True Blonde Ale - Ska Brewing Co.

ADZA

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Beermasons for this and pours a see through golden blonde hue which leaves a frothy three finger head and clingy lacing,the smell is quite average and has aromas of honeyed malts,herbal hops and some grassiness,the mouthfeel is lightbodied too light for me and the tastes arnt much better very similar to smell with hints of honeyed malts,grassy herbal hops,cereal and bread and overall love the label but thats it for me and wouldnt buy or drink again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 08:09:56 | More by ADZA

denver10

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden yellow with a slight white head that quickly drops down. Some honey, some lemon zest, some malt in both flavor and aroma. Very simple. A nice medium body to it. Overall, this is a very easy drinking beer. Not the most memorable but every once in a while it can hit the spot.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 21:16:24 | More by denver10

MrKennedy

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz via Beermasons, poured into a Golden Monkey tulip.

Pours a hazy true-golden colour, with a nice white, soft, small-bubbled head of foam. Ok retention, the odd drip of lacing on the way down.

Smell is a mix of light floral bush honey to start, then lemon, lemon zest, orange peel and then sweet malt.

Taste is more of that sweet malt, not over the top, but it builds. Little bit of bush honey as a closer, but faint.

Some light pepperiness to it as well, instead of any noticeable hop bitterness. Body is more than sufficient for the style and ABV.

Nothing wrong with this, decent, simple enough to be sessionable, body is big enough to be content with just one. Have bought plenty worse.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 09:14:43 | More by MrKennedy

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Apperance: Pretty standard for a light ale. Decent level of foam and some good carbonation. Lacing is ok too.

Smell: Some cider and lemon qualities. Good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Mostly some honey-like malt with a bit of cider-like fruitiness. Can't complain overall. Gets kind of boring after a while. Mouthfeel has a nice body.

Overall Drinkability: A bit disappointing, but still worth the try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2012 04:46:35 | More by tjsdomer2

WoodBrew

Illinois

4/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Merry Christmas!!!!The first beer on this blessed Holiday is a True Blonde from SKA. The beer pours a golden clear with thin white head that is not lacing....due to the fruitiness. The smell has subtle lemon flare with delicate malt balance. The taste is a great balanced beer with good lemon zeal. The mouthfeel is a medium to light body with good carbonation. Overall the beer is quite tasty....and highly recommended.

Serving type: can

12-25-2011 18:47:19 | More by WoodBrew

doubledteague

Texas

3.35/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A- Milky golden.

S- Heavy malts, little bit of cereal.

T- Deffinately has the malts. Slight aftertaste of lemon or somethin tangy.

M- Heavy carbonation, and the malts hit almost immediately.

O- Good, I like blonde ales and put this one right at about average. The malts were just a little on the heavier side of some I've tasted, but overall good.

Tasted and reviewed on 10/25/11 @ 1930-2000.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 01:20:38 | More by doubledteague

ONUMello

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a pint glass
A: Light orange with a 1/2 finger head that quickly dissipates.
S: Cereal and malts.
T: Somewhat sweet, with wheat, cereal and a twist of lemon.
M: Light but crisp and refreshing.
O: Overall it's pretty average, but is quite pleasant to drink and would make a good session beer.

Serving type: can

08-25-2011 00:26:41 | More by ONUMello

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a stein glass.

Look - light golden/straw color, clear, with good carbonation, and about two or three fingers worth of foam that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Smell - fairly malt heavy, maybe a bit of a cereal grain tinge to it.

Taste and Mouthfeel - again fairly heavy on the malts, but not as much of a cereal tinge in the taste. There's a little bit of a muskiness and a bittersweetness to it. The texture is pretty well on the watery side, but not too bad.

Overall - not a bad brew, but not very interesting either.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 03:38:00 | More by Nerudamann

DCon

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought two of these 12oz cans from Lukas Liquor in Ellsiville, MO for $1.99 each. Poured into a giant Hefeweizen Glass and has BEST BY 10/04/11 on the bottom ridge of the can.

Aroma- Light and crisp aroma with a wheaty background. Sweet malts are present but no signs of hop or any other character.

Appearance- Pours a 4.5 finger head that keeps very well. A straw, gold color body shines in the glass and leaves fairly good lace.

Flavor- Very grainy and malty from the beginning. Sweet, light, and has a lemon twist at the end. No bitterness but does have a sweet finish.

Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, High Carbonation, Smooth, and Refined. Almost has a rice characteristic in the mouthfeel that I do not appreciate.

Overall Impression- Refreshing but wouldn't go out of my way to have again... The main reason I went for this was it was in a can and the other 8 cans I grabbed were all to match up craft beers with other friend's A.B. cans and see what they thought. So far the O'Fallon Wheach is winning! (w/ Ska's Modus Hoperandi in a close 2nd).

Serving type: can

08-18-2011 16:06:51 | More by DCon

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

APPEARANCE: I touch cloudy and I’d say, well, Blonde in color. A half-inch head rested on top after a fairly aggressive pour and it hung in there for a while.

