Brooklyn Summer Ale - Brooklyn Brewery

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz can poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear golden in color. Persistent creamy white head. Little to no lacing. Inviting.

S: Hoppy and a bit playful on the nose. Leafy and herbal/spicy. Lemon pulp and a hint of iced tea. Malt base is reminiscent of buttered biscuit and some light toffee notes.

T: Buttered biscuit and toffee. Slight hints of butterscotch and caramel. Oily hops butt in and steal the show. Stiff little jab of bitterness. Leafy and herbal with a lemon rind/lemon pulp vibe. Biscuity malts come back toward the end, but the the finish is very clean and only leaves a fading impression of oily, bitter hops on the palate.

M: Light body, but the malt backbone is substantial enough to create a round, creamy, and slightly weighted feel. Stiff blast of scrubbing carbonation adds a crisp and refreshing bite.

O: There's a nice juxtaposition going on between the rounder, heftier English malt flavors and the crisp bite of bitter hops and refreshing carbonation. Not bad.

Serving type: can

04-27-2013 02:37:09 | More by ryan1788a5

brewskifan55

Mississippi

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

Poured into a Perfect Pint glass

A: Straw golden with a white half-finger head that sticks around. Nice lacing.

S: Summery. Lemons and limes. Citrus and floral.

T: Malts slide in nicely. The lemons really pop. Then I got an unexpected shot of lime that surprised me in a good way. Lightly hoppy on the finish. My wife commented that it went well with her burger. Crisp. Sweet.

M: Medium with medium carbonation.

O: A sessionable brew. On tap would be even better. Great after working in the yard.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 19:27:06 | More by brewskifan55

patpbr

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours golden with a white head and carbination bubbling up. Smell is malty and mostly grain, a little hop presents. The taste is crisp and light, Mostly malt and a little floral and citrus. The hops are mild. Light to medium carbination and a dryer finish. A decent summer beer, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:10:59 | More by patpbr

BigRedGator

Georgia

2.05/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Very tinny beer, a more respectable version of common domestics like the buds or millers. A bit tart, thin, and highly acidic. Thin but full carbonation, which got old quickly after a couple beers. Not a summer ale drinker so I may not be a good judge of this type, but it was disappointing.

Serving type: can

04-04-2013 01:15:29 | More by BigRedGator

buschbeer

Ohio

3.79/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle
Served in a perfect pint glass

A - It is straw colored with millions and millions of carbonation bubbles rising from the etching on the bottom of my glass. I tell you what. There is a couple inches of creamy white head on this beer, and it doesn't go away. Quite impressive.

S - I notice the smell of lemon zest and lime. Is that noble hops? I like it either way. Very refreshing.

T - The lime translates to the taste as well. I also get some lemon grass.

M - It is pretty thin and well carbonated.

O - This is the perfect beer to match to the weather. Spring is in the air and on the tongue!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 01:24:43 | More by buschbeer

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.76/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a can into a shaker pint, the beer is a bright, golden-yellow coloring with a slow flow of carbonation bubbles and a sparse filmy surface coating. Aromas of toasted grains, floral highlights, and a light, crisp hops presence. Flavors are light and toasty, with a tangy, slightly bitter hops backbone and a sweet, floral ribbon cutting across the palate. Some jasmine and juniper blending in there. Light and crisp in mouth, the beer has a tangy sweet aftertaste. Clean, crisp finish. This is a great warm weather beer.

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 22:59:57 | More by GarthDanielson

fx20736

New York

3.14/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

bought 2 bottles for $ 1.95 each at Beers of the World on 3/29/13.

poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served cool but not cold.

apple juice gold, active carbonation, thin offwhite head, minimal lacing.

aroma: underpowered but slightly toasted malt, a strange but subtle aroma I can't identify somewhere between burnt and skunked. If it were stronger it would be a turn off.

mouthfeel: good, medium.

taste: lightly toasted wheat bread with a touch of spicy hops.

notes: this is not bad beer but it isn't particularly good either. there are so many better beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 09:41:46 | More by fx20736

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.69/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Yellow tan and clear with some rising bubbles and a small head/not a lot of lace.

Smell and taste: Grainy, floral, grassy, a little bit of toast and bread, lightly hopped.

A pleasant and tasty, light, refreshing brew, great summertime beer. Carbonation is pretty good and aftertaste is lightly sweet.

Another good one from Brooklyn.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 20:16:25 | More by AlCaponeJunior

SmashPants

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: standard 355mL brown bottle, decent label - better than your standard macro.

Appearance: pours amber-gold with a very limited head that drops to a thin foam.

Aroma: a good combination of floral hops & a combination of decent grains. Some faint bread malt backing.

Taste: follows the nose very closely, but with extra emphasis on the sweet grains and floral hops. Quite refreshing.

Aftertaste: disappears quite quickly - lucky it's a good sessional.

Mouth feel: again, bang on. Fine yet busy carbonation bringing the flavours through, but more importantly making for a very refreshing ale. Quite thin in body.

Overall: good beer, great sessional summer beer. Not entirely sure it's worth the price - I'd rather a Brooklyn Lager for the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 09:39:14 | More by SmashPants

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a cloudy straw with no head. Smells of lots of wheat, very inviting. Tastes of wheat and citrus, a nice refreshing combination. Carbonation is right and sessionable refreshing summer brew. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: can

11-11-2012 04:10:34 | More by cyclonece09

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.83/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours amber with a quickly fading head.
Nose shows some soft floral and spicy notes but very faint. Also a little malt and vegetal notes underneath.
Flavours are a bit better with some attractive malt and more spicy hops. Very light.
Feels a bit watery.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 08:12:07 | More by CrazyDavros

spicelab

Australia

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to Beermasons.

Clear light orange. Near-white head of modest heft which falls to a final film and raised collar.

Relatively clean nose of doughy yeast, honey, spicy grass, orange and mild sweet malts. Quite delicate overall.

Starts okay with some pleasant sweet malts and mild citrus hops, before a dull cereal grain character quickly takes hold, seemingly drawing the flavours out of the beer.

Light-bodied with deceptively understated carbonation that delivers an impressively refreshing finish.

Not a bad drop at all. Flavours fall a little flat for mine, but it's still a beer that I would happily drink a few of in its namesake season.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 10:04:14 | More by spicelab

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 355ml bottle with a BB of April 2013. Picked up a little while back from Trembling Madness in York. As it's the last official day of summer, I thought I'd pull this out before it's too late!

Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear golden colour with good carbonation and a bit of floating sediment. Forms a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. Aroma of floral hop notes underpinned by light caramel malt and stewed hops. A faintly harsh leafy quality in the background.

Tastes of flowery aromatic hops and light malt, with a dry finish. Notes of white grape, citrus, stewed hops and mild earthy yeast. A harsh, astringent background quality and a hint of cardboard. A faint bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is light and tingly, but unusually dry. Body has a light effervescence, like sparkling water. Somewhat astringent, with an aftertaste of stewed leaves and faint aromatic hops.

Rather so-so. When I first cracked the bottle and took a sniff I thought it boded well, as various 'summer ales' I've tried have been naff. However, the taste put paid to that - too much harsh stewed hops milling around and spoiling everything. Not a brilliant effort; I probably wouldn't have this again. No need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 22:34:42 | More by jazzyjeff13

devilben02

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

This beer serves its purpose as an easy-to-drink pale ale for the hot summer months, but it doesn't provide much interest beyond that. It pours a hazy golden orange color, and a quickly vanishing fizzy head. The aroma is primarily a dull, earthy hop character that is expected for an English-style pale ale, but it lacks depth. The flavor profile is more varied, with a biscuity malt base balancing against a combination of lemony, grassy, and earthy hops. The fine, prickly carbonation drowns out any sense of complexity, though. Overall, this is a light and drinkable beer, but it is mostly uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 15:35:12 | More by devilben02

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

330ml bottle bought from GapWines, Belfast...

Poured a light golden colour. White head poured thick and foamy with a pock marked topping then faded to light covering... some light carbonation bubbles drift slowly to the surface... light lacing...

Aroma - Some juicy tart fruits (lemons and limes, pears,), quite earthy and grassy, floral honey, light sweet grainy malts, doughy, some rubberiness, talcum powder traces, herbal, peppery hops...

Taste... light peppery hop bitterness, quite floral, metallic hints, light sweet biscuit malts, some juicy fruits (lemons, apples, limes), some saltiness, faint floral honey sweetness...

M&D - Fairly sharp and dry... light bodied... very quaffable at 5%

Overall - A decent enough brew for a summer day... nothing groundbreaking just a decent quaffable brew..

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 08:03:06 | More by mdagnew

Parrotshake

Australia

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

Bottle into a pils glass, crystal clear gold colour with about a centimetre of head. Lots of rising bubbles.

Smells really nice. Fresh-baked scones and lemon. Flavors of lightly toasted grain and zesty lemony hops, herbal on the back. Not all that complex but a pretty great lawnmower beer.

Not really an English pale ale anyway, and more carbonated than any I can think of. Crisp and refreshing. A lot of crummy lager drinkers would take to this quite readily. Extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 15:51:49 | More by Parrotshake

homebrew311

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce can poured into glass. Somewhat hazy orange with white head, decent retention with some lacing. The nose features refreshing citric notes including orange, tangerine and lemon. Notes of light grains come through as well along with some light herbal hops. Taste is right on par with Nose, light fruity with a decent hop punch. Taste is clean and refreshing. Mouthfeel is light and high on carbonation. Overall, nice summer brew, not much flavor, but good for a hot day.

