Guinness Blonde American Lager? When I heard that Guinness was introducing a blonde-style American Lager, I had my doubts. After all, when beer drinkers think of the term “American Lager”, they think of bland, boring adjunct-laden beers. Then too, get us already has a lager, Harp Lager to be exact. So why another?
Guinness Blonde Lager is part of the new Guinness “Discovery Series” of beers, and this is “Discovery Series” beer number one. In this series Guinness seeks to produce new beers for a market that thrives on variety and caters to beer drinkers always looking for something new. Guinness says the following about the beer on the label:
A crisp, refreshing tasting beer with a rich, delicious flavor. Brewed in America in the Guinness traditions known only to our master brewers with our famous Guinness yeast and Mosaic and Willamette American hops.
Guinness says this beer is brewed in the 1930s style of American lager, which would be one of the first post prohibition era beers in America, which would likely have been a lot like the pre-prohibition lagers. This would be before the blandification process reached its peak sometime in the 80s or 90s. Interestingly, Guinness Blonde is buried under contract at the City Brewing owned brewery in Latrobe Pennsylvania. Latrobe is the former home of the Rolling Rock brewery, Rolling Rock being a classic pre-Prohibition American lager that is still brewed today, albeit with adjuncts and not in Latrobe.
The old Latrobe brewery was sold along with Rolling Rock to Canada's Labatt in the 80s, which was in turn purchased by InBev in the 90s. InBev eventually sold the Rolling Rock brand to Anheuser-Busch in the early aughts, but not the brewery. InBev sold the old Latrobe brewery to City Brewing which operates it today as a contract operation for other brewers. One of those contract brewed beers today is Guinness Blonde American Lager.
Guinness Blonde American Lager has an alcohol content of 5% by volume and 21 IBUs. It runs $8.99 a six-pack here in the Atlanta area, about average these days.
Guinness Blonde American Lager pours to a, well, blonde yellow color with a faint tint of orange and a very healthy head formation on a gentle pour. The nose has a soft biscuit character and the faintest hint of grassy hops. Taking a sip, the beer has a clean, firm biscuit maltiness in the palate, no adjuncts that I can pick up, and a very herbal, grassy hop aroma and light bitterness in the finish. I get the lemony, citrusy hops underneath at the last too. Hops and malt are what this one are all about, and that’s a great thing. That’s what I want for the style, and Guinness Blonde does not disappoint.
I had low expectations for this beer, but Guinness pleasantly surprised me. This is a great first beer of the night, and would also go well on a hot day. I would buy it again, certainly if I see it on tap at Taco Mac. I’m not sure of the market Guinness is going for with this one, but I wish them luck with Guinness Blonde Lager. For what it is intended to be, it’s a tasty beer indeed.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler