Indigo Imp Blonde Bombshell

Ah, Indigo Imp's Blonde Bombshell. Indigo Imp is a brewery in Cleveland, Ohio, that produces real ales. That means that they are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally carbonated. They also use an open fermentation process, harvesting the yeasts that naturally exist in the air. Blonde Bombshell is their American Golden Ale. I fell in love with this beer a couple of years ago, and haven't looked back.

This pours a hazy, deep orange color with a pale khaki, thick, rich, tightly-laced, creamy head. I love the hillocks that occurred in the head during the pour. The nose is very mild, with a hint of caramel and orange citrus notes. And then there's the taste: citrusy tones at first, fading into moderate carbonation that tickled my throat, and ending with sweet malt note and finishing like a sour. That would be due to the open fermentation process. Despite the carbonation, this has a velvety mouthfeel.

People seem to have a love-or-hate opinion of this beer. My cousin and her fiance picked up notes of sauerkraut. I'm very glad I have not had that experience with this, although, because of the open fermentation, one batch of this will never be precisely like another. Reviews on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer are widely disparate, with not much middle ground.

I find this thoroughly enjoyable, myself. Then again, I like the Brett-style flavor and funk it has, even though it's not nearly as funky as, say, George Clinton. It's a great summer beer, although I've enjoyed it year-round. It's light, yet at 6.2% ABV, you probably don't want to kill an entire six-pack in a sitting. Then again, if you do, you won't want to kill me in the morning through the fog of your hangover, because it won't be that bad.

4.2/5 caps

-Jennie


Rather good review, Jennie. This is a great brewery. I've had a few different brews from them (5 different styles, I want to say), and have yet to have a bad one. Real ales are hard to find from breweries.

There is nothing bad I can say about this beer, except possibly that it would be better enjoyed on a hot day. It's mild and mellow with a bit of spicy tones that melt with the slightly sour tones that the yeast strain gives off.

4.2/5 caps

-Nathan