Serving type: can

08-26-2012 02:42:41 | More by homebrew311

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazy straw color with a small off-white head and some visible carbonation.

Aroma: Citrus hop smell with a little malt and dryness in the nose. Some caramel malt and grainyness in there.

Taste: Starts out with that caramel malt flavor and then the lemon hop flavor hits the back end of your palate. You are left with a bright citrus flavor from the hops. For a "Summer Ale" this beer has a nice malty backbone. The lemon from the hops is like all the flavor of a lemon without the bitterness. Although someone new to craft beer would probably think of this hop character as strong, it's actually quite calm and finishes clean.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Effervescent. Drinks like a slightly darker beer, meaning it's a tab sticky in the mouth but not cloying.

Final Thoughts: As soon as I saw the label "Summer Ale" I thought, "oh here we go again with another bland brew." But this one surprised me with it's nice malty undertones. I'd call it more of an American/English pale ale hybrid. You get the malt notes that are common in English style beers with the citrus hop flavors that are usual in American ales. Brooklyn Brewery should consider renaming this one, if for no other reason than to stand out in a sea of bland Summer Ales.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 04:42:31 | More by JamesMN

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a fluted pint glass, color is pale, clear gold to copper; head is bright white, clings lightly.

Smell is fresh, citrusy, lemony, very pleasant with some grain sweetness.

Taste is neutral, but a crisp pale ale with fresh hops - not grainy, but not sweet; hops are on the citrusy side.

Mouthfeel is crisp, maybe too much so, but it does not ruin the beer.

Overall, a solid pale ale with great fresh lemony hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 20:28:39 | More by mvanaskie13

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - clear and bubbly golden, one finger of head dissipated fairly quickly to a thin cover
S - mild citrus and leafiness with raw grain and light toasted bread
T - herbal and leafy hops up front, very subtle citrus undertones, toasted grainy malt background, and some adjunct like flavour
M - light and refreshing, decent carbonation kick, finishes just a little dry
O - the flavours are just not bright enough here, gets drowned by a typical average lager/ale flavor for the most part, its a little better than average but not by much

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:51:26 | More by joemcgrath27

Momar42

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into Duvel artist tulip

A - clear, straw yellow. Moderate head with a vigorous pour that fades quickly. Mild lacing.

S - very typical "summer" beer aroma. Sweet malt with hints on lemons and other light smells. Not a strong nose but present thankfully.

T - lemons first. pale malt body carries it through the quaff (i hate that word). Faint bitterness mixed with lemons finish it off nicely. Easy drinking if a little lack luster.

M - Light. Easy on the palate as most summer beers are. I should have tried this in cans as it is ideally suited for coolers at the beach/pool.

O - for the style, its fair to average. For a good summer beer with some flavor its slightly better than most of the drivel I've tried over the years. Not bad, so long as you drink it for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 02:53:35 | More by Momar42

azorie

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My first New bottled beer this year. call me old, lol

A: a very light orange ale, with a small head, poured into my standard mug, served at 45F Spare lacing, cloudy body.

S: light sweet biscuit like malt and average hops in the nose.

T: slightly acid, average duration, light bitter, lightly sweet. The flavor is pale English malt and a hop kick to balance it out on the slightly hoppy side. to style.

M: Light body, thin and creamy at the same time.

O: nice English PA, not perfect because of the hop blend profile to me. Its a decent beer, and this is bottle number 4 of 6. its refreshing beer, and despite the name, I would buy again.
at 5% its easy to drink a few.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 20:06:42 | More by azorie

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into NB Globe glass.
Pours a hazy rusty golden color with clumpy head.
Smells of malts and english hops. Taste is sweet malty, slight english fugle hops. Its crisp and refreshing, but just lacking any real pizzaz. Cool that it comes in cans also, for festivals and camping purposes; smart because thats really its only application. Descent summer brew...

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 02:29:58 | More by DrinkSlurm

wingman14

Ohio

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a medium yellow with a frothy white head. Smell is pleasant and more powerful than expected. Hops up front with some malt coming through as well. The taste is a nice mix from start to finish of the hops and malt, with a bready flavor. A nice crisp beer, light mouthfeel, nothing overpowering and great flavors. Overall a great summer beer, great session beer.

Serving type: can

06-24-2012 00:52:28 | More by wingman14

BEERMILER12

Maine

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB OCT 2012

A: Pours a golden color with a fingers worth of head

S: Some spicy/floral and citrusy hops along with a light barley graininess dominate. Not much behind those, but they leave a nice inviting aroma

T: Follows the nose, with the barley being the majority of the flavor throughout. Hops lend a nice citrus note, and are slightly bitter. Bready and mealy due to the barley

M: Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Definitely has the feel of a beer that would go great with many different foods and wash them down easily

O: A solid brew for a summer gathering with food. Would go great with BBQ or really any food. It also fits the style well and is a good choice for a summer beer because of the qualities described above

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:44:53 | More by BEERMILER12