It’s been a long hot summer, perfect for sitting on the patio to enjoy a cold one. So that is exactly what we did. One hot afternoon in August we met on the patio at Brew Revolution to sample a flight of summer beer.
First up was Luck be a Lager, BR’s signature lager. In the glass, this beer is ultra-transparent with a colour described as “ghost-strewn yellow” … whatever that is. The nose shows a very slight earthiness and just a hint of corn straw. The taste is light and refreshing with a slight bitter aftertaste, making it perfect for a hot August afternoon. This is a very more-ish beer, and at 4.5% you can afford to have several more.
John’s take: Oh yeah! (with a smile)
Next up was Live Session vol 2. This beer is brewed with Amarillo, Cascade and Simcoe hops, but not in the boil – just in the whirlpool and dry hopping – giving it very low bitterness and a citrus fruit character. In the glass this beer has a hazy straw appearance, with distinct notes of Pink Grapefruit on the nose. The taste shows a very light bitterness with the pink grapefruit flesh coming through again. The aftertaste has the tiniest hint of grapefruit rind mouthfeel.
John’s take: Summer on the patio.
The third beer was O.P.P. (Orange Pekoe Pale Ale with Lemon), brewed with …wait for it… Orange Pekoe tea and lemon (rind and juice). The colour is pale yellow, with a very light haze. The nose reminds you of tea with a slice of lemon. The taste is very clean and refreshing. There is hardly any aftertaste on the tongue and front of the mouth, and just a hint of bitterness in the back and top of the mouth. This beer leaves you feeling refreshed and ready for more.
John’s take: Ready for an adventure!
We finished the flight with Rhubarbara Anne, a refreshing pale ale brewed with real strawberries and rhubarb. This beer was very hazy and darker than the others with a colour reminiscent of peach flesh. Cooked strawberries were readily apparent on the nose and also in the taste, with a pleasant bitterness from the rhubarb lingering in the aftertaste. This beer showed wonderful balance, with a long lingering aftertaste that stayed true as it (very slowly) faded.
John’s take: I can’t taste the beer … but if you told me it was juice, I’d love it.