Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Summer seasonals do not get the same cred that winter ales do or bocks in spring but maybe that will change with breweries like Institution Ales coming out with a boldly branded summer IPA.
“This year’s Summer Seasonal is a Cryo IPA packed full of Citra and Mosaic Cryo hops. Intense tropical and sweet fruit flavors dominate this crushable West Coast Style IPA.l
I will be reviewing the the under appreciated but always solid Unibroue from Quebec.
We start with the most recent seasonal, Lune de Miel, a summer specialty release that was sent to me to review by parent company Sapporo. The beer is a Belgian-style strong amber ale brewed with local Québec honey.
This new offering was “inspired by a tradition dating back almost 4,000 years. In Ancient Babylon, the father of the bride would provide his new son-in-law with an unlimited supply of mead during the first month of marriage, a period that came to be called the “honey month”. As Babylonians were using a lunar calendar, the honey month eventually became the “honey moon”.”
After popping the foiled cap off the elegant black and gold labeled bottle a really fragrant hefe meets potpourri nose comes rushing out. Strong beer here. Honey is here in force. Belgian esters as well. Not quite clove or banana but close. This beer is prickly in a good way. Almost like an Imperial hefe. I shouldn’t be surprised. Whenever I get their Trader Joe’s branded beers, they are top notch. This will probably show up in my year-end Best of 2017. Straightforward and superb.
Ever since getting the Great American Beer Festival media tour of their brewery, I have been impressed anew by New Belgium. And they have a new summer beer (Rolle Bolle) that I can’t pronounce but forthwith is my review….
Pours a light yellow with many, many bubbles flowing to the surface. Tiny white film graces the top of the glass. Aroma doesn’t reach out and grab you but gives you a gentle nudge in the Belgian yeast direction. The taste heads that way too but is mostly influenced by the soursop and the Monk fruit. The hop profile is next to nothing for me because the yeast and weird fruit are battling it out for supremacy. I get a citrus tea overall note. It works for me and I can see this as a nice summer sipper with a light salad.
Here is what the brewery says about Rolle Bolle, “A delightful summer ale for easy sipping and a classic Belgian yard game for easy enjoyment, Rolle Bolle is how we roll. Brewed with monk fruit and soursop, this beer pours a brilliant blonde, with a fluffy, white head. Earthy and tropical tones carry the aroma and the taste follows accordingly. Rolle Bolle’s hint of tartness is backed with the citrus bite of Cascade and Centennial hops. Oats add some creaminess to the mouthfeel, and it finishes dry and clean. Time to get in the yard, crack a bottle and start rolling.”