Review # 11 Samuel Adams: Summer Ale

I will start by saying this:  I am not a Sam Adams hater.  There is a lot of talk about Sammy being the biggest craft brewery and getting too big for their britches.  So what?  They have delivered decent beers to America as a small company for years, and have been successful in doing so.  If they make two million and one barrels, should they have to lose their "craft beer" label.  Not in my opinion.  As long as they still produce the same beer with the same quality ingredients, what is the problem with a business growing and appealing to more people, especially as the craft beer movement keeps gaining strength?  Samuel Adam's has always made a consistent product, that appeals to people across all markets, and in turn introduces many people to craft beer who would normally not drink it.  Not to mention the fact that their successful year-round brews and seasonal beers allow them to make things like Utopia, Triple Bock, and sponsor a home brewer contest where winners get to have their beers produced by Sam and distributed to the entire country.  Not so evil, eh?

So what are you trying to say Kenny?:  I don't like this beer.  It lacks character, body, and flavor.  While this does make it surprisingly easy to drink, it does no justice for the price tag.  I might call it the Miller Lite of Summer beers.   Yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up.

Review #8 Peak Organics Summer Session

Ahhhhhh, Summer.  Baking in the sun.  Being covered in sweat just from walking to the corner bodega.  When the subway is a sauna and everyone smells pretty gross.  Yet it is still one of our favorite times of the year, but why?

Drinking outside.

There are not many things as enjoyable as a great cold beer on a hot Summer afternoon outdoors.  It is for this reason I will try to review every Summer beer I can get my hands on this season, starting with Peak Organics Summer Session.

Normally I am not really excited by Peak's offerings.  They just strike me as kind of "meh".  They aren't bad, but I would definitely choose something else to drink.  But, when I heard that this was actually a Three Floyd's recipe (unconfirmed, but from a reliable source) I wanted to give it a go.

What I found was a smooth, summery beer with a creamy white head, that smelled and tasted like lemon and wheat the whole way through.  That's it.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It is simple, but not boring, very refreshing, and remarkably easy to drink.  There is a slight hint of sweetness and a dry finish that make it a great beer for pairing with almost any Summer food.  In true session fashion it is only has 5% ABV, which I think is great for those long days of drinking and barbecuing.

What do I think?:  If you are tailgating, barbecuing, or just hanging out in the park, this beer will do you no wrong.  I cannot for the life of me think of anything that I will eat in the next three months that would not pair well with this beer.  I will definitely buy this again, and you should too.  Plus, it's organic for crying out loud, at least your drinking could have some benefit for the planet.

Review #4 The Bruery: Saison de Lente

I love saisons.  Their appearance on the beer market means that it is spring, and soon to be summer.  All of them vary so greatly in taste, aroma, and finish that you kind of have to try each and every one you can get your hands on.  But this beer pissed me off.  I am impatient, always punctual, and kind of expect my beer to be the same- ready to drink when I want it.

So I open this bottle, recommended to me by a co-worker, and BAM!  There is enough carbonation in here to scare Ralphie from 'A Christmas Story' into never drinking a beer in his life.  I literally thought I shot my eye out.  I pour a glass of the beer, and by beer I mean head.  Lots of it.  It takes up 75% of the glass with its amazing aromas of citrus, flowers, yeast, and peppercorns.  I figure I just need to wait a second, but no, it doesn't let up.  This head is here to stay- at least as long as the beer is cold.  So I wait.  And wait.  After about 15 minutes I am able to make an actual glass of beer appear by sloooowly adding more from the bottle as the head sloooowly dies.  Thank God because I really want to drink this!

Underneath the everlasting one inch head lies fruity notes, a great yeasty flavor, some wonderful bitters, a nice hop kick, and a great peppery finish that I detected in the nose.  It was spicy, dry, fruity, oh hell; it was each and every thing a great saison should be.  Absolutely delicious.

What it do: Totally awesome.  Just do yourself a favor and drink another beer while you start pouring this.  Unless you aren't overly impatient like me, but with something this good, it is hard not to be.

Review #3 Oskar Blues: Gubna

Let me preface this review with this: I am not a hop head. A lot of IPAs are far too hoppy for my liking, although I am getting used to them and learning to appreciate them more. But then there was the fated afternoon I met the Gubna.

I was at an industry tasting in Manhattan, casually drinking my way around the U.S. Brewery Room (coincidentally missing the Brew Dog Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Sink the Bismark! tastings...) when I came up to the Oskar Blues table. At that point I had imbibed all of the widely available offering from the Blues, and was about to settle for a taste of my fave- the Ten Fiddy. Then a light shone down from above and the kind gentleman asked if we had heard of their newest offering, which would be available in a few short weeks. I shrugged my shoulders as he poured me some of the golden liquid with a thin head I would later know as The Gubna. My outlook on IPAs would be forever changed. I took a deep breath. Huge hops (100 IBUs), large hints of pine, and some good orange and grapefruit citrus notes. The taste was malty, a little sweet, and still held some of the citrus and pine. It had a heavy mouth feel, and you could definitely taste the alcohol content (10% ABV). The hops come in and finish off the beer on the back end in a big way. It is surprisingly easy to drink, even for me. I have had it a few times since, all in cans, and it has not disappointed. Nice one, Oskar Blues.

What I say: Whether you like IPAs or don't. Get you some! At least once.