North East Beer Review

I have previously bought Hadrian Border ales as a gift however, I have never tried Hadrian Border bottled ales until now. This is review is on Hadrian Border Tyneside Blonde which is a blonde ale. This brewery has a lot of history in the North East and even has roots all the way up to the Scottish Border and back to the late 1700’s. So during the course of this review I will dive into the history of this brewery and beer, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally I will give you my verdict. Cheers

One of the North East’s best known ale producers

Hadrian Border Brewery has roots stretching back to the Border Brewery in Tweedmouth near Berwick-Upon-Tweed. The original brewery dated back as far as 1777, however the modern version and the subject of this review was re-established in 1992.

In 1994, Andy and Shone Burrows took over the brewery and built a strong reputation for producing reliable cask ales across the North East. As demand increased, the business expanded by acquiring the equipment from the Four Rivers Brewery in Newcastle. This brought together two historic breweries to lead to the name change to Hadrian Border Brewery. In 2011, Hadrian Border relocated to Newburn Industrial Estate, Newcastle and installed a modern plant capable of producing a wide range of cask and bottled ales. Over the years, Hadrian Border Brewery became known for dependable North East favourites including Farne Island, Northumbrian Gold and Tyneside Blonde.

Today, the brewery is recognised for combining traditional British brewing methods with approachable session ales that appeal to both real ale enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike.

Tyneside Blonde is one of Hadrian Border’s most recognisable ales and is a familiar sight across the region. The blonde ale carries an ABV of 3.9% and is designed to be an easy drinking blonde ale that exemplifies British malt and hop character. This is brewed using Maris Otter and Wheat malts as well as Challenger, Celeia, Cascade and Comet hops. These ingredients helped forge a light bodied, subtly bitter and smooth beer which has gained a loyal following.

Its name reflects the brewery’s strong connection to Newcastle and the River Tyne, celebrating the brewing heritage of Tyneside at a time when many traditional local breweries had disappeared. Despite changing beer trends and the rise of modern craft breweries, Tyneside Blonde has remained a well-known North East session ale with a reputation for consistency and drinkability.

A bright and lively pour

Hadrian Border pours a bright pale golden colour which has great clarity which is what you expect from a blonde ale. A steady stream of bubbles are seen rising throughout the drinking experience. A fine white forms which wasn’t too thick but certainly lasted the session. A fine ring of lacing was also observed. This pour has an inviting appearance which is typical of a well crafted British blonde ale.

A citrusy flavour profile

Aroma

Tyneside Blonde opens with a light and refreshing aroma which is led by citrus and floral hop flavours. This is in the form of lemon zest and a soft grassy character. This is followed up by a biscuity malt base. There is a subtle herbal aroma which gives it the signature British real ale charm. The aroma is clean, balanced and inviting suitable for those after an easy drinking beer.

Taste

This North Eastern blonde opens with a light bready malt and biscuit note which is followed by a mild citrus and hop core. Reminiscent of lemon zest and grassy nature. The bitterness is subtle but enough to keep the beer refreshing. When it comes to the finish, there is slight lingering citrus and hoppy note which is clean, dry and refreshing. The body is light and smooth, which makes it really easy drinking. Overall, Tyneside Blonde delivers a balanced combination of soft malt sweetness, gentle hop bitterness and refreshing drinkability that reflects the classic character of a North East blonde ale.

Time for my verdict

Hadrian Border Tyneside Blonde has a serious reputation in the North East and it is easy to see why. It is still seriously drinkable and sessionable whilst still maintaining the real traditional ale charm. This is well balanced with the citrus and hop flavours accompanying the malt base quite well. Although the ABV is only 3.9%, this means you could probably work your way through this quite quickly and onto the next bottles. Overall, I rate this a solid 4 out of 5. Cheers.

Where did I purchase this beer?

My girlfriend actually bought me this beer from the brilliant Rehills of Jesmond. Brilliant bottle shop that I highly recommend checking out.

Thanks for reading my review of this Blonde Ale. If you enjoyed this review, you will love my review of Windermere Brewing W’ruff Night.