Alaskan Summer Ale - Alaskan Brewing Co.

morimech

Minnesota

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

Clear, bright yellow color with one finger of head that had good retention. The head settles to a very thin cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left on the glass. Aroma consists of some bicuity malt and slight fruity esters. Not getting much from the hops. The flavor is a little more fruity which comes as a suprise in a Kolsch. Malt is semi-dry and bready. What is not surpising is the light body and lively carbonation. This is an easy drinking beer that compliments hot summer days. Not the best Kolsch I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 22:01:51 | More by morimech

hardy008

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear gold color with a 3 finger bright white head. Good retention and spotty lacing. The aroma has grapes, spices, and grains.

The taste is just like the aroma. Grapes, spices, and grain. There is a nice, light sweetness. Somewhat vinous.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation, soft mouthfeel, very easy to drink. I could easily drink several of these in one evening. Welcome to Minnesota, Alaskan Brewing Company!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 02:35:08 | More by hardy008

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

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

Alaskan Summer Kolsh-Style Ale pours a clear golden hue from the 12 ounce bottle. A cap of white foam followed the beer down, leaving lacy traces down the glass. The aroma is light, as expected for the style, with pale malt contributing the most. The flavors are pale malt with a little sweetness underlying it. Very little bite at the end, par for the style. This is a fine summer ale, refreshing after a day in the sun.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 23:09:53 | More by BeardedBoffin

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Sun yellow body. Clarity is good. Carbonation looks to be moderately high as many tiny bubbles surface at a nice clip. Nice and fresh boquet of light biscuity malts and floral hops. Feel is crisp and refreshing. Light bready malt base with hay and lemon sprinkled on top. Hops provide a very slight dryness to the beer. Fairly decent Kolsch. It's hard to pack a lot of flavor into a Kolsch, but I have had some that were pretty outstanding. This is not that, but yet a good summer quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 03:00:01 | More by Bighuge

bsp77

Minnesota

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

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into unique Summit glass, which is the closest I have to a Stange. Bottled on 72nd day of 2011 (March 13).

Appearance: Clear gold with initial white head but quickly subsides.

Smell: Dry citrus, cherry and apple. Very light hay aroma as well. Simply too light overall.

Taste: Very light taste as well. Grainy malts with apple and hay. Not much hops; just a light hop spiciness.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, medium body, semi-dry finish.

Overall: Overly simplified (and de-hopped) version of a Kolsch. Refreshing and easy to drink, but not enough there to truly desire buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 02:19:53 | More by bsp77

gatornation

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

from 12 oz bottle

A- pours a slight hazed golden yellow head with a very fast receding head slight lacing

S-bready malts ,citrus,some spice,a touch of hops

T- was baked bread malts with some citrus hops,a touch of fruit and spice..i liked the hop profile with the malts..it was tasty

M- was a medium carbonation somewhat crisp with a good balance of hops and malts

O- nothing outstanding here but a decent light easy drinking brew good for the summer and will drink some more singles of this

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 21:49:46 | More by gatornation

KarlHungus

Minnesota

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

This beer pours a clear golden color. The head is a half inch in height, and recedes quickly into sparse lacing. The aroma is of spicy noble hops, bready malt, and a hint of metal. This is a very pleasing aroma. The taste is a little maltier than the aroma with the spiciness only showing in the back ground. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium bodied with lively carbonation. Overall, this is a good that I will surely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 19:01:54 | More by KarlHungus

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a balloon New Belgium glass from a 12-ounce twist-off bottle.

A: Pours a crystal clear golden color with a thin white head that settles to a decent lace on the edge. Carbonation is quite lively.

S: Biscuity malt profile up front, with a hint of honey, along with a grassy, fruity hop aroma.

T: Very clean taste. Malt lends hints of cracker and some honey, along with some fruity esters. The finish is quite dry and refreshing, with some grassy, bitter hop notes.

Notes: Light and crisp, Alaskan Summer Ale is a good interpretation of the Kölsch style. There's not alot to it, but it's still a decent session beer for the season.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 04:16:46 | More by WYVYRN527

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

Another in a series I am working my way through this weekend. I went for the lighter fare right after dinner. Served cold and poured into a pint glass.

The pour was yellow straw colored with a good amount of carbonation rippling throughout into a big fizzy white head that settled dwon to leave a bare top after a few moments. Light wet hay in the aroma, hints of banana and maybe clove? Clean crisp flavor here with a very light body and a clean and very quick finish, leaving almost no flavor behind as it moves past the tongue.

