“Melonious Blond is a blend of blond and wheat ales aged in oak barrels for up to 14 months with cantaloupe and Summer Kiss melons. Showcasing Oregon-grown fruit harvested at peak ripeness, Melonious Blond offers notes of fresh summer melons, orange blossoms and sour candies, with a hint of honeycomb and green peppercorn.”
Glassware: Tulip.
Appearance: Slightly hazy golden hue. She caps off with a thumb of fizzy head that reduced to a ring. We’re seeing a wavy lace pattern clinging to the glass as we imbibe.
Aroma: Smells of classy champagne, freshly cut grapefruit, citrus rind, earthy florals, pithy orange, young sauv blanc and lime juice. Something kind of chalky in there, a bit tannic and a little fleshy like melon, paw paw and peach. Rather acidic but well carried by the amount of fruits. Quite an impressive number.
Flavour: It’s a total incursion on the palate. Tart citrus, bitter hops, lemon warheads and unripe stonefruits on entry. That typical rush of saliva brings fleshy fruits like peach, apricot and nectarine before it finishes on a dry citric base which offers hints of fruit tingles and subtle peppery spice on the rear.
Mouthfeel: Chalky, dry and slightly acidic – as most of these beers seem to go. The 6.8% ABV, although somewhat strong, is well contained. Mild-moderate body.
Overall: We’re not pretending to be sour experts but this is pretty bloody good. It’s sour as hell but the stonefruits along with the earthy florals and peppery spice pull that back in to line. Very, very impressive.