Alaskan Summer Ale - Alaskan Brewing Co.

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.14/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into a Hinterland stange.
5.3% ABV,m 70913 on label.

A - Two fingers of rich, foamy white head rise up from a moderate pour but then lower to a thick pile with no lace rather quickly. The beer is a clear and well-carbonated deep golden color and leaves plenty of lace clinging to the glass.

S - The light aroma is crisp with a faint grainy smell and dry straw that merges with a pale malty, light floral hoppy nose. A tiny touch of white grape sweetens up the finish of this hybrid-style beer.

T - Smooth pale malts still have that touch of graininess up front that quickly changes to a fuller bready flavor with a decent helping of light noble hops which impart some floral characteristics mid-sip. Delicate notes of white grape and red apple trail off on the finish of this beer.

M - Crisp and refreshing, Alaskan Summer is a good summer beer with a smooth entry, a light carbonation tickle and a fairly dry finish. The body is a little bigger than normal for a Kölsch but it still drinks nicely.

O - Alaskan Summer is a very drinkable beer but it's body is a little more rich for a Kölsch than I'd like, only hindering it's inherent crispness. The simplistic bready malt and undertones of fruit work very well though.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:27:04 | More by BeerFMAndy

bmwats

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a stange.

A: Medium golden hue. Quickly and continually rising effervescence. Pours a half finger, bubbly, white head. Settles quickly. Very slight spotty lacing, mostly quickly retreats into the body of the brew.

S: Hay with some light floral notes.

T: Grassy, with a little lemon citrus, and just a light bitterness.

M: Light and crisp. A bit of a brassy feeling aftertaste, and a lingering sweetness.

D: Goes down easy.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Decent hue, with a slight head, and no real lacing. Nose is earthy grain and flora. Flavor is a light combination of grass, citrus, and a bit of a brassy finish. Overall, this is a good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 04:57:41 | More by bmwats

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Medium gold. Eggshell head settles thin. No lacings.

Sweet grain on the nose with a nice bit of fresh grass seed.

All about the grain, as you'd expect with a kolsch. Touch of unpleasant diacetyl, I'll put that down to less than optimal freshness. Fairly sweet malt with floral hops. Finish is pretty clean.

The style can be unforgiving, and I think I may be drinking this a bit too late. That said, I think I can get enough from it to know that it would be decent fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 00:28:46 | More by CanuckRover

budgood1

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours out a slightly hazed pale straw gold colour with a thin fine egg shell white head reducing quickly to some sparse lace. crackery malt aroma...slightly sweet with lemon zest hints. taste profile lays down a fairly sturdy sour dough bread malt foundation with citric overtones and a meekly spicy and bitter noble hop bite. the overall body of this kolsch style ale is meatier than what i was expecting, with a full, chewy mouthfeel. drinkability is fine...easy to quaff on a warm, late summer afternoon.

overall, this seasonal offering from Alaskan is a decent, drinkable and fairly tasty take on a delicate style. i am not overly fond of the style, even in the hottest of weather, but this wasn't bad. it can quench a thirst to be sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 21:51:35 | More by budgood1

vickersspitfire

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear, mild head thin layer of random bubbles good lacing and good carbonation.
Malts, barley, but not much else.
Crisp and refreshing, it has a mild coriander flavor and a mild alcohol aftertaste very mild hops over all. Not bad beer for the style. The flavor does get better as it warms slightly. Some citrus fruits start to come out along with some grains.
It has a light mouth-feel and is pretty relaxing to drink!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 04:13:29 | More by vickersspitfire

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. Printed on the label is, I assume, the “best by” date: “101112.”

Appearance: Poured into a 400 ml stange. The color is medium gold. Two fingers of light, off-white head dissipated to leave a skim of lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Lots of grain and fruit — apricot, strawberry, granny apple. It also has a sweet floral hop aroma, too. Honestly, it does smell a lot like summer.

Taste: My first sip made me think of a boat. I have no clue why. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. The flavor is subtle but tasty and mostly mirrors the smell: grain, floral hops, fruits.

Drinkability: Light, tasty, and easy drinking. This is a summer beer I wish could buy locally.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:44:54 | More by TheQuietMan22

depechemode1983

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear, dark gold in color. A stream of bubble can be seen coming up from the center of the glass. The head is white and disappeared a little to quickly. The beauty is in the color.

S - Excellent nose. Its sweet with lots of fruit and a soft floral notes. I'm getting apricots, green apple, white grapes and a nice wheat backbone. The aroma is very assertive and all the characters stand out nicely.

T - The taste is of dry wheat and fruit. Again green apple comes in to play, along soft lemon zest. The finish is slightly bitter and lingering.

M - The mouth feel is excellent. Medium bodied, crisp, clean, and with refreshing carbonation. Perfect for a hot day. Alaskan Summer is the perfect name.

