Apr 14, 2011

Brooklyn Summer Ale

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

I’ve had a few Brooklyn Brewing beers in my time. From the richly flavorful Black Chocolate Stout to their brown ale, the company knows how to make a tasty beverage. That said, however, I’ve never had their Summer Ale. I’ve seen it plenty of times on shelves and it’s quite readily available in my area. I guess it just never piqued my interest with so many of their products I’d rather enjoy on a warm day, like Local 1 for instance.

Great weather for a refreshing brew

Well, the brewery has forced my hand here and given me the opportunity to sit down with this English Pale Ale. This brew turned out to be more flavorful that I had expected. It’s got a great balance of toasted malts, fruity citrus and light hop bite. And at 4.5% ABV this is one sessionable beer that I’d like to have packed in a cooler next to me at the beach.

Appearance

Amber in color the beer has a large, white head that faded to patchy lacing.

Aroma

Lightly toasted malts come to mind first, quickly followed by light, citrusy hops with a touch of lemon. The beer smells “fresh,” for lack of a better term.

Taste

With the weather warm outside (on the particular day I drank this beer), the crisp mouthfeel was refreshing and inviting. Bready, lightly toasted malts come in up front then transition through a light fruity hop character with a touch of lemon before rounding out with a lingering bite that’s not too powerful on the palate. There’s a hint of caramel in there from the malt component, as well. This is a well balanced and highly drinkable beer.

Overall

This is a far cry from some of the more “spiced” Summer ales I tend to see around town. It’s a smooth drinking, well balanced beer with just the right amount of malt and hop bitterness to invigorate the palate while sitting outside watching a ball game or relaxing under the sun. I won’t be passing on this one again on my next trip to the store.

Rating: 4/5