It’s not your standard beer title – I would associate Bling Bling more with a soft drink than a beer. It’s label also backs this up with bright colours and a comic-like design. But Bridge Road Brewers have whipped together a delicious, if deceptive, brew.
Bling Bling smells just like a tropical juice – pineapple, passion fruit and orange are the flavours which come to the fore to give it a very sweet scent. Combined with the labelling, the drinker can be deceived into thinking this is going to be a lighter beer. They’d be wrong. This IPA pours with a light brown colour, with a generous head. There’s a lighter feeling on the tongue, with hints of orange, but it’s a step heavier than the smell. A grainier taste with a good dose of bitterness comes through as you swallow.
Once you get over how different the beer tastes compared to it’s scent, this is actually a great beer. Coming in at 2.2 standard drinks in a 330mL stubby (or 8.8%), this is one of the stronger beers kicking about (though it doesn’t taste all that strong). It’s not fancy-pants as its name suggests, but has great flavours and is nicely balanced. I’d be more than happy to have it again.
Drunk: from the bottle