O - Just a straight out enjoyable beer. Looks good. Smells amazing. Taste great, and feels wonderful. I recommend this one if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 19:23:20 | More by depechemode1983

kojevergas

California

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average.

Served refrigerator cold. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with a fruit tart.

A: Pours a four finger beige colour head of fair cream and thickness, and good retention. Colour is a clear pale copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Fresh floral hops, orange rind, clean malts, and lemon peel. An average strength aroma.

T: Orange rind, clean malts, floral hops, some lemon, and wheat-esque grain. A pleasant crisp taste, but it lacks complexity and subtlety. Nicely balanced. I like it.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Too light and thin, weakening the impact of the bright flavours. Adequate carbonation.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but far from Alaskan's best beer. I like it more out of the bottle than on-draught. There are better Kolschen available.

C+

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 04:59:29 | More by kojevergas

mjurney

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
Golden color. A little carbonation rising. Small head.

Aroma:
Very clean and crisp. Fresh cut hay, slight fruity.

Taste:
Sweetness up front. Sweet grain, grassy, bisucity, slight fruity. Semi-dry finish.

Body:
Very clean and crisp. Light bodied. Well carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:22:07 | More by mjurney

DoubleJ

California

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Venice Ale House. I'm surprised that I never had this before, so here it goes:

A typical kolsch styled beer. It's pale gold, with solid head and okay retention on top. A bit fruity with ceral grains in the nose. Similar in taste as well, with more cereal grains than the fruitiness. Light and crisp, easy to drink, non offensive....sure, let's drink one this summer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2012 03:10:34 | More by DoubleJ

Ilafan

Minnesota

2.55/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This disappointed me. The label is awesome, but the beer is pretty average. It was quite light when poured with no lacing, no head, and virtually no fizz. The smell was non-existent. The taste was very rich but pretty sour for my taste. Not something I would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 21:14:20 | More by Ilafan

jbphoto88

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A lackluster head on top of a very pretty beer. The spit foam island really allows you to peer into the golden yellow brew and enjoy the clarity.

The nose hints at spring and summer flavors with lightly toasted grains and a lemon rind zing. There is also touches of white fruits reminiscent of grapes and peaches. Solid.

Taste is anything but boring. The grain flavors are rich with a kind sweetness. The lemony peppered nose yields a much more subdued flavor but still present.

Mouthfeel is crisp and clean from start to finish which I find delightful. Medium carbonation and a slightly light body round this out to a damn fine beverage. Alaskan Brewing Co. produces some mighty fine suds. This is a great session beer and one I would drink over and over again.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 23:09:51 | More by jbphoto88

NODAK

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smell was unfortunately initially somewhat skunky but eventually opened up to suggest grassy and citrus notes were present.

Taste is a bit crisp up front and refreshing...has a lemon quality to it with an undercurrent of grassiness there certainly as well. It also has an unmistakable sweetness to it also. Finishes a little grainy and with a certain honey sweetness with a small bitterness.

Pretty refreshing beer for the summer months, though it's a little sweeter than one may expect for the style. Still, it went down really easy and I could see myself grabbing it on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:38:54 | More by NODAK

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with a best by date of 082112. Pours a lightly hazed gold color with a fluffy white head. Nice retention and not much lacing.

Nose is biscuity and grainy with a floral, fruity yeast. Pretty classic kolsch aroma...maybe a little sweeter, heavier malt than most I have had from Germany.

Decently bold for the style, the yeast and hops are an interesting combination of fruity bitterness. Its not quite as crips and clean as Id like it to be, though and I suppose I am a bit spoiled as Lawnmower is one of my favorite American interpretations of the style. Still though, a pretty tasty ale and its always a good thing when my beer is gone before I can even finish the review!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 19:54:21 | More by twiggamortis420

pgfault

Texas

1.68/5  rDev -53.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured into std pint glass with little head, although it maintained carbonation throughout. I've had a couple other Kolsch style beers recently and the Alaskan comes up considerably weaker than the others. The distinctive Kolsch flavor is only slightly present in Alaskan, making this taste more like an American lager than a true Kolsch. This will be my only 6 for the summer. Hopefully they can bring up the Kolsch flavor next year.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:19:52 | More by pgfault

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Served chilled.

A) This is a clean golden fleece. There was not much head, maybe a half a finger of white froth. Minimal retention, and no lacing noted.

S) Wet grains, light lemon zest, grass, and some decent malt sweetness to round it out.

T) I found the flavors to be in harmony. Nice malt/hops balance. This had a little cornbread sweetness, along with a little bitterness, that left a grassy taste. There was also some fruit here, and I think it was pear or apple.

M) Medium body and well carbonated. No rough edges on this one. Quite smooth and very refreshing. Clean aftertaste.

