Summer Beer Tasting - Part 1

Summer is almost here, which means... summer beers! For those of you who don't follow Mr. Beer on Instagram and Twitter (which you totally should, because we are always posting great stuff on craft beer and homebrewing), you probably aren't aware that the staff at Mr. Beer does a weekly Thirsty Thursday beer tasting. Now, we're bringing our Thirsty Thursday tasting to the blog! Each week we will taste and review 3 different craft beers. Some weeks there will be a theme, and other weeks the theme will just be "good beer" and we will taste a variety of different styles. Either way, these tastings are a great way for you to learn what beers you should be trying next! Now that the weather is warming up, it's time to start finding (and drinking) lighter beers with easy drinkability, so here are three great summer beers for you to try:

Anchor Steam Summer Wheat

Anchor Steam Summer Wheat - summer beer

Photo courtesy of Anchor Brewing

Aroma This summer beer has a surprising, but very pleasant, hoppy nose for a wheat beer. Underneath the initial hop notes, you pick up lingering scents of sweet malt and wheat. Appearance Light golden, very little haze and decent head retention. Very inviting, perfect for a summer brew. Flavor Spicy and earthy hops up front with a dry, bitter finish. Slight malt sweetness and a nice wheat flavor make this a nicely balanced beer. Mouthfeel Light and crisp with a creamy texture. Overall Tasting Notes The most used word to describe this beer during our tasting? Refreshing. The hop addition gives this wheat beer a nice complexity that takes your basic summer beer up a notch, making it a great choice for summer drinkers looking for something a little more substantial.

Anderson Valley Summer Solstice

Anderson Valley Summer Solstice - summer beer

Photo courtesy of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. 

Aroma Faint malty aroma with hints of caramel and toasted grain. Appearance Darker than expected for a cream ale. Nice amber color with a bit of haze and very little head. Flavor Toasted grain notes and subtle vanilla up front. Caramel and cream notes reminiscent of cream candy. Mouthfeel Creamy moutfeel standard for this style. Medium body with good carbonation. Overall Tasting Notes Light and drinkable for the summer months. Wasn't a typical cream ale, but it was still very refreshing, and would be a good fit for someone who likes cream ales but is looking for something a little bit different.

Deschutes Brewery Hop Slice Session IPA

Deschutes Brewery Hop Slice - summer beer

 Photo courtesy of Deschutes Brewery

Aroma Strong notes of citrus, pine and hops. Jackson, our warehouse manager, described the aroma as "amazing and room filling." Appearance Golden and clear with medium head retention. Flavor Wonderful notes of citrus and zest with only a slight bitterness keeping true to the session IPA style. Overall very well balanced. Mouthfeel Light bodied and effervescent with little aftertaste. Overall Tasting Notes A few notes from employees were:

  • "Absolutely amazing." - Jackson, Warehouse Manager
  • "Lovely mild session IPA." - Matt, Graphic Designer
  • "Rocks my socks off." - Robert, Sales Manager

This is a very unique session IPA, and if you are a fan of citrus, this is a great summer beer for you. The strong citrus flavor is nicely balanced by the slight hop bitterness, allowing you to enjoy a few of these brews without being overwhelmed.