Perennial Southside Blonde
What the brewers say
“Southside Blonde is a sessionable Belgian-style blonde ale that is light-bodied and dry with a hint of fruitiness from the yeast. Southside is a friendly pairing with a variety of foods and an approachable choice for all types of beer drinkers.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Strong clove phenols up front with moderate bubblegum esters. Behind the yeast character, there’s an herbal and grassy hops character and light bready malt.”
Flavor: “Still clove-forward on the front, but the hops come through more on the palate with lemon, grassy, and grapefruit character. Low sweetness and low bitterness. This is almost like a spiced holiday wine. Moderate carbonation accentuates a crisp finish. A bit fuller in body than a ‘traditional’ blonde.”
Overall: “An interesting combination of hops-forward flavors and Belgian fermentation characteristics. Definitely a unique beer that is well-executed for what it was intended to be. The fruity esters from the fermentation nicely complement the hops flavors.”
