Beer Review: Atwater Dirty Blonde Ale

Courtesy of  RateBeer

Yup, yet another of my insomnia inspired beer reviews. Thankfully my AC is fixed, so I may actually get some sleep tonight. But before I do, I wanted to try the Dirty Blonde. Another of the Michigan specialties, it's part of my mixed sixer. Says on the bottle that it's brewed with coriander and orange peel. Me being a fan of orange things, especially in beer, figured it was too good to pass up.

Poured into a 16oz pint glass.

Appearance: Light orangish, almost like a dawn color. No head though. Maybe my fridge is on the fritz or something? Anyways it is fairly carbonated but just not holding any sort of head or lacing or anything that I normally expect from a beer. Though, like the Sergeant from last night, there is some sediment floating about, so I'm not worried yet.

Nose: Hops up front, with some fruity esters. A hint of orange towards the end of the nose. Malt character isn't too noticeable, but it's there. No alcohol here.

Taste: Kind of fruity. Orange up front, with a slight citrus tang from the hops and coriander in the back. Enough malt to balance it out, but not enough to have a distinct character of its own. If I let the sip sit in my mouth, it starts to get sweeter, almost like a orange juice. No alcohol noticeable here.

Mouth Feel: Bubbly, but not to the extent of some beers. Body is light, but not as light as most lagers. It's also silky on the way down, with a good transition from front to back. Hops doesn't present any dryness that you might see in higher IBU/ABV beers. The beer is nice and thirst quenching though.

Drinkability: I'd have to say medium to slightly high. The light body and good texture/flavor would make me want to drink a good bit of it, but I can tell that its ale character would show up after about 4, and I don't think I'd be able to go much further after that, even if I'm very thristy.

Overall, I like the beer. As i mentioned in the beginning, I love orange flavors and coriander, especially in beer. It's a good representation of the Blonde Ale style, and though not the best iteration of it, it's certainly not a slouch in any department. Would go well with Key Lime pie, or some fish. Also goes fine on a warm (not hot) summer day. Wouldn't drink it as thirst quencher, because the body isn't light enough. At the price, I have to say it's a good deal all things considered. I'm really glad that I've been trying more Atwater products lately, because they're certainly a good brewery.