Hey! It’s the first time here at NeuFutur that we have had the honor of reviewing a beer, so what better than giving some time to one of the most well-known independent brewers in the United States – Samuel Adams. This time around, we are giving their Summer Ale a spin. There is a complexity present to the Summer Ale that is simply not present with many beers that can typically be found in a local beer store or supermarket.
Where a beer like Blue Moon has a fruit flavor present, there is a blending of more hoppy (IPA-like) styles with the fruit notes present in a beer such as the aforementioned one. The slight bit of bitterness that is present in the Summer Ale is bolstered through the inclusion of lemon, while throwing in some Grains of Paradise gives the beer an international flair. At all points of the drinking experience, one tastes the wheat that comprise the body of the beer. Taken together, the elements of the Summer Ale make for a deceptively easy drinking beer that will fly off of a refrigerator or cooler’s shelves. While it is obvious that Samuel Adams has intended the Summer Ale to be drank in the eponymous season, I feel that the beer has legs enough to shine brightly in the autumn months.
What could be better than to sip at than a beer that touches upon so many bits and pieces of nature in the period when everything is changing colors and the temperature goes down. Stockpile this beer until sometime in the middle of next year, when Sam Adams trots out what may just be the best American wheat ale that I’ve had the experience of having. On a magazine aside, keep an eye on the Alcohol Reviews section to see other beer reviews in the next few months.
Rating: 8.4/10
Samuel Adams Summer Ale (Beer) / 5.2% ABV / http://www.samueladams.com