It's been a damn sweaty summer. Thank God there's been good beer to match. I haven't been terribly excited about summer seasonal beers in years past, but craft brewers are finally coming around to building interesting, complex blond ales and wheat beers that are more than sweetish crowd pleasers.
Schmetterling Gose
Local Option
Gose | 4.50% ABV
4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Had a snifter at Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Ah, so fresh, so refreshing. The aroma was a sharp mix of sour rose and berries with a big hit of fresh-baked bread. The toasty malt steps back a bit in the flavor and a mix of salty spices (with coriander) comes with with the pleasantly sour (gentler than a lambic) earthy fruit (almost like fruit skin) through the finish. I don't get a big salty taste or feeling, so I'd say it's well balanced. The body is on the lighter side, as I said, very refreshing. Check this beer out if you can. Easily the best gose I've had.
Somersault
New Belgium Brewing
American Blonde Ale | 5.20% ABV
3.88/5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Picked up a six-pack while in OBX, seemed like a good beach beer. It was. Instead of the clean, bland blond ales you usually meet in the summer, this had a lovely mix of mild citrus hops and grapefruit sourness (not bitterness) that adds an extra-refreshing edge. The aroma has a mix of freshly toasted bread/malt and light apricot fruit. Overall, a great take on the style. I'm glad to see brewers finally figuring out how to make a fun and satisfying blond ale.
Summer Ale
Summit Brewing Company
Kölsch | 4.90% ABV
4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Mmm. Reminds me a bit of Summit's Kolsch from a couple summers back. The slight earthy mineral note is subdued, but there's still a wonderfully subtle character of bready malts, mellow citrus hops, and light fruit esters. Complex, yet drinkable, what a fine beer. It opens with fresh-baked bread and finishes with a dry grassy bitterness. I'll have another.
Apollo
Sixpoint
Kristalweizen | 5.20% ABV
4.05/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed a 16 oz can of Apollo, stamped best by Sept 2012. Is this really a kristalweizen? There's no sediment in the can, but the beer is a hazy amber. Either way, it's a fine wheat beer that reminds me of Weihenstephaner's hefe for the subtle, but rich, spicy clove yeast character. Slightly fruity (banana and orange) bread balance the phenols. The carbonation is a little lighter here, but instead of feeling heavier, it smooths the beer out. Great beer, best wheat beer in a can, maybe.