SMELL: Very bready and slightly citrusy.

TASTE: Like a lot of Ska’s beers, the Blonde followed the nose. A nice biscuit-like flavor was complimented with some peripheral citrus, particularly lemon and with a touch of grapefruit. It is slightly sweet and more full-bodied than many blondes I’ve had. I’m sure there’s a ‘that’s what she said joke in there’. Anyhow, the finish has a tiny bit of a hop bite too it that most blondes do not, which probably turns off a lot of people who are fans of the style, but as an IPA guy I’m all for it.

MOUTHFEEL: The mouthfeel is very pleasant. Unlike some of Ska brews, this isn’t too strong on the carbonation, but it is light and very easy to drink. It goes down very smooth.

OVERALL: At 5.3% this is easily sessionable if the sweetness doesn’t build too much. I think I could handle two or three before the sugar got to be too much. That said, I think Ska created a very accessible beer in the Blonde that is palatable for the uninitiated to good beer and the seasoned vets who can still enjoy it even if it is toned down a bit.

Serving type: can

08-17-2011 09:21:15 | More by StoneTSR

brandoncox

Virginia

2.7/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

Translucent pale golden pour.

Crackers and buttery biscuits take over but a hint of honey comes in and mellows it out. Sour wheat is also present on the nose but only slightly.

Wheat and a touch of honey is just about all I get. No complexity to give this brew a worthy nod.

Very thin body and very under-carbonated. Just not a lot of action on the palate.

Overall this is just simply boring. But don't rule this out being a light beer to be enjoyed and paired with food. Sampled one while eating pizza and one before bed... it definitely made my pizza into a pretty damn good meal. However, look to something else if you're just looking to drink a beer.

Serving type: can

08-06-2011 18:25:15 | More by brandoncox

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden straw. its cloudy and has a very thin head. Appears to have some sediment maybe yeast. Carbonation is average.
Smells lighty of yeast and pale malts and grains.
Flavor is pretty average.Some old tart lemon, alittle hops, alittle malt...
Thin mouthfeel dry and bland. Watery as it warms.
had this at a restaraunt its pretty basic beer nothing fancy.
One and done.

Serving type: can

07-17-2011 12:08:36 | More by micromaniac129

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.45/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearancee-Slightly hazy yellow/orange with a 3 finger white head, not good retention and average lacing.

Smell-Slightly lemony and some sweet malts. Grainy and earthy. Very average.

Taste-Very earthy and grainy upfront with some light citrus hops. Light bitterness on the backend but instantly masked by the malts. Peppery.

Mouthfeel-Crisp and refreshing. Feels like a hefe. Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall-Just another blonde ale. Nothing to brad about, but would drink more.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 22:36:03 | More by SWMeyer4141

UCLABrewN84

California

3.8/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Freshcraft in Denver, CO.

Pours a crystal clear light yellow color with a 1 inch white head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Nice rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of sweet malt and slight honey aromas. The taste is mainly sweet malt with some fruity and honey notes. This beer has good carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good easy drinking blond ale that I am glad I got to try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2011 17:54:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

light golden yellow with a nice white frothy head that faded quickly leaving behind a decent, but shortlived lace ring. Smell was lively, lots of yeast was present even in the aroma, and it was very light. Bread and earthy grains were the predominant aromas. Taste was crisp, light and refreshing, perfect for a summer day. Very smooth and full of bready and earthy grain tones, with a slight hop presence as it warmed. Overall this was excellent for exactly what it was

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 02:19:30 | More by mikesgroove

beerad666

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

If you pour it out into a glass you will be presented with a hazy, golden color and just a slight head. The aroma of yeast, lemons and grains drift from the glass and begin to brighten up your day. The full essence of summer fills your mouth when you take that first sip. Flavors of sweet malts, lemon and a slight hop presence brings a smile to the face. Drinking this beer you can easily knock back a few cans and just enjoy the afternoon.

Serving type: can

05-15-2011 17:38:32 | More by beerad666

blakereik

Nebraska

3.33/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Drank these from a can, so can't say much about the appearance, although it is a good looking can :)

S: Malty and sweet

T: Medium body a little bitter. Crisp, but this was out of an ice cold cooler on the side of a golf cart, so anything would seem crisp in that condition. Sweeter taste first, maybe some honey and fruit tones quickly drowned out by grain. A little bit of metallic in the flavor from the can.

Better than the typical can of beer i can have on the golf course, will keep looking for a beer that I can really enjoy out on the course without violating the rules.

Serving type: can

05-09-2011 15:32:01 | More by blakereik

rawfish

California

3.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy gold when poured into a shaker glass, small cloudy particulate blended well. Very little head to speak of, white and bad retention with no lacing.

Little smell to speak of, grains and a grassy coating maybe a little citric hop notes. Overall lightly sweet from bready malt and a touch of honey.

