Summer Beer Tasting - Part 2
Earlier in June, we did a Thirsty Thursday beer tasting blog on summer beers. Well, we decided that just one blog on these light, crisp refreshing beers just wasn't enough, so we decided to do a "Part 2." When the weather starts to warm up (it hasn't dropped below 100 here in Tucson for weeks now, so we know this heat all too well), you spend your days dreaming about cold beer. Not just any cold beer - a golden colored beer with a light body, a little hop bite and a crisp, refreshing finish to help cool you down after a long day enduring the heat. What we like to call "summer beers." This past Thursday, we tasted a few fantastic summer beers to help get you through the heat.
Breckenridge Brewery Agave Wheat
Photo courtesy of Breckenridge Brewery
Aroma Sweet, biscuit malt with refreshing hints of citrus and herbal hops. Appearance A pale gold color with hazy clarity and fizzy, diminishing head. Flavor Delicious grainy, biscuit malts are offset with nice floral hops and clean yeast finish. Mouthfeel Medium body with light carbonation and a malty finish. Overall Tasting NotesLoved the nice dry finish, which is especially refreshing during the summer months. This is a great American-style wheat beer.
Maui Brewing Company Bikini Blonde Lager
Photo courtesy of Maui Brewing Company
Aroma Sweet malt aroma with floral and herbal hops. Appearance Pale color with a clear clarity and a lasting head. Flavor Sweet and grainy malt flavors with a hint of herbal and floral hops keep this a very balanced blonde lager. Mouthfeel Light to medium body with fairly high carbonation. Overall Tasting NotesThis is a very drinkable beer thanks to its balanced malt and hop flavor. The sweet grains and floral hops combined do push this beer a bit more to the sweeter side, so if you aren't a fan of sweet beers, be warned.
Rogue Cold Brew IPA
Photo Courtesy of Rogue Ales & Spirits
Aroma Caramel and roasted malt notes with earthy, piney and citrus hop notes. Nice coffee smell, but not too overpowering. Appearance Coppery red color with clear clarity and a diminishing head. Nice lacing. Flavor Strong roasted and grainy malt flavors with bitter, resinous hops and clean yeast finish. Strong flavors of coffee and vanilla followed by more subtle toffee and herbal notes from the hops. Mouthfeel Clean, crisp mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Overall Tasting NotesThis isn't a beer you would normally think of for summer, but cold brew coffee is always a good idea when the temperatures start to rise. You can definitely taste the coffee in this IPA, but it isn't too astringent, making it one of our favorite coffee beers to date.
Bell's Brewery Oarsman Ale
Photo Courtesy of Bell's Brewery
Aroma Biscuit and caramel malt notes with floral and leafy hops. Definite sour notes from the yeast. Appearance Pale in color with a clear clarity and quickly diminishing head. Flavor Biscuit and grainy malts. Leafy hops five a slight lemon/ zest flavor and a tart, sour finish. Mouthfeel Light body with high carbonation. Overall Tasting Notes This Berliner Weissbier uses an old German brewing technique to give this beer its tart flavor. If you are looking to get into sour beers, but don't know where to start, this is the perfect beer to get you going.
