NOLA Blonde Hops - Recipe help

[pig140]

I need some recipe help. I'm working on my first blonde ale. When I come up with a recipe, I always test several beers in the style, look at clone recipes, and then adjust to what I think I'm looking for.

So... it seems Bombshell Blonde is pretty popular for a blonde. I tasted it back to back with NOLA Blonde (I'm in Louisiana), and I can say that NOLA has what I'm after. The Bombshell seems a little more bitter (and definitely more carbonated). The NOLA is smoother and little maltier. Most people describe the hops as floral or herbal and citrus. The NOLA description says 5 different malts and 2 hops. The recipe is a work in progress and right now I'm thinking Sterling for the long run and finishing with Tettnanger... any thoughts?

 

[giraffe]

Sterling can be spicy with a hint of pineapple as a finishing hop. Crystal sounds like the description and ive seen used in blonde ales before. You could use tetnang as well. Use a hop low in co-humolone for the bittering addition, below 30%, that will keep the bittering "softer", but there isnt going to be enough bittering hops to get much character besides that from the bittering addition.

 

[LitBrewing]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I am also looking to replicate NOLA blonde. According to their website they use Crystal and Perle.
What did you end up using, how did it taste?

 

[pig140]

No problem. Let me check my notes and see. I ended messaging them and they basically gave me their recipe - which I ended up doing something totally different. I lost my old FB thanks to a hacker, so the messages are gone. I’ll look though and let you know.

 

[pig140]

I checked my notes. It wasn’t in FB. It was as over email. I had asked their brewmaster to critique my blonde recipe. He told me their 2 hops are Perle and Crystal, but he really liked mine, so I did my own thing.

 

[LitBrewing]

Did they give you the % of the different grains they used, hops schedule, and/or yeast recommendation?

 

[pig140]

Did they give you the % of the different grains they used, hops schedule, and/or yeast recommendation?

2 row, light Munich, 10L caramel, and wheat. No percentages. Perle shortly after the boil starts and Crystal about 3/4 the way through. That’s what he gave me. Super nice guy.

No yeast recommendation but I would use WLP001.