American Blonde

American Blonde Ale - 5.5% ABV

IBU: 20

Cahaba Brewing Company (Birmingham, Alabama)

American Blonde

What I think:

When it comes to beers, my general thought is that if you're drinking a blonde, you're not looking for a lot of flavors. But, if you're looking for something light, easy to drink and lower ABV, Cahaba's Blonde is a solid choice. It got up to 76 in Birmingham today, so when I was reaching for a beer in the fridge, this was felt like the best option.

The Cahaba Blonde pours a pretty clear, golden yellow color with a decent head on the beer. This head, however, dissipates quickly to a thin white layering on top; lacing that remains on the glass is minimal.

The beer doesn't have an overly distinct smell to it, and it at first reminds me of a "college beer" or some sort of domestic your uncle would drink. No worries, though, because it has more taste than those beers.

The Blonde is slightly sweet, and the carbonation feels like it rests on your tongue a bit. The finish is drying on your tongue, but not in an unpleasant way. It's moreso that the beer's carbonation lingers a bit. It's as if you took a light domestic beer, gave it a lot more body, a slightly sweeter and wheatier taste, and made it a little more heavy.

I'm not sure if my review is giving it justice, but this is a good beer. If someone only drinks light domestics, they'd probably not like this beer because it has a distinctive taste to it, and that taste sticks with you. But, I'd recommend it to someone looking for a lighter craft beer option (meaning no hops and no stouts), someone open to drinking beer but not anything too crazy, or just someone wanting a good beer to enjoy by the pool.

Overal rating: 3.5/5

What others say:

I think that blondes aren't as fun to review because I didn't see many details in posts about this beer. Most people gave comparisons to pilsners, saying the malt was similar but there's a bit more of a spice. I also saw descriptors such as "bright" and "citrusy." The former I can see; this beer reminds me of summertime and has a light, crisp taste that's really nice. The citrus, however, isn't as strong. Something cuts through the sweetness of the malt, but my palette can't parse out exactly what that is.

Overall, I see a lot of comments that the Cahaba Blonde is a solid beer, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'd agree, but that doesn't stop it from being a good beer.

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