Bombshell Blonde (Newcastle Breweries)

On a hot summer day, on the patio of my local chain restaurant/pub, I encountered a brew that I'd been avoiding. As many humans do, I have a tiny fear of the new. Not so much a fear, but an overly critical view at times. I love Newcastle's brown so much, I didn't want to taint positive thoughts with a bad brew. I hate to say it, but even though their brown is a good standard, I didn't have much hope that any of their other beers would be good. Maybe it's because they are owned by Heineken now (since 2008) and maybe it would be mass-produced swill. Even with a very good friend praising the not-brown Newcastle offering, I was skeptical.

I bit the bullet...and it was ok.

A bit of background. This brew was introduced this year as a limited summer release (May-July). They have two listed on their site for a winter line up: Alternate Ale and Winter IPA. (UK distribution only.) So they are definitely branching out.

General Thoughts
Look and Smell: This clear-yellow brew had a white, frothy head. It was incredibly carbonated with bubbles rushing up to the head. A ring stays around. I wasn't able to smell much over the cigarette smoke around me.

Taste: It was watery and sweet. It wasn't as flavorful as a good German pils. As an ale it was better than most lighter beers (no lager aftertaste). If it was incredibly hot, it might do the trick. There was nothing horrible about this brew. I just look for a little more flavor. Maybe I can chalk it up to the smells around me or an overly salty meal. I'd give it another shot next year.