Beers We Had This Summer-Keenley's Picks

Summertime, where the living is easy. We are so glad there are beers out there that help you celebrate and enjoy it. Oddly enough some of these are surely known as summer beers but some are launched very early in the year and therefore seem to blend in a little with spring too.

We are going to talk about those beers we tried, and in true beer advocate methods, talk about those that we drank a whole beer (not just a sample) and not when drinking a million at once.

These are ranked in terms of what we considered our favorites this summer, from least to most. There will be a few not mentioned, because they will be 11 etc.

Keenleys Summer Beers:

10. Newcastle Summer Ale

As a big fan of the Newcastle Brown Ale I was looking forward to this one but it was not what I was expecting: Fruity, a little hops, but overall kind of a weak one. I actually placed it higher than Sam Adams or Summer Shandy, because those are a little tiring and, as it turns out, I never actually drank either of them this summer, to be honest.



 
9. Anchor Summer Beer
My travels to San Francisco when I was a bit younger introduced me to the immortal Steam Beer and has been a favorite ever since. As I tasted more Anchors, some I liked (Liberty Ale, Breckles Brown) and others were so-so (Humming). I feel this one will go in the latter category. It was light, which is not surprising, but the wheat it is made of introduces a lot of interesting flavors that I wasn't expecting. They state also that it is the first American Wheat introduced by a brewer (1984).

                        

8. Anderson Valley Summer Solstice

Kind of a fun idea, taking on the solstice. I have liked liked the other offerings by these guys so I was a little surprised when the flavor knocked me around a little. It was cream soda! Not the first time I have encountered that in a micro-brew but it is still surprising when it happens. And if looks are deceiving to you they were for me here. An orange can I expected fruitiness. Not so.

  
7. Founders All Day IPA
I like the title, I like the lowered alcohol content (4.7%) and I like the label with the canoe, reminds me of Michigan or Wisco. But the beer? Not so sure. It is a little further down on my list, I admit, but this thing has changed in flavor in the couple times that I have had it that I am having trouble nailing it down completely. See here.






                                             
6. Ebel's Weiss
I know, I don't usually include Weiss beers in here because I drink them year round, but everyone else seems to and I can't possibly do a review list without a Two Brothers offering. Crisp and wheaty, but in a solid Weiss beer style that has been good forever and does not change much. I am OK with that, to be honest. But, still not as fresh and fun as the other Weiss beer on this list, down at 2.

      5. Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold       

            This was recently introduced to me by Mark in New York, who  finds this to be his favorite of all the GL selections. I thought so   too, and also realized I only see it in the summer. This is appropriate for  other breweries too, like Two Brothers with their Dog Days Lager.  Maybe brewing a lager is good for the summer but too much for the rest of the year 

for a mainly ale brewing place like Great Lakes?

This is a good one, good body, clean, refreshing tasty. Worthy of more than just summer as far as I can see.

4. Goose Island Summertime

 A Kolsch, so its an automatic summer enjoyer. It has been good 

 for a long time, happy that it comes in the GI variety pack so I can 

retry it year after year. The colors of the label are not my absolute 

favorite, but pour it into a glass and voila! I would like to see more 

Kolschs out there but you can get a funky one from time to time, 

like I did in Virginia at the Blue Mountain Brewery. Too spicy it was. 

This one, a good and refreshing one instead.

                                      

3. Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Sierra Nevada rarely disappoints, and neither did this one. It is a lager, after all, which you don't see too much of, but the unusual orange color and bold flavors make you thirsty for more. I don't know if it is due to its popularity or just its limited production but this doesn't sit on the shelf too long. Makes me think maybe they should consider a lager as a regular (not only seasonal) offering.










2. Lakefront Wisconsinite
Another Weiss-bier, and really good for an American Brewer. They just don't seem to concentrate on Weiss beers herein the US, instead going with wheaten malt only and making it light and fresh.
This was a recent creation by Lakefront in Milwaukee, and introduces us to providing all the ingredients as home-grown in Wisconsin. Way to go. It shows in the look, smell and taste. Thanks Lakefront, you are now tied with New Glarus as my favorite Wisconsin brewery.
 Get some today before they run out-can only find them at Woodman's in Kenosha.


And Last but certainly not Least...



1. Bell's Oberon

What's there to say that hasn't already been said, even by me here. Clean, a favorite for a long time, in bottles and little keg, you cant go wrong with Oberon, and summer just wouldn't be enjoyable without it.

It is an ale, that is describes as Sunshine in a Bottle. orange in color and smooth and balanced, it is the model of a good summer brew. 

 
There are few wheat beers that are this fun to drink, outside of Weiss beers and this is the king of them all. Thanks to expanded seasons, we are enjoying it more and more each year, as early as this post.

                                           

Craft Beer Monday Review: Phinn and Matt's Extraordinary Ale

American Pale Ale is the description given to Southern Tier's Phinn and Matt's Extraordinary Ale, but it is rather more refreshing a beer than the APA's with an extra edge of bitterness I have normally found in beers of this type. I think it is good, because while "it is what it is", there is not much you can do about its style, just make it more mellow or more sharp (SNPA and  Daisy Cutter are APA's and refreshing but quite different than this one, although it is called the same thing).

This one is a golden amber beer and is full of flavor and brightness too. There is a little bit of fruitiness, which I think is what makes the difference here. They make mention of this, too, when they describe their beer:

We use crystal clean filtered water, whole hops, and the choicest malted barley create this American-style pale ale, which we are pleased to call Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale. The character of an American Pale Ale varies from region to region and is dependent upon the ingredients used. In ours, you can expect harmony between malt and hops without dominating tastes of sweet or bitter. A classic tribute to the ingredients of our nation, for a pale ale we are proud to call our own.

CBC Rating 4. Drank from a variety pack including IPA and 422. Poured into a pint glass.