Blonde Ale (Kona Big Wave vs. Daytona Beach Dirty Blonde vs. St. Pete Beach Blonde)

Описание: The American Blonde Ale is one of the most simplistic of all beer styles, but it's supposed to be that way. These beers were crafted to appeal to macro lager drinkers by small breweries that couldn't (or didn't want to) produce lagers. But not all Blondes are created equal as we'll find out in this class. My "student" Cristina joins me to judge three current examples of the style:
Big Wave Golden Ale by Kona Brewing
Daytona Beach Dirty Blonde by Persimmon Hollow Brewing
St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale by 3 Daughters Brewing

From the 2021 𝑩𝑱𝑪𝑷 𝑺𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆 𝑮𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔:
𝟏𝟖𝐀. 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer, often with interesting fruit, hop, or character malt notes. Well-balanced and clean, is a refreshing pint without aggressive flavors.
𝗔𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮: Light to moderate malty aroma, generally neutral or grainy, possibly with a light bread or caramel note. Low to moderate fruitiness is optional, but acceptable. May have a low to medium hop aroma, and can reflect almost any hop variety although citrusy, floral, fruity, and spicy notes are common. Clean fermentation profile.
𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Light yellow to deep gold in color. Clear to brilliant. Low to medium white head with fair to good retention.
𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿: Initial soft maltiness, but can also have light character malt flavor (e.g., bread, toast, biscuit, wheat). Caramel flavors usually absent; if present, they are typically low-color caramel or honey notes. Low to medium fruity esters optional, but are welcome. Light to moderate hop flavor (any variety), but shouldn’t be overly aggressive. Medium-low to medium bitterness, but the balance is normally towards the malt or
even between malt and hops. Finishes medium-dry to slightly malty; an impression of sweetness is often an expression of lower bitterness than actual residual sweetness. Clean fermentation profile.
𝗠𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹: Medium-light to medium body. Medium to high carbonation. Smooth without being heavy.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Oxidized versions can develop caramel or honey notes, which should not be mistaken for similar malt-derived flavors. Sometimes known as Golden Ale or simply a Gold.
𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: An American craft beer style produced as a faster produced
alternative to standard American lagers. First believed to be produced in 1987 at Catamount. Often positioned as an entry-level house ale.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Generally all-malt, but can include wheat malt or sugar adjuncts. Any hop variety can be used. Clean American, lightly fruity English, or Kölsch yeast. May also be made with lager yeast, or cold-conditioned.
𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻: Typically has more flavor than American Lager and Cream Ale. Less bitterness than an American Pale Ale. Perhaps similar to some maltier examples of Kölsch.
𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: OG: 1.038 – 1.054
IBUs: 15 – 28 FG: 1.008 – 1.013
SRM: 3 – 6 ABV: 3.8 – 5.5%
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: Firestone Walker 805, Kona Big Wave Golden Ale, Real Ale Firemans #4 Blonde Ale, Russian River Aud Blonde, Victory Summer Love, Widmer Citra Summer Blonde Brew
𝗧𝗮𝗴𝘀: standard-strength, pale-color, any-fermentation, north america,
craft-style, pale-ale-family, balanced

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