Really sweet brew overall characterized with thin grassiness and hints of lemon on the fore front before a large bready malt backbone and a large amount of honey. Rather overpowering on the honey aftertaste, no hop profile and starts to get a little musty after a while. Not unpleasant because the malts are well balanced but the honey note would probably make this too sweet for most.

Could've enjoyed this one colder, medium body for a blonde with average carbonation. Despite being so sweet it lacks any form of stickiness or residue.

Average blonde ale, really potent honey character but that's all that was really memorable about this beer.

Serving type: can

05-01-2011 07:35:51 | More by rawfish

TexIndy

Texas

3.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by date of 5/27/11 lasered on the neck. Was a hazy golden color with lots of little yeast bits floating around. Good carb streams. Had a barely there head that quickly dissipated into a very, very tiny and partial ring. No lacing.

The aroma was bready and grainy malt with a touch of honey as well. A little citric hops but not much. The taste was grainy with a little sweet from the honey. Decent for what it is but not much flavor there. Medium mouthfeel with good carbonation and a sweet aftertaste.

Overall, a middle of the road blonde ale that I won't remember 15 mins from now. Not that it's bad but just not much there to get excited about. Avail here in TX. Rotation - I Like the other Ska offerings much better so I'll stick to those [N;N]

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 01:26:38 | More by TexIndy

wmtxbb

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Can poured into pint glass

Appearance: thin lacing sitting on top of a blond/yellow brew.

Smell: thick wheat scent, crunchy, citrus, and grainy.

Taste: Non-existant hop flavor, strong wheat profile with no discernable alcohol flavor.

Needs more spice, possibly from hops. All other flavors in accordance with the style.

Serving type: can

03-25-2011 21:58:46 | More by wmtxbb

JamnesCameron

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a MJ tasting glass.

Pours a hazy gold with a two finger stark white cap of foam. Head is slow to drop. Some lacing evident.

Aromas of grainy malt, grassy, lemons. Yeasty.

Flavors of light lemon, sweet grainy malt. Yeasty. Dusty. No hops to speak of. Finish is short and on the sweet malty side. A little cardboardy, could be past its prime. No freshness date, so hard to tell by looking at the bottle, but tastes like it's gone over.

Mouthfeel is light, good level of carbonation.

Not a bad session beer. Might be better fresher. Nothing aggressive or memorable.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 00:46:57 | More by JamnesCameron

BrewsCrewSA

Texas

3.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I honestly read some reviews before trying this beer, just out of curiosity. I didn't think it was as bad as the reviews generally painted this beer out to be.

A - Pours straight golden with a white, frothy head. Little carbonation in the can, but the foam blooms when you pour. Retains decent lacing, if that's any indication of a good beer.

S - Scents of hops, fresh milk, a sort of cleaning product scent but in a pleasant way. Decent.

T - Bright, citrusy, like lemons, followed by resolution of malts on the back side of the flavor. A bit salty, but not bad. Nothing about this flavor screams "craft" or "unique", but who cares, it still tastes good. Hops don't overwhelm, although they're present throughout. Strikes me more like a lager rather than an ale.

M - Good, clean and refreshing; maybe it's the can.

D - Good for sessions, or multiples. Goes down easy, nothing to complain about.

Serving type: can

03-07-2011 00:59:42 | More by BrewsCrewSA

u2carew

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz can.
A) Pours withe a finger thick head and settles quickly to big bubble lacing at the edge of the glass. Slightly hazy to the golden body. Thin, sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Some wheat notes with subtle hints of citrus. Some pungent earthy aromas work their way out on the tip up.
T) Very mellow malty flavors at first then moves to a light citrus sweetness - orange with some lemon. Astringent in the finish.
M) Crisp. Light bodied. Quite dry in the finish leaving a heavy tannin feel on the tongue.
D) One is enough for me. Maybe in a pinch I'd drink another one.

Serving type: can

03-03-2011 00:51:56 | More by u2carew

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Very little, white head. Doesn't last at all. Yellow slightly foggy body.

Smell - Grass clippings, pinecones, a hint of grapefruit. Almost like potpourri. Slightly offensive, but definitely interesting.

Taste - Slightly bitter, with a pointed finish. Reminds me of wheat, golden sunrays, and Spring allergies.

Mouthfeel - Just the right amount of carbonation.

Drinkability - Different enough to keep me interested, but not too weird where it's more like a one-time experiment. I'd have a couple of these in a night and might pick up another one. But I am not infatuated.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 01:41:12 | More by ZenAgnostic

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear golden yellow with 2 inches of white foam that quickly faded leaving some lacing
4
S - some floral and citrus hops with a grainy base. It just smells very clean and crisp
3.5
T - The grain flavor is mostly prominent, there are hints of lemon, floral and citrus hops are present, but everything is overshadowed by the grain.
3
M/D - It almost has a grainy mouthfeel as well, slightly bitter, light bodied, its an ok beer to drink but I doubt I would go for another one.
3.5/3.5

Serving type: can

01-21-2011 03:24:25 | More by mikereaser