Beer of the Weekend #612: Hometown Blonde

My dad and I made a run to Shullsburg today, stopping at the Roelli Cheese Haus. You know what that means…

I bought a custom sixer featuring New Glarus seasonal brews and a couple favorites. It has been a while since I posted a midweek tasting so I thought I would dip into the customer sixer tonight and try Hometown Blonde, brewed by the New Glarus Brewing Company of New Glarus, Wisconsin.


Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Pours a clean and clear light gold into a fluted pilsner glass. One finger of off-white head leaves a bubbly skim and a thick ring around the edge.

Smell: Crisp, grassy, and a touch lemony. Saaz hops make the beer smell much more Czech than German (the German heritage is touted on the label). Pale malts and a touch of lemon citrus are also noticeable, and there is a touch of apple.

Taste: The flavor is sharp but still pilsner-like. It is very floral and hoppy upfront, almost astringently so. Lemon citrus is also present. It is a touch grainy, though that fades. The mouthfeel is smooth and somewhat creamy. Pale malts emerge slowly and gain prominence as the beer warms. Apple also comes into play.

Drinkability: Good stuff. I seem to say that about a lot of beers (because they are), but whatever. Crisp and tasty, as a pilsner should be. It seems a little more Czech than German, but I will not complain.

Fun facts about Hometown Blonde:

-Style: New Glarus classifies it as Bohemian lager.

-Price: The custom sixer cost $8.49 at the Roelli Cheese Haus on State Highway 11 in Shullsburg, Wisconsin.

-Alcohol content: There is no ABV information on the bottle or on the beer’s webpage.

-Food pairings: Listed on the beer’s webpage are pizza, green salad, nachos, wings, fruit, chicken, sourdough, guacamole, burrito, fried calamari, tandori, smoked salmon, feta, five-year old cheddar, and gruyere.

-What is the difference between the words “blond” and “blonde”? “Blond” is a color. “Blonde” refers to a blond-haired woman. (Can it also describe a blond-haired man? According to my Macbook dictionary, it is only used for women. At tad sexist, no?)


The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.

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