O) Nice summer offering right here. If you are looking to add something new to the summer rotation, or just knock a few back on the porch or patio, these will go down with ease.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 03:28:17 | More by RoamingGnome

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a clear golden color with a white head. The aroma is full of wheat with some grain and a hint of grape vine. The flavor is similar, with some nice wine-like notes mixed in with some yeast, wheat and white pepper. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A nice kolsch, glad Alaskan is now available in Texas.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 05:16:20 | More by Mora2000

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from session notes.

Pours out a very translucent medium golden straw color with only a light foam collar for a head, no lacing. Medium-light aroma and flavor of pale malt, some light generic fruit esters, mostly grassy hopping used as accent marks and proper punctuation for the light malting / breaded character. Very pleasing and refreshingly light mouthfeel which is appropriate to the style. Aside from a lackluster head, this is one of the better Kolsches I've had to date, so I recommend giving it a shot if you enjoy the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 22:00:56 | More by WastingFreetime

diamondc

Texas

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$1.99 for a 12 oz bottle. Best by 07/31/12

A: Clear, golden hue. Not much head, but whats there lingers for a while. Some patchy lacing, too.

S: Apples, brown sugar, caramel, fresh bread aromas. A nice surprise.

T: Lite lemon, grass, wheat bread, a tinge of sweet corn, with a mild spicy bitterness.

M: Well carbonated, very quaffable. No big flavors, but not boring at all.

O: A great summer beer. Tasty & refreshing. Will probably pick up a six pack next time at store.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:13:56 | More by diamondc

lnashsig

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

another Summer beer for today, #BOTG 47!

Poured from bottle into brooklyn tulip. Pours a crystal clear yellow/orange color. Barely any head at all, kind of surprising. Smell- apple sauce, peach. lots of sweet malt character. Taste- apple juice. Hmm. carbonated apple juice. Barely any hop presence, and not much depth at all. This isn't great. Don't see coming back to it, and god dammit- I bought a whole six pack. It also isn't too carbonated. Overall, not pleased.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 02:08:42 | More by lnashsig

xybreeder

Louisiana

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful golden/yellow color, crystal clear, small to no head, no lacing
S - Sweet malt, buttery (diacetyl?), slight bubble gum aroma, nice & pleasant, little to no hop aroma.
T - Sweet/creamy flavor, buttery, no bitterness, biscuity, clean finish.
M - Light bodied, carbonation a little low but not problematic, smooth and clean finish.
O - A very good brew, very clean, lots of flavor for something with not a lot of malt/hops, delicious!!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 23:54:48 | More by xybreeder

joecalderoni

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A very golden nice color, almost no head! Very clear!

S: slight fruityness some pilsner malt at the back of the nose with some dms! A bit of diacetyl!

T: nice fruityness with a nice malty balance! The kölsch yeast wants to come to show itself but itlacks presence!

M: medium body, low carbonation!

O: an OK beer! I had much better kölsch beer at rock bottom chicago! I dont recomend it! Sorry but a bit dissapointed knowing That it comes from a amazing brewery!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 03:45:24 | More by joecalderoni

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a finger of white head. Color is a clear gold.

Aroma: Clean and grassy. Bready malts. Some light citrus. Maybe a hint of biscuit flavors.

Taste: Mimics the nose, but more bready and a little more hoppy/zesty.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean. Light bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends a little dry.

Overall, a very easy drinking beer. Not to much here, but that's what makes this style awesome. Great for a summer day. It would be easy to kick a few of these back.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 01:08:32 | More by mothman

TexIndy

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best by 7/31/12 code on the front label. It was clear, pale yellow color with slight carb streams. It had a thin head that quickly dissipated into a thin collar. Light, quick sliding lace.

The aroma was biscuity with light fruit. Pretty typical for the style but the style isn't known for strong aromas. The taste follows the aroma with a biscuity start with the fruit kicking in shortly thereafter. Also a slight vegetable taste. Good for the style. Mouthfeel was light with good carbonation but a slightly watery aftertaste.

Overall, a good kolsch that will go down nicely on a hot Texas summer day. Glad to finally see Alaskan here in Texas. Rotation - the rare six pack in the summer especially if sharing with the non-craft beer neighbors. [O;Y]

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 01:23:56 | More by TexIndy

emerge077

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Orange gold color, already a little odd for a Kölsch. Thin cap of white foam, about a fingers width, that settles quickly. Still glassy surface with minimal lace and a thin strand of foam at its edges.

Sweet aroma, slight bubblegum and shortbread.

Flavors are similarly sweet, some orange and sugar cookie notes, pale malt and light banana ester from the yeast. A bit watery and thin bodied, and lightly astringent. Not really something i'd revisit with better local options available (Krankshaft, Summertime).

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 02:42:24 | More by emerge077