Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Label design is tough and I can be a harsh judge. Paperback Brewing has a bold dime store novel cover with super bright colors look that I don’t vibe with but they have a winner with their Surrealist beer…
…and it doesn’t hurt that the style of beer is one that I, personally, would like to see more of, the Belgian Blonde ale.
This sounds like a summer refresher from Brewyard – “Fresh tropical fruit aromatics with a light hint of clove make way to bursting flavors of fresh pineapple, passionfruit and citrus spice. This Belgian Blonde is an incredibly delicious combination made specifically for hot summer days and warm nights at the beach or next to the pool.”
Recently I posted about a 200th anniversary beer from Belgium. Now we stay in that country but subtract 195 for a new beer…
Here is the description, “St. Feuillien FIVE is a refreshing 5% ABV bottle-conditioned pale blond ale with a strong, sparkling character emitting fine bubbles. Delicate fruity hints empowered by nuances of citrus zests give way to a delightfully fresh and hoppy aroma. It is a flavorful, sweet and malty and full-bodied beer with a pleasant balance post-bitterness, and it pours with a stable head of white foam.”
Sounds like a good summer beer to have on hand.
The penultimate beer from the Variety Box – Beer Camp Across America. There is but one lonely can remaining. For this beer Sierra Nevada brewed with the infamous Russian River to produce Yvan the Great. Named in honor of Yvan de Baets the famed Belgian brewer this is a hoppified version of a Belgian Blonde. Something that Russian River does very, very well.
This is a blonde for sure! This pours an extremely light and extremely clear yellow. I can see very clearly through it. I was expecting more hops in the aroma but I am not picking them up. This drinks Belgian all the way. Lots of spice. Clove in the forefront. I’m getting a ton of vanilla as well. Ice cream vanilla to be more exact. No head or lace at all here and not much in the way of bubbles either though it is crisp on the palate. Towards the back there is a subtle note of orange but you have to reach for it.
I like it but I don’t know if this is what was envisioned if the label copy is to be truly believed.
