Beer Review: Rivertowne Babbling Blonde

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.3 percent

Appearance: This beer had a pretty chroma of straw gold once I poured it out. There was also an initial fogginess in the body that faded just a little as everything settled. After that, this had a strong, crisp appearance. There was an average amount of carbonation trickling upwards. This helped form the quarter inch white layer of foam.

Smell: Babbling Blonde gave way to a few interesting layers of aroma. It was slightly sweet as well as fruity with some orange and lemon. This also featured a few hints of grain and grassiness.

Taste: Oddly, this played quite dry up front. A touch of bread and yeast flavor played well with the fruit flavor. Still, I couldn't really place the fruit flavor as I had in the smell. It just didn't seem like lemon and/or orange. More like a handful of gummi candy. I found that just a little misleading. There was also a minimal hop bite on the back which I was pleased to notice.

Overall Rating: 

I go back and forth with this beer, but if I had to compare it with something it'd be shortbread. Sweet, yet still has that bread/cookie/cake flavor. Hints of fruit. Overall, I love the color of this beer. Has some thickness to the body. The fruit flavors still wander in and out which has me confused at times in which I'm drinking this.

All's Common in the Commonwealth

In the quietest way ever, I've accumulated plenty of beer brewed within Pennsylvania's state lines. Cases of Rivertowne Babbling Blonde, Hala Kahiki Pineapple and RT Lager are currently being worked on. I still have half a case of Troegs Sunshine Pils hanging around as well.

This all has led me to one conclusion when I take into account my big-time birthday trip next weekend. As work ends on Thursday night next week a Pennsylvania beer only weekend shall commence.

Or at least that's how I'm planning it as of now. It's certainly not out of the question to visit the Blue Dust coolers and create my own Pennsylvania six pack. Maybe grab some Full Pint, Troegs, Stoudt's or Voodoo? I'd love to get a hold of another bottle of Wynona's Big Brown Ale as well as some White Lightning.

This is all in order to celebrate one of this state's (rather Commonwealth's) greatest and most important historic events as I try to do annually by trudging through woods, creeks, high grass and over rocks to study topography and troop movements. There's even more Pennsylvania beer where I'm going. Some I've had and look to rekindle with. Others are a source untapped. More on that next week.

Only in Pennsylvania.