Overall this is not bad at all, but put in the category of a Kolsch and I have had much, much better. Still I would go for it in a pinch.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 15:08:39 | More by mikesgroove

humuluslupulus8

Arizona

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer was a transparent golden-yellow color. There was a medium-thick white head on top.

S: The beer smelled sweet from the malts and piny from the hops; nothing too exciting in this category.

T: The taste was fairly balanced overall between the sweet malt and bitter hops; neither side of the balance was strong though. Also, the hop bitterness did not linger too long, yet I wouldn't exactly describe the beer as crisp.

M: There was plenty of carbonation that made the beer feel thin. The mouthfeel wasn't bad or great to me.

O: Overall, the beer was easy to drink but was boring. It seems this summer ale was designed to be palatable to a wide spectrum of beer drinkers. The beer was balanced well, but there weren't any specific characteristics that made me look forward to drinking the rest of the sixer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 01:22:56 | More by humuluslupulus8

JeffBob

California

3.2/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear yellow into glass from bottle with about 1 inch of foam.

S Pine with a bit of hops to it

T light crisp and clean, with a finish of slight hops fading into some semi sweet floral yeast notes.

M goes down smooth a clean

O Not my style of beer but all and all good. I may drink this later on in the year when the days are 105 F and the nights are 95 F
the name says it all a great light beer for hot days and nights.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 23:48:57 | More by JeffBob

Tone

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, golden color. 1/5 inch head of a white color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of sweet malt, pale malt, hint of hop, and a hint of yeast. Fits the style of a Kolsch. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, pale malt, hint of yeast, hint of citrus, and a hint of grain. Overall, decent blend and body.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2011 13:54:55 | More by Tone

madvermin

California

3.08/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a very thin and glassy light straw yellow, with an appearance not unlike filtered apple juice. Lots of effervescence and only slight retention of head. Leaves no lace and bubbling is oddly uniform and hypnotic.

Grassy and grainy on the nose at first, only the slightest bit of citrus is evident. Weakly aromatic in general. Some faint sugars, like candy canes and the like, make their way through as the beer warms.

Those sugars are more pronounced in the taste. Quite sweet at the start, with grassy character only coming through at the end. This is quite malty for being such a light beer, and the graininess isn't even that big of a factor in it. I'd like more hops and citrus to balance it out, but it's not bad as it is. Needs more bitterness for sure though.

Mouthfeel is quite smooth and crisp, but is warmer and more full than I expected. It's never watery which is a good thing. Drinkability is ok, but could have definitely used some bitterness to the finish. As it is, it is solid, but unspectacular.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 08:04:38 | More by madvermin

SamN

Colorado

2.58/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a regular tumbler pint glass.

Looks perfectly average; slightly better color than a basic adjunct lager, a little darker and golden hued. Weak, thin head that doesn't last. Very lively beer, lots of bubbles. Smell is that classic kölsch odor; like tart dust is the best way I can describe it. Smell is dry and musty. To say there is some fruit in there might be a stretch, but I think I detect some grape and lime aromas, actually. Not a whole lot of malt smells, but I don't detect much in the way of adjuncts. I can't tell what exactly gives kölsch that specific aroma, perhaps the type of hops used? Can't tell. Either way, I don't like that smell very much. I've smelled worst, but still, it doesn't do it for me. Taste is of a slight caramel sweetness, then the delicate hops tinniness of the style takes over and ruins it all for me. Reminds me of lime rinds or mint leaves, a weird sweet, tart and musty taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 01:45:46 | More by SamN

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Stange.

Look - Golden in color, clear, with about half a fingers worth of foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell - a bit sweet and malty-smelling. Maybe a slight touch of the hops.

Taste and Mouthfeel - hoppy in flavor, but not bitter at all. A bit sweet at the beginning and then in the middle and finish more dry and musky-tasting. Texture is pretty light and leans a little more toward wateriness.

Overall - not a bad brew, and maybe not a bad American version of the style. Hop flavor could be more distinct.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 03:37:31 | More by Nerudamann

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.1/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

One of Alaska's more mundane offerings, which I guess is to style. Clear, faint yellow appearance. Dusty aroma.

Taste, lots of carbonation, minimal hop presence. Interesting aftertaste, slightly metallic and earthy at the same time. Very easy to drink. A good hot weather girlfriend beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 00:25:29 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Chyren

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pour: non existent head leaves a slight ring of foam. Light golden, clear, bubbly, a rather attractive beer.

Smell: the scent is somewhat grassy and astringent, sweet too.

Taste: a clean sort of dry grass flavor, grainy, crisp and lightly sweet. It's got more to it, something of a tang that I can't quite put my finger on.

