Cardinal Blonde

http://www.cardinal.ch/gl/fr/

Brewed by Feldschlösschen (Carlsberg)
Style: Pale Lager
Rheinfelden, Switzerland

Over 125 years ago, Cardinal beer was born in Fribourg, western Switzerland, famous as a festive beer and popular in the French speaking part of the country.

It all started in 1788, when daddy François Piller, owner of the “Zum Lachs” inn, in the town of Fribourg, decides to have a brewery built for his son, who just recently graduated as a Bavarian master brewer, a nice fatherly thing to do (if you have the money!).

In 1877, a Paul Blancpain took over the brewery. This is where real change was made, with the brewery developing massively both in technological development and the opening of wider commercial markets. With the introduction of large-scale refrigeration, it was a good time to have a brewery.

in 1890 something was to happen that changed the company forever. The Pope nominated a Cardinal from the town of Fribourg, something which was a great honour for the very religious region at the time. To celebrate this great occasion for the town, Brasserie Blancpain brewed a festive beer called the Cardinal. Proving to be a real best seller, Paul Blancpain decides to rename his brewery to be now known as the Brasserie du Cardinal. Overtime the beer was synonymous with Fribourg, a local institution well loved amongst the people of the town.

In 1996 Swiss beer giants Feldschlösschen, in what they do best, took over the small company and in 2011 production was transferred from Freiburg to Rheinfelden, the HQ of the parent company.

Review: 33cl bottle of Cardinal Blonde: 4.8% vol.

Available to buy in Coop, one of Switzerland’s largest discount stores.

Golden colour with a rather smallish white head on pour.

Some carbonation going on, but head dies and it all goes a bit flat in the end, Not a looker.

An aroma of light lager, light malts, the grains, corn, but not much else, rather faint and disappointing on the nose.

Tastes is ok, nice and smooth is my initial reaction, lovely crisp mouthfuls, wonderful coming cold from the fridge. Very nice, such a shame not much in the bottle.

I like it, very smooth, a nice light bodied lager that is so very easy to drink. But fuck all in the bottle! Lots of malts and barley, grains, all balanced very well, mild hops, no bitterness or offensive tastes.

Not a huge amount of flavours or tastes, but just so smooth.

Recommended. Just a light bodied lager that does the basics right, keeping you refreshed and happy.
Will try again, for sure. Very sessionable, and for a light lager it does the business.