Belgian Style Blonde Ale - Central Waters Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bomb Shelter. Good yeasty above average mouthfeel, pleasant aroma. Golden bodied appearance with a little white head. Decent drinkability. Nothing extraordinary, just something to drink anytime anywhere.Surprisingly strong alcohol without complexity, this is more a common blonde.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2011 12:56:49 | More by northyorksammy

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Been tending this bottle for a while, courting it, if you will, until the time was just right. But then I just found myself drinking it on a lark... It pours a clear golden topped by a finger or so of white foam. The nose comprises clove, light white bread, sweet caramel, light Belgian candi sugar, light orange zest, light black pepper, and a bit of cinnamon. The taste brings in more of the same, though the bread is replaced by straight wheat, and the spices converge to form a somehow sweeter effect, especially when some sweet banana comes waltzing into the party. It's pretty nice, really. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Overall, a very nice Belgian pale, something I'd like to see more of from CW.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 05:49:47 | More by TMoney2591

emerge077

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy, saturated golden orange, with an inch of soapy white foam on top. A canopy of lacing speckles the glass, irregular seafoam spotty edges. Retention is good, an unbroken veil remains on the surface.

Soft malty sweetness, mild herbals, coriander, bread dough, cloves.

Flavors are similarly spicy, lightly sweet and mellow. Traces of bread dough, grassy herbs, a little rustic but nothing funky in here. First one seemed a bit phenolic, but drinking at a cooler temp, it's not noticeable. Lighter smooth feel, moderate carbonation, easy enough to drink. The abv is deceptive, reported to be 9.5%.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:12:02 | More by emerge077

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a chalice)

A- This beer pours a slightly hazy yellow body with a thin sticky white film that forms lacing on the glass with each sip. There is a gentle carbonation of microbubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The clean club soda aroma has some nice yeasty esters and a finish of green fresh hops.

T- The yeast esters have a floral fruity quality to them with a slight dry finish. There is a spicy hop note and a club soda wheat dough hint in the finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a gentle fizz that cleans the finish. There is no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer really has a great yeasty ester profile with nice depth but it all blends very nicely. This is a delicious beer that really hides its alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 13:29:24 | More by rhoadsrage

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had a chance to have this beer while I was camping over the summer and it was one of the best beers I had all summer and one of the best Cental Waters beers I've had. July 27 I got the beer in Minacqua Wisconsin. Great smell. Great taste. Good yeastiness. Doughy malt center with some spicy yeastiness and hoppiness. Indcredibly drinkable. Hope they bring this one back next summer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 04:05:23 | More by Bighuge

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip.
Bottled on Jul notched on the label. "Summer seasonal", no info.

A - This clear goldenrod-hued beer pours with a billowing white head with solid retention and a full collar of delicate Belgian lace. That's one sexy blonde!

S - Belgian yeast is strong in this one. Lots of esters pour fourth; clay and earth, white pepper spice, lemongrass notes, and a pinch of clove. Interestingly, there's a slight hint of marijuana-like skunkiness to it. Spicy noble hops and sweet Belgian carapils malt provide a good base for the yeast esters. Very faint buttery diactyl comes through further on in the beer.

T - Crisp, clean carapils and pale malt allow other flavors to pop forward like the spicy noble Saaz-like hops and a plethora of more nuanced yeast esters. Like the aroma but toned down, the Belgian Blonde has quite a bit of spiciness. White pepper, lemongrass, and clove alike. Flavorful but certainly not overbearing.

M - Like a light summer breeze, Central Waters' Belgian Style Blonde Ale is crisp and refreshing with just a touch of dryness coming through the finish. Well-balanced between the sweet-ish malt and spicy hops, the finish begs for another sip.

O - A fantastic summer brew for the new brewmaster to bring to the table, Belgian Style Blonde Ale is a great beer for this unusually, and unwelcome, hot September afternoon. Nuanced Belgian characteristics and spicy hops give this delicious pale some good qualities!

