Smuttynose Summer Weizen
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Summer has kicked off its shoes and settled in across New England, and it looks as though it may stay a while. Most of today was in the upper 80’s and, even with the windows open and the fans blowing, it was certainly what the natives call “a Scorcha!” So it only seemed fitting that I fight off the heat with a summer ale from New England.
Smuttynose Brewing Company is just a short drive from me, in Portsmouth, NH. Their summer seasonal, called “Summer Weizen” is a wheat ale “brewed with chamomile flowers”.
The Smuttynose website describes the beer:
Light, tasty & full of character, our summer wheat ale is brewed with a combination of domestic and continental wheat and barley malts, lightly hopped & fermented with a Belgian wit yeast, resulting in a delightfully tangy & refreshing flavor. This beer is brewed for warm weather enjoyment.
Poured into a weizen glass, the Smuttynose Summer ranged in color from straw-yellow to honey-gold. The beer was capped by a huge, white foamy head that made me give thanks for proper glassware.
Summer Weizen’s aroma is a touch floral, mostly wheat malt but also lightly spicy and yeasty. It doesn’t go too far in any one direction — hits light and refreshing on the (smutty)nose.
Taste is malty and lemony-tangy with mildly bitter hops. There are hints of sweetness — some honey, maybe apricot — but the hops lend a dash of peppery bitterness that works to counter the sweetness and round out the bready malt.
Summer Weizen leans to the dry-side, with a tangy finish that lingers pleasantly. It’s a keeper. I can agree with the Smuttynose website, which suggests that you “bring some to your next picnic, barbeque or Frisbee game.”
The lady on the label looks pretty comfortable. I wonder how many Summer Weizens she had before jumping on that float?
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