Summer Ale (Samuel Adams)

Samuel Adams is not generally my favorite beer. It's a good alternative if nothing else is on tap, but I generally feel that it lacks the complexity of some of my favorite beers. They make some drinkable brews. I had this American Wheat on tap as part of the Old Chicago Craft Beer Tour.

General Thoughts
Look and Smell: This straw-colored beer was a bit cloudy. It had a light head. I smelled some citrus to it.

Taste: It was light, but had a creaminess to it. I could taste some grain, wheat. Sure enough, reading the full description of it now, I find that it's an American Wheat, so I win the grain challenge! Not a lot to it though. I would take it if it were given to me, but I wouldn't order it on my own.

From the Samuel Adams site:
Bright and citrusy, brewed with Grains of Paradise.
Samuel Adams® Summer Ale is an American wheat ale. This summer seasonal uses malted wheat, lemon peel and Grains of Paradise, a rare pepper from Africa first used as a brewing spice in the 13th century, to create a crisp taste, spicy flavor and medium body. The ale fermentation imparts a background tropical fruit note reminiscent of mangos and peaches.  All of these flavors come together to create a thirst quenching, clean finishing beer perfect for those warm summer days.



***I'm not sure about all this fruit talk...or even spice....***