Anchor Summer Beer Review

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. | Beer: Summer Beer
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 4.5% | IBUs: 15
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

First brewed in 1984, Anchor Summer Beer is not only one of the first summer seasonals, as Anchor points out, it's also the first American wheat beer in modern times. Truly, we have a proper American pioneer here. While summer wheat brews are standard fare today, this beer was cutting-edge stuff back in the day.

It's filtered, but there's still plenty of protein left for a big head that the brewery describe as "similar to meringue." The ingredient list calls for two-role pale malt and malted wheat (wheat making up over half of the malt bill) along with Golding and Glacier hops.

Here's how Anchor describe the finished product:

Crisp and cool as a San Francisco summer. The crisp, clean flavors of Anchor Summer Beer are refreshingly light, a thirst-quenching American-style filtered wheat beer.

Well, it's the dead of winter now, but let's think warm thoughts and time travel back to summer when this brew was fresh.

Appearance: A crystal-clear golden body capped by a mountain of densely packed white head that fades slowly and leaves nice, patchy lacing.

Aroma: Mild grassy hops over a pale, slightly sweet, and wheaty malt body with just a touch of honey.

Taste: A mix of weak lemony and grassy hops, golden fruit, and grainy malt. Just a little thin and not quite as interesting as the nose suggested. Apples and husky malt in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation and a clean finish.

Drinkability: An easy drinker if it holds your interest.

Verdict: Up to this point in my journey, the Anchor beers I’ve tried have always been incredibly solid and have held up remarkably given their age. Unfortunately, Anchor Summer Beer just doesn’t live up to the rest of the line for me in the flavor department. I can see this being the right beer for the market back when it was introduced, but today it just comes off as a little too thin and bland for my tastes.

Grade: C+

Note: While this review is being published in winter, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in summer.

Independence Freestlye Wheat Beer Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Freestyle Wheat Beer
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 4.7%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

Inspired by Texas summer days spent at their favorite swimming holes, Independence describe Freestyle as being similar to a "a Pilsner brewed as an ale." This is the brewery's lightest beer and they list it as an American Wheat Beer, noting they feel it could also justifiably be referred to as a Blonde Ale. Freestlye, indeed.

It's brewed with Horizon hops, Two-Row Pale, and American White Wheat malts, and American ale yeast. Independence describe the finished product as:

Crisp, light-bodied, and refreshing [with] dry flavor followed by a slightly sweet malt finish. Freestyle is the taste of summer in Texas.

Well, the temperature outside is certainly right for this beer, I just wish I had a swimming hole to enjoy it with.

Appearance: A somewhat hazy, golden-orange body with a nice, near white head. Great curtains of lace.

Aroma: Sharp citrus and some apple cider notes over a wheat base. Almost reminiscent of an apple pie at times.

Taste: A solid cereal-like wheat backbone is very much in charge here, and is heavy on the cereal-grain flavors. It reminds me of Weetabix, which is certainly not a bad thing. There's a little hop character towards the back, but this is certainty a wheat-forward beer. The aftertaste keeps the cereal flavors going.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation. It dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: You really can't fault it here, this is quite quaffable.

Verdict: A unique take on the American Pale Wheat Ale style, Freestyle is a likable beer for me. It has more of a spotlight on the wheat than most beers in this category, which offers up a nice change of pace that I appreciate. Still an easy and refreshing drink, this would be great on a Summer's day here in the Lone Star State.

Grade: B+

Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale Review

Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery | Beer: Somer Orange Honey Ale
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 5.2% | IBUs: 10
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

This review is a part of an article on summer seasonals as part of the monthly beer blogging project The Session.

Rogue is a Oregon-based brewery that's been producing great beer since way back in 1988, making them one of the oldest micro-breweries in the country. Best known for their Dead Guy Ale and awesome silk-screened 22 oz. (or bomber) bottles featuring the "Rogue" character, they've become one of the most ubiquitous and visible craft-brew brands around.

Somer Orange Honey Ale is a new addition to the Rogue lineup this year, though similar beers have been available at the brewery for a few years. Here's how Rogue describe Somer: "this unfiltered beer flavors of orange and honey with a nice medium-sweet malt character."

Northwest two-row and wheat malt varieties make up the body, while Crystal and Rogue Farms Willamette hops provide the bitterness. The rest of the ingredient list is a little more exotic, and includes chamomile, coriander, sweet orange peel, Oregon wildflower honey, and oats. This is shaping up to be quite the unique beer.

Appearance: A brilliantly hazy, golden-orange body capped by two fingers of off-white head that quickly fade into minimal lacing. It's worth noting that the last pour is far hazier than the first pour.

Aroma: Fruit, mild coriander, and mild bitterness over a wheat base; it's lacking just a little as far as intensity goes.

Taste: Golden fruit, citrus, and spicy hops on top of a pale malt and wheat backbone. I'm not picking up too much in the way of honey, but it's there if you go looking. The aftertaste is toasty and grainy with a hint of bitter citrus.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: As a summer seasonal, it's no surprise that this is refreshing and highly drinkable.

Verdict: Somer Orange Honey is a tasty and refreshing summer seasonal that works nicely on a hot day, though it would probably benefit from more citrus and honey. Ultimately, a little too plain to really capture my attention.

Grade: B

Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer Review

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Beer: Wheat Beer
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 4.4% IBUs: 27
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

With two new year-round releases from Sierra Nevada this year (Torpedo and Kellerweis), it came as no surprise that one of their existing beers was going to have to bow out in order to make room. And with the incoming Kellerweis also being a Wheat beer, the choice to discontinue the relatively poor selling Wheat Beer only made sense.

Having never actually tried Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer, I decided that I had to try it before it was too late when I heard it was getting the axe. While there wasn't much stock left on the shelves here in Houston, I was able to find a couple of six-packs to sample.

Sierra Nevada's lightest Ale in the lineup, Wheat Beer has been a popular Summer beer for the Chico faithful. The malt backbone is built from Two-Row Pale and Wheat varieties, Perle hops are utilized for bittering, and Spalt hops are used for finishing. Here's how Sierra Nevada described Wheat Beer:

Pale, smooth, and light-bodied, Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer is brewed from premium malted wheat and light barley malts, utilizing our traditional ale yeast. This unfiltered ale is finished with the characteristically spicy Strissel Spalt hops from the Alsace region of France.

Sounds like good stuff. Though it may be a bit of a moot point now, let's pop a cap and see what made Wheat Beer tick.

Appearance: The body is crystal-clear and pale straw in color. But the star of the show is a monstrous, luxuriant head that leaves awesome curtains of doily-like lace and endures until the bottom of the glass. Beautiful.

Aroma: A pale wheat base with decent hops and some hints of citrus. It's pretty thin overall.

Taste: It's much the same story in the flavor profile. A pale, somewhat bready wheat body with a nice citrus kick and decently bitter hops. Quite mellow, but much more intense than the nose.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with average carbonation. Just short of dry in the finish.

Drinkability: Absolutely top-notch; perfect for grilling on summer's day.

Verdict: Sierra Nevada is a solid, tasty Wheat beer, and I'm sad to see it go. Sure, it may not be the most exciting beer in the lineup, but it will be missed. Godspeed.

Grade: B+

Note: While this review is being published in June, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh this past April.