ClubGonzo’s 40

40 by ClubGonzo, American Amber Ale, 5.9% ABV, 34.1 IBU.

40, batch no. 51.

This one looks so good that I had to use my TeKu glass.

Another brew from ClubGonzo that is dedicated to a family member, cheers Aud Irene!

It pours a gorgeous deep amber body with a red hint, crowned by a large, beige head that ends up as a partially covering film quite quickly .

I’m a bit disappointed by the aroma, it’s nowhere near as strong as I like my ambers. I think I would characterise it as “faint”. All I get are some traces of caramel and hints of fruity hops.

There is a nice punch from the hops in the taste: the finish is moderate bitter. When it comes to the flavour, however, the hops are not playing a major role. There’s quite much caramel, and if it hadn’t been for the distinct fruity background I would have guessed that this was a Vienna.

The mouthfeel is probably the best thing about this beer, it’s very smooth on the palate and it’s quite drinkable.

Conclusion: No flaws and it’s quaffable, but also pretty faint and boring. Should work well at a party. But I don’t drink beer in order to party, I’m a beer geek!

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      5/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    10/20
Ratebeer score: 2.8/5.0

ClubGonzo’s 18

18 by ClubGonzo, American Blonde Ale, 5.2% ABV, 18 IBU.

18. Which of course has an IBU of 18. Batch no. 49.

In the glass.

Naaaah, how cute, a beer brewed for ClubGonzo’s little sister! Let’s see if the beer is as nice as the thought.

The birthday brew pours a pale amber body with a thick, pillowy, long-lived, white head that decorates my glass with foamy curtains.

The aroma is of moderate intensity and consists mainly of generic fruity notes.

The generic fruits dominate the flavour as well, which also could have been more intense. There isn’t much bitterness, it’s actually more sweet than bitter. However, this lack of punch and hoppyness only increases the drinkability of this beer: if I’d been offered this beer when I was 18 I would probably have started drinking craft beer many years earlier!

It’s a quite dry beer, at least in the finish, and the carbonation is moderate.

Conclusion: a gentle session beer that doesn’t demand too much attention from the drinker.

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    11/20
Ratebeer score: 3.0/5.0