Beer Review: Rhinegeist Cougar Blonde Ale

The Cougar from Rhinegeist is a 4.8% ABV Blonde ale that brings some sweetness and a somewhat refreshing quality from the malts making it nice beer for after work, chores or where you want to take a break and throw down a sessionable beer. At 20 IBU, hoppiness is not a concern although there are some notes that you will pick up from the Bravo and Crystal hops used. This one for me was more on the tame side and one that I scored a 75, still making it to my solid enough area. And for one looking to make a jump into craft beers from the more popular mass made adjunct lagers, it can fit well as a crossover beer to try.

Check out my video to hear and see more of my thoughts on this one, and if you have had it as well then let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment. Cheers and remember…there’s always time, so Get Your Beer On!

Appearance: 11

Aroma: 11

Flavor: 10

Palate: 10

Overall: 33

Total Score: 75

Streetside Brewery - Return Of The Mac Coffee Blonde Ale

A Thought On High ABV Beers

One thing I often tend to notice is that there are a good amount of people that prefer to drink higher ABV beers as we approach the colder months, beers like the Imperial stouts and barley wines start showing up and people start to enjoy them, especially at some of the fall and winter beer festivals. I, myself, tend to enjoy all types of beers year-round, even the larger ABV ones so I often find this interesting. Are people doing this because they just like these beers in colder months as they can add warmth or is it just because they have become trained to expect and drink these often at this time of year because this is when many of the breweries release them? Having a space where I can store some of these bigger beers allows me to build a collection that I can enjoy year-round, but it has never been a seasonal thing for me. Now I am not saying I will crack a 15% ABV in the middle of a hot summer day, but sitting out on a summer night having a nice stout and stogie is a pleasant exp...

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