Clipper City Gold Ale

Laura and I went out for ribs yesterday, which is as close to a mandate for beer as any meal can be. I was pleased to find that Clipper City Gold was on tap to compliment our repast.

Vitals:

• Name: Clipper City Gold Ale
  

• Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
  

• Style: Blonde Ale (Category 6B, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 4.9%

• Serving: 23-ounce draft
  

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 7 - A deep gold body, with a thick white head that fades to a clingy lace.

• Nose: 2 - Malty and barely present.
  

• Taste: 6 - Bready malt predominates up front, with grassy hop flavor asserting itself in the middle and end.
  

• Mouthfeel: 8 - Lighter in body with moderate and balanced carbonation. No aftertaste.
  

• Holistic: 8 - Incredibly drinkable, and very well-balanced. This struck me as great for sessioning, be it alone or with a meal.
  

Overall: 31 - The blonde ale is a tamer style than what I usually seek out to drink, but this impressed me quite a bit with it's balance of unexaggerated flavors and mouthfeel. This is an excellent choice not only as a session beer, but also as a great brew to introduce those used to the American light lager style to the broader realm of beer reality.