New Summer Craft Beer

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.

Bike Ride Beer

I've had a few good rides lately with either a beer stop, or with cold brew waiting at the end. When you're sweating bullets in the summer heat, even a well-rounded drinker like myself, will grab for the lighter, drinkable beers. Here's a few of the fine ales I've been sipping when I get out of the saddle.


Namaste
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Witbier | 5.00% ABV

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

I split a large bottle at Little Ortino's in Schwencksville, PA. The beer poured a hazy light gold with a soft white head. The mix of subtle spice dominates the flavor (not in a bad way) while there's a smooth Belgian wheat background. The individual spices don't stand out so much as just melt together from the orange peel, to the coriander, then lemongrass. All in all a tasty beer, near the top of the style.


Stegmaier Summer Stock Lager
Lion Brewery, Inc.
American Pale Lager | 5.00% ABV

B / 3.65
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Picked up a case (under the name Summer Stock Pils) while visiting friends in Scranton. Not a bad beer at all. The label has some nonsense about being a German style pils, but I think the flavor is plainly American. The malt is smoother, bready, and with just a hint of inoffensive corn. This is followed up by a grassy hop kick with a share of orange rind. The lager finishes with a mild, spicy bitterness. All in all, it seems like a tasty and somewhat traditional American take on the pilsner.


Devotion Ale
The Lost Abbey
Belgian Pale Ale | 6.25% ABV

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4.5
rDev: +2.7%

On-tap from a friend's kegerator. I know it's a touch strong, but this comes off like a Belgian session ale. It's light, tasty, and I could drink it all day.

The Tettanger hops had a slightly sharp and interesting herbal flavor in addition to the spicy citrus background. There's a smooth grain and bread flavor with hint of subtle Belgian fruit esters. My only complaint is that the flavor can seem a touch muted at times. I suppose this is on the hoppy side of a Belgian pale ale, but it's still very drinkable. Check this beer out.

It's still summer to me.

I've been hearing a lot of whining lately about the end of summer and frankly, I think it's pretty lame. It's still hot out. I'm still sweating far more than is comfortable. And despite the appearance of Oktoberfest beers, I'm still drinking summer beers like hefeweizens and pilsners.

You're welcome to give up on summer and start hibernating, but not me. There's still plenty of time until the leaves fall and snow flies. Here's the warm-weather beers I've been loving lately.


Hopfenweizen
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
American Pale Wheat Ale

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

On-tap at the Newark brewpub. Served in a pint glass, the beer was a clear amber with a short white head. The flavor kicked off with typical Bavarian wheat beer spices: clove and banana. And after the initial wheat malt and yeast character, the American hops jumped in with bitter grapefruit and pine flavors. Very tasty and a great blending of IPA and hefe styles. If you've tried and enjoyed the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, this is like a lighter-alcohol version. A great beer for anyone that loves wheat beers and hops.


Voodoo Love Child
Voodoo Brewing Company
Tripel

Brewer's Notes: This is our Belgian Style Tippel aged on intimate fruits of Passion Fruit, Raspberry and Cherry. Lightly spiced with corriander and curqua orange peel and other spices of passion. Light Reddish hue and with a alcohol strength of 10.5% and nicely carbonated in the bottle.

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

Split a bomber at The Farmhouse for $13. This beer is worth checking out for the bizarre label alone. Wow. The beer appears a hazy light amber with a short white head. The aroma and flavor are big on fresh berry fruit and seeds. I'm reminded of the sensation of biting into a raspberry and chewing on the seeds. In the aroma, however, this smell comes off eerily similar to roasted turkey. Go figure. The label says it has cherries, passion fruit, and raspberries, and the former two play a big part of the taste, while the actual tripel malt just provides a pleasant backbone. Check this beer out. Definitely interesting and tasty.


La Trappe Isid'or
Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Belgian Pale Ale | 7.50% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Ordered a bottle at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $7. Served in a chalice it appears light amber with a slight haze. Man, this is a delicious beer. The flavor is a subtle mix of lemon peel, vanilla, white pepper, sweet candy bread, and white grape. The spices are very mellow, but the flavors are deep. The body is very drinkable and if it weren't a little expensive I'd order another.

Summer Beer Review: Bell's Oberon

Summer is here and that means the lightest of the seasonal beers are upon us - along with heat, beaches, and all that jazz. Summer seasonals runs the risk of being an offensively bland beer as less-talented brewers sacrifice flavor for drinkability. The better brewhouses, however, manage to pack a complex taste along with a balanced and light body. Bell's Oberon, I'm happy to report, is the later.

Bell's Oberon
Bell's Brewery
American Wheat Ale

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

Pairs nicely a BBQ, friends, and a backyard.

Pours a hazy light orange with a white head. The aroma has a creamy orange and malted wheat. The flavor is a nice mix of spicy and citrus hops flavors from the Saaz with the sweet wheat for balance. That creates a pleasant balance of citrus fruit, mellow malts, and spicy/bitter hops - all in a great summer beer. What a deal.