aftertaste is much better...turns to lemon, honey, clove & banana

actually not bad on the tongue. medium body with right amount of carbonation

did not enjoy the first few sips of this at all. however, as the beer warmed it was much more enjoyable. even so, couldn't get past the first impression that disappointed a bit

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 02:28:33 | More by haddon

DawnL

New York

3.05/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice reddish/golden color with good head retention.

Otherwise, not an exciting brew. Had some murky flavors of spice and yeast, but more like a mulled cider feeling to it with slight minerality. Not bad, but not particularly memorable either. Goes well with food. In fact, it needs food. Would pair nicely with mild cheeses and poultry dishes.

It's drinkable, but not in large quantities.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 13:27:42 | More by DawnL

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 11.2oz brown pop top with nice label...very Belgian..looking forward to this one

Appearance: Dark gold beer, fairly bright, with lots of small yeast sediment in suspension, big ivory cap with good retention

Smell: Lots of crisp, fresh grain and mild earthy hops...very pilsener-esque...a little yeasty funk and fruit on the back end

Taste: Very sweet, mildly steely light crystal malts...light candy sugar...fairly simple...somewhat tasty, but there is NOT a lot going on here...

Mouthfeel: Light/medium bodied...kind of slippery

Drinkability: Medium

Conclusion: It's kinda tasty, but nothing special in any way...I bought this in a mixed Kapittel 4-pack...I'm hoping the rest are more memorable...

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 05:53:03 | More by BedetheVenerable

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.17/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Had a bottle at Dulle Griet in Ghent. This beer didn't taste right, but the bartender claimed it was right on. There was a strong metallic taste and aroma that made me feel like I was licking a pocketful of change every time I took a sip. Sure the clear gold body looked great, but as a beer, this failed.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 00:58:32 | More by tempest

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At 6.5%abv., BB 03/2010, served lightly-chilled in Hapkin's tulip-shaped bowl sniffer.

A: pours a dark orangey golden hue, translucent with tiny bits of yeast sediments swmming in the lightly carbonated body, topped with a 2cm thick white spongy froth that settles gradually to a thin cap.
S: lightly sour-sweet yeasty fruity on a par with a lubricating sugary malts that gives out a lubricating-kind of note; a refreshing flow of really fragrant, springy flower blossoms (pronounced hints of Chinese white camomile of Hangzhou - "Hang-Bai Ju"), orangey fruits and a mild touch of leafy herbs. Soothing and pleasant.
T: a lubricating swallow of mildly sweet pale malts and orangey-citric fruity hops with a mildly mineral, chewy bitterness is closely ensued by a slowly developing wave of fragrant flowery taste, almost like a sweetened Chinese camomile tea with a spicy kick, and the finishing undertone is a tad zesty or slightly tangy to render a intriguing contrast with the smooth flowery aftertaste.
M&D: light on the carbonation, just sufficient to render a refreshing palate, against a medium body and moderate flavour profile; all in all, this is a pretty quiet, but well-made, pale ale that is really easy to drink and the soothing, flowery-tea edge is especially commendable.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 17:36:03 | More by wl0307

BierFan

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The neck label on the 11.2 ounce bottle lists an abv of 6.5%.

Small white head. Hazy dull dark yellow body. Almost no carbonation at all. Musty malty and fruity aroma and taste. Herbal up front with a very sweet and flowery finish.

This has been kind of a letdown for me. Greater carbonation would have immensely improved the beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 23:08:19 | More by BierFan