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 17:41:18 | More by BeerFMAndy

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served at a good temperature with a nice foamy, frothy, off white head that settles down and some lace. Color is a clear gold amber. Aroma is malt, yeast, fruit. Flavor is similar to nose, with sweet on top, followed by yeast flavs and bitterness and a little carbonic tang. Body is a tad flat, other wise full, and a little heavy. Finish is like flavor, on the short side in length. Fairly unremarkable, but not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 05:55:33 | More by drpimento

mynie

Indiana

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought this at 3 Cellars, where they make a point of selling the beer fresh. It's notched to say it was bottled in July, but there's no year and the website don't make no mention of it. So, I don't know.

As the for the beer itself. Boilerplate pour, promising aroma. Smells like a light Belgian Blonde. Nicely aggressive yeast, good light spice profile, and enough maltiness to keep you interested.

Flavor ain't bad, but don't live up to the aroma. The spice profile starts things off--nice and light, a little peppery--then it goes into a middle that's a little fruity and a little medicinal and ends on cereal a node that's pretty much like you're drinking an American all malt. A burnier yeast or some more accentuated nodes of alcohol would have really tied this together.

The only thing that really bothers me is the aftertaste, but it's not so bad as to make the beer any worse than okay.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 01:53:11 | More by mynie

morimech

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with just over one finger of head that quickly settled to a thin cap. Light lacing is left down the glass.

Belgian yeast aroma of cloves and phenols. Just a little bit of fruity esters. Slightly sweet malt with hints of honey.

Rather uninspired flavor. A little heavy on the phenols and lacks anything interesting. Dry malt with notes of cloves. No sign of the rather intimidating ABV.

Solid body and carbonation. Too bad the body does not have better flavor to compliment.

Nothing wrong with the beer but also rather boring. Tastes like a lot of American attempts at a Belgian Pale Ale. Good price point but really no reason to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 16:49:10 | More by morimech

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.45/5  rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle. Bottled in JUL 11.

Timidly I'm pouring this into a Duvel glass. It produces a nice, large white head that sticks for a long time and leaves nice lacing. But it doesn't look quite as nice as a Duvel. The beer is a hazy light amber.

The smell is pretty good. It is a bit syrupy but other than that it has some nice spice aromas, fruit, and a hint of hops of the herbal variety.

The flavor is a letdown. It is watery and just off. There is a very low level of carbonation. It actually tastes like a homebrew I once made.

It was promising at first, then it fell hard.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 22:58:48 | More by crossovert

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Cloudy and yeasty bronze-range brew with a relatively unimpressive head for the style, even with an aggressive pour. The white head stands at about a 1/2 inch with some good lace on the glass.

S - Nice yeasty notes with some tangerine and melon. Warm freshly baked bread.... airy doughy soft bread. Stewed apples. Glazed donuts. Nice! Definitely a good job on getting the Belgian feel to the nose.

T - Soft and fruity flavors with a background of yeasty bread. Apple for sure. Alcohol is hidden extremely well. Lacks the deep complexity of the best pale Belgians, but not bad at all. Gets more and more hoppy as it warms.

M - Light bodied and creamy at first, progressing to a slightly dry finish with just the faintest hint of alcohol.

A hoppy and light hearted (but heavy hitting ABV) Belgian style brew. Would be nice in the summer. Sort of reminds me of Celis White.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 06:40:02 | More by pmcadamis

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 10/2/12

Bottled on: Jun

Medium shade of gold. Mildly hazy with an awful lot of sediment floating. One half inch head dissipates to a wispy island with bubbles grouped around the collar. Thin drapes of lace.

Toasted grain aromas jump out of the glass. Perhaps some wheat? Notes of banana, apple, clove and prairie grass. Tame, but it smells pretty good. The flavor focuses on tart apple and light fruit juiciness. There is a modest grainy middle and a rather spicy and peppery finish. Hints of over ripe fruit, too. Nippy hops build over time. The feel is fairly light with pointed, deliberate carbonation. Though move vigorous than I prefer, it's appropriate for the beer.

