Blonde, Black Isle Brewing Co.

I've gone north of the wall this week for a taste of the highlands. Tucked away up there is a little Scottish brewery, brewing small batches, organically.

Brewery: Black Isle Brewing Company.

Brew: Blonde

Type: Lager, Premier Craft

ABV: 4.5%

Black Isle Brewing. The UK’s premier organic brewery. Based up there in the highlands near Inverness, they grow their own malting barley, source their hops from only organic farms, which means, no chemicals. This means you will want to buy and drink their beers sooner rather than later as there best before dates are probably a little closer to today that other brewers.

The brew I have in my hand is their lager, Blonde. Now I’m not a big lager fan but I was given this one by a colleague, and it’s beer, so it would be rude not to try it.

The label reads “A premium quality blonde beer with a light biscuit palate and a fresh, grassy aroma”. That’s probably the most detailed description of a lager I’ve ever seen, and it sounds lovely. The first nose is typical lager really, nothing special, light wheat with a dry edge, but pour it out the bottle and the aroma becomes fresh. It’s not distinct, but it’s clean.

It’s a light taste too, clean, fresh with a sweetness that come through at end. The addition of Pacific Gem hops adds a tiny, tiny bit of bitterness to curb the sweetness. The beer is fairly carbonated, as you would expect a lager to be, but unlike other lagers, it doesn’t bloat you and it doesn’t dry your mouth out.

Despite the fact that there is nothing that really makes this lager stands out, it’s a great lager. In fact, it is precisely the fact that Black Isle haven’t buggered about trying to change things that make Blonde stand out. It’s simple, no thrills, no fancies, just beer.

After saying I’m not a big fan or lagers, I’m a fan of this one. A delicate, fresh taste makes it stand apart. It does the job. If you are in the mood for a nice, easy brew, this is it. It’s drinkable, it’s unoffencive, it’s bold by being organic. There isn’t an ounce of chemically or off taste in any mouthful.

I’d grab this one again. 3.75/5