Feel and drinkability: this brew is somehow full and light but not weak. It is creamy with none of that annoying over-carbonated sense that similar beers sometimes have. It's called Summer for a reason and one could easily spend an entire summer afternoon at the lake throwing back pints of this tasty libation.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 23:45:07 | More by Chyren

u2carew

Massachusetts

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

12oz stubby.
A) Pours with a two finger white head that slowly settles. Clear body, gold in color. Lacing is thin and semi-sticky.
S) Malty aroma - tones of caramel and red apple.
T) Grainy. Sweetness is a bit sugary but has a caramel flavor. Overall taste is not strong, thins out halfway through. A noticeable hop bitterness in the finish.
M) Fizzy. Light body. Fairly smooth. Dry in the finish.
D) A decent brew. Seems true to style. I'd have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 21:56:29 | More by u2carew

MaltsOfGlory

Oregon

2.75/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I don't know what my problem was with this beer, maybe it was the style, or maybe it was the brewery, but it just wasn't working for me. If I had to put my finger on one thing I didn't like about it, I would have to say that the malt flavor just grossed me out, it was too sweet and really just gross. For a summer beer I don't want something that malty, and if it is malty, at least make it a good malt flavor. There really wasn't much of a hop flavor either, which would have helped I'm sure. No head whatsoever, no lacing. And since I didn't like the flavor, it was hard to drink, hard to finish too. I mean it wasn't god awful, it wasn't the worst beer I've ever had, so I can't grade it too low, it just really wasn't my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 15:10:08 | More by MaltsOfGlory

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Pale golden hazy pour, with bright white head forming fine speckled lacing. Aroma clean mild fruitiness with a biscuit pale malt breadiness, a touch of herbal hops and mineral water. Flavor has a balanced blend of light herbal hops pale biscuit flavored hops, mild fruitiness from the ale yeast. Again the mineral water mild metallic tone in the finish works and really cleanses the palate between sips. Mouthfeel is light bodied, sturdy carbonation. Perfect for summer time refreshment this one held up quite nicely this late into the fall. Drinkability solid drinking well this Indian Summer, a nice version of a Kolsch definitely blends nicely with the rest of Alaskan brewing's lineup.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 15:34:45 | More by WVbeergeek

gkunkle

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden straw color, head quickly dissipates. Smells of wheat, a little fruity and a little bit of hops. Tastes a little of dough, wheat and citrus. Has a medium body, with average carbonation. Overall, its an enjoyable summer beer, Its my first Kolsch, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was good.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 16:52:09 | More by gkunkle

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light, thin straw color with he tiniest bit of an orange hue. Thin head and negligible lacig as it goes down. Nose is pretty light with wheat but brigs forward some fruity elements. I get a bit of lemon and maybe some tangerine. Flavor draws back a bit with some wheat and a bit of hops. Some fruity elements remain. Mouthfeel is light and crisp. Not too much flavor, but a nice feel and good drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 12:16:55 | More by Thorpe429

ManuelHerrera

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First of all, I'm a huge fan of the orca whale on the cover of this summer ale. Nothing says "Summer" to me like Free Willy.

The beer is pretty damn decent. It pours a misty tangerine and has a spicy citrus aroma. There was a slightly skunky smell mixed in too, but the came out of a Bevmo Mystery Box so who the hell knows when I was supposed to drink it. I need to check the born on dates.

Anyways, the beer is decently balanced with banana and grapefruit tartness flavors that are unfortunately covered by the carbonation of the beer. They'd do well to lessen the carbonation to let those flavors really shine.

Overall this is a nonthreatening summer beer that can be enjoyed by most.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 03:08:06 | More by ManuelHerrera

Bfarr

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark, sparkling straw colored with thin white with little retention and lacing. Malty sweet aroma with hints of pilsner. Fruity apple and pilsner with good hop presence with a slightly spicy finish. The bitter linger lasts a little too long. High sharp carbonation.

Nice flavors aside from I think it would have been nicer to have a clean finish. Pretty easy drinking for a summer afternoon... or night...or morning if you live in Florida.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 01:29:31 | More by Bfarr

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: gold in color, 1/2 inch head, moderate carbonation, clear

Smell: wheat and small citrus

Taste: wheat, bread, honey, and a bit of lemon

Mouthfeel: smooth, high carbonation, slightly sweet, light bodied

Drinkability: An excellent summer beer and a fine representation of the style. I could have a six of these. A very clean beer. Nothing fancy, just good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 20:38:11 | More by tigg924