Out of the Bottle: Abbey Blonde

The last beer I brewed for my Westy XII/Candi Sugar experiment is the first I'm going to review.

This beer served as the base for my Quad and Tripel. It has no Candi Sugar, a simple grain-bill, light bitterness and a Belgian yeast strain. I figure it's best to start here and follow it up with the stronger Tripel and Quad that I built off of it.

The Blonde pours with a deep gold hue and nice clarity. A bone while cap could do with a little better staying power, but leaves a nice bit of lace behind. Of course, aroma and taste are what really matter, so let's move on.

Fresh bread, cut flowers and coriander spice make up the nose. It's quite pleasant. Letting the nose linger brings forth a hint of green grape and a touch of sourdough. In the mouth, it's the bready malts that start things out. Fresh French bread, plus raw grain is the best way to describe them. The floral characteristics of the Styrian Golding hops shine through afterward. However, the overall bitterness is quite low. Fresh bread and dry grain flavors linger through the finish. To complete the picture, the beer's body is medium-light and has about the right level of fizz.

Overall, I'd say that this beer should be a nice foundation for the brews to come. In addition, when taken on its own merits, it's just a nice beer to drink. Up next: the Tripel.

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