This beer tickled my nose with such a scent of strawberries that I was almost disappointed that it wasn't pink. But no, as the name declares, this is a blonde -- a strawberry blonde. It poured with a delightful, crisp golden wheat color and a generous head. I was surprised at how quickly it dissipated, leaving almost no lace behind. I was also surprised that, ice cold, it actually didn't have a cloying strawberry sweetness that I was expecting from the strength of the aroma.
Shiner Strawberry Blonde is the seventh experiment to spring from their "Brewer's Pride" collection of small-run beers and ales. I paid about $4 for a 1 pint 8 fl oz (in other words, 24 oz) bottle at my local Randall's in NW Houston. I understand it is also available in 12 oz bottles in Shiner's Family Reunion Pack (their half-case sampler).
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This strawberry is no cheesecake!
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It has a 4.3% ABV and is crisp on the tongue with little aftertaste. The predominant notes were malt and strawberry, which coexisted in a sweet (but not too sweet) balance. The one thing I really did like about this was that it was clearly a beer, and not a wine cooler. The beer was forefront with the sweet malt carrying the strawberry flavor, and not the other way around. I'm usually not a big fan of fruit beers, but this one is definitely an exception.
My Score: 8 out of 10
A good review. I will have to try this out.
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