Summer is delicious: Hot weather beer

For me, the summer is (a little) less about trying new beers as it is simply about enjoying great beer. It's a balance, really, because some new beer just sucks. Still, I've picked up a couple new favorites when it comes to flavorful, yet light and drinkable, session beers.


B.B. Bürgerbräu (Budweiser Bier)
Budějovický Měšťanský Pivovar
Czech Pilsener | 5.00% ABV

B+ / 3.9
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

On-tap at Tap and Table for $5/pint. Thanks to Tudor for the recommendation. This is a tasty and fresh Czech pilsener - something that's hard to some by. A lot of alleged Czech pils are really just bland macro lagers. There's a smooth, dry bready malt taste and the pils finishes with a mildly bitter spicy hop taste. Very nice and very refreshing. Pils-lovers should seek this out.

Sculpin India Pale Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Company
American IPA | 7.00% ABV

A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Shared a bomber at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $14. Totally worth it. This is easily one of the best IPA's I've had in sometime. Reminds me in terms of quality of the pint of Town Hall Masala Mama I had last week. The hops jump out of the glass once the beer is poured - I love when that happens. The hops are a mix of spicy citrus that are juicy, but dry and drinkable. There are also tasty notes of apricot, white grape, and orange peel.The aftertaste just doesn't go away. I had to go out of my way to find an even bigger beer to follow this up, otherwise this beer would have still been hanging on my palate.


Those beers kicked ass. Now, for posterity, here's one of the new beers that landed closer to the other end of the awesome-suck beer continuum.


Dirty Blonde
Atwater Block Brewery
American Pale Wheat Ale | 4.50% ABV

C+ / 3.05
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | drink: 2.5

On-tap at Liberty St. Tavern in Allentown, PA. Appears hazy dark blonde. There's nothing very remarkable about this beer. It was a slightly sweet wheat malt flavor so it kind of just tastes like sugary liquid bread. No hops to speak of and while it's easy-drinking and balanced, it's not really a pleasure to drink. It just does nothing for me.