I really like this one; it's a well-crafted beer all around. Well, except for the floaties. I'd like to have this again some day.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 05:38:20 | More by Ryan011235

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.59/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass. Pours hazy dark yellow. Some white foam sits atop. Gritty yeasty nose. Chalky. Taste is a light malt. Belgian yeast throughout. Smooth mouthfeel, no evident carbonation. Good beer, not great. Nice example of the belgian pale style.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 10:45:04 | More by KTCamm

gatornation

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

from 12 oz bottle

A -pours a slightly hazed golden yellow color with a fast dissapearing head and very little lacing

S- white fruits,sweet malts wheat clove

T- fruity notes up front like apples pears and grapes slight taste of clove a little sour musty bread

M- low carbonation with a sweet fruit feel

O-its good but noy one that i would search for would try a couple more singles when out shopping for mix sixers

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 21:23:56 | More by gatornation

Duff27

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled April 2012

A- Half inch white head that recedes to a small cap and collar. Murky, sediment-filled golden body. Splotchy lacing.

S- Lovely fruit aroma from the Belgian yeast, can smell some pineapples in there.

T- Bright citrus fruits at first, turning into a yeasty character. Leaves a grainy/biscuity aftertaste, something I'm not used to in this style of beer. Very well hidden 8.5%ABV.

M- A little thinn on the mouthfeel with just enough carbonation (low end).

D/O- Crazy drinkable for the relatively high alcohol, if only because the lack of flavor. Decent, kind of makes me sad because I know Central Waters can do better! I like the artwork.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 02:50:45 | More by Duff27

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes taken at a cask party.

The placard in front of this cask stated that the contents had been cask-conditioned with honey and grains of paradise.

My glassful of this brew had a lightly hazed yellowish straw color and a brief burst of white fluff for a head, yet no real lacing to speak of. Just as advertised the main aroma and flavor emphasis was on peppered honey notes overlaid on candi sugar, light bananas / pears, and just a touch of tea-like herbal hopping and lemon zest. It danced constantly right on the razor edge of being too sweet for me with all the honey, but it never fell over the edge because of how intense the peppery spice levels were at. It was very smart of them to add the extra spice of the grains of paradise to counterbalance that honey....it certainly did wonders for the aroma. Body is lighter but it was slightly undercarbonated, even by cask standards.

Serving type: cask

05-06-2012 04:09:51 | More by WastingFreetime

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle from Ryan011235, poured into a Maudite snifter. "Hazy" isn't quite adequate enough to describe what's going on here; this stuff is chock full of floaties. Modest bright white head with little in the way of lacing.

Fresh bready nose with candi sugar, green apple, lemon and floral notes. It doesn't taste nearly as tangy as smells, interestingly enough. Plentiful herbal and botanical flavors among the sweet malt and cloves. Tingly carbonation with something akin to tonic in there. Crisp finish with a brief bitter bite, then lingering breadiness. It's a fairly hearty brew, but the 8.5% ABV is alarmingly well hidden; polishing off a few of these wouldn't be a bad time at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 17:04:11 | More by PDXHops

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A crisp golden color with a solid amount of rising carbonation. The foamy white head starts out around a 1/2 inch and fades only to a 1/4 inch before settling in for the duration. This is a good looking beverage.

S - Malty and sweet with a noticeable sweet, candy-like scent.

T - malty and sweet with the signature flavor of a good Belgian pale. The malts are pale and left sweet. I enjoy the flavors here very much.

M - Smooth with a light to medium body. It goes down with no coarse feel at all.

~ I really think this is a good beer. It serves for a nice sessionable beer that offers quality in all characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 02:34:45 | More by cdkrenz

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This perhaps is not one of the most popular Central Waters brews, which is what caught my eye while looking for beer. At that point I had never tried it or even heard of it so my decision to buy it was instantaneous. This is supposedly advertised at their “New Summer Seasonal” so you may have a while to wait a few months before you will see this again.

