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This is not my first rodeo with Tennessee Brew Works, and I think they're generally pretty good. A friend of mine recently complained that their canning process doesn't seem to be 100% flawless, as he received a six-pack with a can that was half full and one that was not properly sealed and leaking. I have had similar issues with other breweries in the past, and I think it's just one of those things that you deal with when you are looking at a relatively small brewery. In this case, I am trying a beer that is supposed to be supporting sport fishing. I didn't even know we had bass in any of our man-made lakes or rivers. We only have the one natural lake, and I would be shocked if there was any bass in it.
I don't know why, but I always expect my blonde ales to be pale like a regular lager or something of the kind. Instead, this yellow beer has a slight haze to it, and the head comes out enough. Whenever it simmers down, I have an incomplete covering and lots of points of nucleation at the bottom of the glass to ensure that the ring around the sides has plenty of tiny bubbles for a while. The aroma is cold and grains, and it smells pretty good. It has taken me a while to get to the point that I look forward to trying a blonde ale, but that's where I am right now.
First sip surprises me with the yeast that they're using. It's not the Belgian yeast that I love so much, but it is a powerful yeast that seems to be aggressively trying to put itself above the malt and whatever hops they managed to add. Mind you, while it's not that delicious Belgian yeast, it's not bad. It's not the sour or really tart stuff that I often find myself complaining about, but it is certainly strident. The sweet malt does a very good job of creating a good undercurrent for that yeast to sit on, and I'm already enjoying this beer quite a bit. I was right to look forward to it.
Tip-in is almost no carbonation in a watery beverage that features the sweet and grain-filled malt. Carbonation rises up the roof of the mouth as the middle pulls yeast out to feature it prominently above the still relatively watery base of malt flowing under it all. The finish appears crisp at first, with a light lemon and coriander mix smacking off of the yeast in a very deliberate way, but the trail off keeps some semblance of the yeast in its grasp.
Bottom Line: Certainly enjoyable, but I won't be going fishing.
3.25/5
