Summertime and beer go together like peanut butter and jelly. What’s better than relaxing at a camp fire with a group of friends enjoying a nice summer ale?
Since this will be my last brew review for the year, I thought I’d send you into summer with an idea of a few choice summer offerings from some local breweries.
First up is Casco Bay’s summer ale, a newer brew that’s only been on the shelves for a few years. A typical American blonde ale, this beer is light and smooth all the way through. It’s a light golden brown color and has a crisp taste on the palate. Nothing exciting here, but nothing bad either. A perfectly acceptable blonde and a decent choice for summer.
Next in line we have Samuel Adams with their pale wheat summer ale. You can smell the wheat and a bit of lemon hint straight from the bottle. These qualities in the taste as well, with a bit of a sweet malty flavor. The carbonation is just right and it’s light enough to be quite enjoyable. The drinkability of this summer ale is good and I’d recommend it as a solid contender.
Then we have Gritty’s with their Vacationland Summer Ale, a pale offering to go with all that spicy food this summer. The bitterness and wheat will set it apart from the other summer ales, but not in a bad way. This is a solid pale, with good balance of wheat and hop in the taste. It’s crisp and surprisingly smooth, and leaves a bit of a dry aftertaste. Again, nothing spectacular here but a respectable beer I wouldn’t think twice about buying some this summer.
Next up is Shipyard with another pale ale. The pilsner’s hops are up front and noticeable, and the beer is actually not too overpowering. It’s crisp and is medium bodied with a malt taste at first and a bit of floral aftertaste. Shipyard always makes a decent beer, but I can’t say I’m ever satisfied after having one. It’s a solid representation of the style and perfectly acceptable for a summer six pack, but I’d look elsewhere first.
Finally we have Geary’s Summer, in the style of a K?lsch. It has a sweet and earthy flavor to it, almost buttery, really. It’s not what I would regard as a typical K?lsch, but I’ll let it slide because I enjoy the beer nonetheless. The hops and malt are rounded out smoothly with a caramel-like taste and it doesn’t have the same macro-like flavoring of other summer ales. I’ll certainly be drinking some of this over the next few months.
All of these beers are decent summer ales and most beer drinkers will be perfectly satisfied with a six pack of them. They are all very drinkable, although nothing too surprising from any of them. If I had to choose a winner I’d go with Casco Bay. It’s light enough to throw back a few with some food on the grill this summer. Geary’s would be a close second for a single beer. All in all, these beers are decent and are worth a try. Enjoy the summer and drink safely my friends!