It pours a clear, golden color with a slight white head. There is a great, classic Belgian scent. Yeast, hibiscus, floral, and citrus hints are all evident. This is a very inviting smell that is complex and hopefully indicates a good taste.

The first taste that comes to mind is the yeast and there is a lot of it. There is the great blend of yeast, citrus, and bready tones. It drinks quite nicely as a Belgian style brew with a smooth, creamy texture. Compared to a real Belgian beer however, it is a fair amount weaker in flavor and thinner in texture. It finishes with a pretty good lingering after taste that indices you for another sip.

Overall this is a pretty neat and interesting brew from Central Waters. It seems to be a new addition as of the 2011 to the summer seasonal selection but still lacks the popularity of other CW beers. I thought this was a pretty decent brew that lived up to its title. Definitely something I would recommend and drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 18:50:14 | More by Lemke10

pmarlowe

California

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint glass.

Pours light golden with a small amount of white head. Little retention save the ring, and no lacing. Smells and tastes like black pepper and clove, banana, and lemon. Slightly sweet and definitely spice-forward; could do with a little more citrus. High carbonation, maybe a tad too high, and medium bodied. Overall, this is a pretty good saison-type ale, nice for warmer weather.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 23:09:19 | More by pmarlowe

sweethome

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in to a La Chouffe tulip glass. Bright golden/orange color. Large white head as great retention. Very firm.

Nose of sweet malts, apricots, and belgian ale yeast esters. Soft entry, sweetness builds. Apples and apricots, honey malts - crisp hop bite cleanses the palate a bit. Alcohol is evident late.

Nice full mouthfeel.

Finish has residual sweetness, a bit of yeasty funk, and alcohol warmth.

Overall - it hits on many positive notes. Flavor profile is just a bit lacking for me - tried to walk a line between a crisp belgian golden and a more wild belgian ale.

Another well crafted beer from Central Waters and one I would surely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 03:55:22 | More by sweethome

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a dull amber with ugly massive bubbles instead of a tight foam.

S: Bad. Smells like week-old bubblegum and rotting fruits. No hops, no malt...just nastiness.

T: Not much better. That rotting fruit flavour is too strong and the phenols are out of control and abrasive.

D: Bad drinkability and I seriously considered dumping this one. Nasty, sticky and boozy.

Overall: I really hope I got a bad bottle, because this was a bad beer. I've liked everything else from Central Waters, but this beer was very poor. Doesn't hold a candle to a good BSPA like Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 19:39:32 | More by JohnnyChicago

SykDoc

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tulip. It pours a clear straw colol and forms a 1/4 inch almost white head that reduces to a nice lacing. Carbonation is readily visible.

The aroma is yeasty and some grassy notes with some spice components and just a hint of malty backbone.

The taste is a bit fruity and just a touch of spice, but quite a bit lighter than ideal. Minimal hops presence right at the end.

The mouthfeel is light bodied and thin. Carbonation is adequate. It goes down clean leaving little behing.

This beer is okay. I can see how they would say a good summer beer because it is light and does not do much to the palate, however, that also prevents it from being real strong in components, as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 01:26:16 | More by SykDoc

deebo

Minnesota

2.35/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A-cloudy straw yellow with a thin white film that laces the pint glass
S-Belgian estery yeast dominates the aroma. Some clove like esters noted too
T-upfront yeasty esters that are quickly overshadowed by a a malt and then a hoppy almost smoky finish
M- a long bitter almost astringent finish
O- a complex beer that has a long drying finish. I have not been a fan of CW beers and this one although a style I am a fan of is no different

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 03:50:48 | More by deebo

adman08

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a cloudy golden color with about a half inch of fluffy white head that leaves a nice curtain of lace on the glass.
S-Aromas of bread and cloves.
T-Similar flavors to a saison. Bread with cloves and a slight coriander flavor. Fairly high alcohol.
M-Light body, almost watered down. Obvious alcohol.
Overall, not so great for the style. Seems too light bodied even though the alcohol is prominent. The flavors are ok, they just seem a little off to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 19:17:07 | More by adman08