photo courtesy of thebarleyblog.com
At the end of the summer, I found myself at the Jersey Shore with my wife’s family. Now I’m not saying that they drive me to drink but I did walk about half a mile with severe sciatic pain to find a liquor store and pick up a bottle of Jameson and a couple of summer beers. One of those beers was the Newcastle Summer Ale. Now, I am a fan of their Brown Ale. It may not be one of the best on the market but you can count on the consistency and it is carried in a number of establishments. So, having a fond memory of the Newcastle Brown Ale, I picked up the Summer Ale. Newcastle had a long and somewhat storied history that culminated in its acquisition by Heineken in 2008. Brewing takes place at the John Smith’s Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
Here is what Newcastle site has to say about this beer:
Don’t let its light, golden-yellow color fool you. Our Summer Ale packs a secret punch that’s just as bold as it is refreshing. It’s crisp with a touch of caramel, medium sweet in the middle, with a deliciously dry, hoppy finish that’s just the thing for a warm summer’s day. Or any time you’re feeling summery, really.
I found this beer to be…
- Appearance: Amber with minimal foam and good lacing.
- Aroma: Hops, malt, maybe a bit of coriander and some citrus.
- Taste: Crisp, almost sharp with a short flavor profile and a hoppy tang at the finish. Not a lot of carbonation and somewhat of a thin mouthfeel.
- ABV: 4.4%
This was not a spectacular beer, but as summer beers go, I found it to be a refreshing beer. It certainly beat back the heat from the sun and the spray from the ocean. I found it to be better than the average ”lawnmower beer”, and maybe even ”summer session” worthy.