Brooklyn Summer Ale - Brooklyn Brewery

adamrobertt

New York

4.15/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Really great summer beer. Bright flavor that goes down easy. Fizzy carbonation, citrusy hops right at the forefront. Almost a spiced flavor at the back, but not too much of a linger on the palate makes this a very refreshing summer beer. Light body, doesn't stay in your mouth for very long. I really enjoyed this beer and it's nice to have a summer ale that isn't a wheat beer for once.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 03:30:41 | More by adamrobertt

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle from Lou's in Augusta. Light amber almost yellow body with a thin film of off-white head. Citrusy hops and caramel malt equally share the aroma, though it's not overpowering. Biscuit malt plays a big role, with some citrus hops in the background, along with hints of a mint-like quality. Again, not overpowering. Light in body making this very drinkable. All around enjoyable light summer beer, though having enough good flavor and aroma to satisfy. One of the best summer beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2007 01:30:26 | More by MrHurmateeowish

LauraAlberts

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Light Gold-orange hue.

Smell: Citrus, fresh cut apples

Taste: refreshing, light wheat bread flavor, hint of citrus

Mouthfeel: refreshing, mild tannins leaving the mouth watering for more

Drinkability: Very Drinkable - I recommend this to anyone looking for a refreshing beer without the high alcohol level of most craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 17:01:18 | More by LauraAlberts

confer

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle the Summer Ale is a perfect gold. The perfect color of beer. I am sure this beer is way past best by date as it is February and this is a Summer Ale. I could not find the date on the bottle.
The smell is simple ale aroma nothing fancy.
Taste is also nothing fancy just solid English ale. The hoppiness is non-existent. Could be due to the age.
This is a fine beer. I can't wait to try a fresh one is summer. It is easily a session beer and will be fantastic on a hot summer day.
Once again I'm not disappointed with a Brooklyn offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2010 21:35:24 | More by confer

RyanC84

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

English Pale Ales aren't the sexiest style ever, but Brooklyn has nailed it with their summer release.

A: One of the best English Pales I've seen. Pours a wonderful light golden color with a one finger head. Plenty of lacing.

S: Aroma isn't out of this world. All "bready" malt on this one.

T: Crisp & refreshing. The bready malt dominates with the hops finally showing up at the end providing a citrus finish.

M & D: Low ABV. Good carbonation with a light body. Perfect beach beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2009 23:28:59 | More by RyanC84

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a clear amber straw color with a frothy off white head. Pretty active carbonation.

S: Smells fruity and flowery, maybe they used some English hops and/or English yeast.

T: Nice caramel flavor up front with a flowery hop flavor in the middle. The end finishes with lots of English yeast character and a mild crispness.

M: Medium bodied, crisp, well carbonated, smooth.

D: This is a very tasty beer, lots of flavor from the low alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 19:21:15 | More by Patrick

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Summer calls for a summer ale. Brooklyn's version pours a clear golden color with a few centimeters of white foam with nice retention. Clean malt aromas with some citrus hops compose the nose. Bready malt is complemented by some citrus-like hoppiness toward the finish. Clean, crisp, and definitely refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 22:12:07 | More by BeardedBoffin

xhcadamx

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Honey yellow very effervescent lots of bubbles which created a very foamy head. The head left but the tiny bubbles stuck around.

S - Earthy hops and Grainy. I can see why this is kind of called an English Pale Ale.

T - Graininess and earthy noble hops but somewhat muted. Very balanced

M - heavily carbonated and thin

D - easy to drink.

This is kind of an American Blonde Ale and English Pale Ale hybrid so that's how I reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 02:04:50 | More by xhcadamx

matjack85

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up this single 12oz brown bottle at the Binny's in Glen Ellyn, IL on the advice of one of the cashiers who highly recommended it. A freshness date is stamped onto the glass part of the bottle rather than on the label so it is hard to both find and read. I couldn't read it even with a magnifying glass, so I hope it's still good. The web site says this is only available April thru July, and this is already December, so it might not be the best time to be opening a summer ale, but here goes anyway.

The beer pours a nice looking golden-yellow color with a 1 finger white head that lasted about a minute and a half. It left nice thick rings of lacing all the way down the glass.

The smell was both fruity and floral with a good dose of citrus orange peel aroma to it

The initial taste is bready maltiness but then all the hops kick in and the beer becomes spicy, fruity, and bitter with a lot of orange peel zest to it. I liked the flavor a lot. The finish ends up mostly bitter, but it's a clean, crisp bitterness that I enjoyed.

This stuff is light bodied like you would expect from a summer brew, but man is it ever carbonated. A crisp mouthfeel for sure.

There is no hint of alcohol in here and it goes down easy. Next time I see these I'll have to pick up a 6 pack instead of a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2009 00:51:24 | More by matjack85

bum732

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden yellow, decent creamy head, good lacing. Smells very floral, some roses, lavender, lilac, slight bready malt, herbal almost, touch of citrus, very fragrant overall. Tastes of light bready malt, nice citrus backbone, raw graininess near the finish. Earthy bitterness with a nice earthy dryness. Nice creamy body with enough carbonation to give it life.

This is a very solid summer beer and English pale ale. Lots of hops with just enough sweetness and dryness to be a great summer beer. Loved it.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 03:23:34 | More by bum732

Brent

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is an excellent example of what a summer ale should be - light without being watery, flavorful without being overbearing, a bit tart but not sour, lemony but not citrusy. This beer finds the ideal middle ground on all points so as to be a most drinkable hot-weather quencher, yet not just a lawnmower beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 13:26:15 | More by Brent

Finn

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice lemony citrus aroma with abit of grassiness comes out of a very pale beer. The lacing recedes very quickly. This beer is very refreshing, and unique in the world of summer ales. It is very quenching and dry, with a bit of citrusy hop flavor, but you have to search for it. Carbonation is spot on for a summer quaffer. And that's just what this beer is for me. Nothing more, nothing less. Very well done and is a great summer beer if you want to quench your thirst with a very well-made light ale. Incredibly drinkable.

Serving type: can

08-27-2011 00:39:35 | More by Finn

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Summer Ale has a thick, white head and a slightly hazy golden appearance, with streams of bubbles and fine, white particulate matter floating about. Nice lacing rings. The aroma is of sour dough, sweet, mustiness, and the flavor is sweet, white bread, biscuit, a kiss of piney hops, and flowers. Mouthfeel is medium and fluffy, and Brooklyn Summer Ale finishes semi-dry and extremely drinkable. Overall, this is a very good beer.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 21:56:45 | More by RonaldTheriot

Luigi

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours out a slightly hazy golden color with a two to three finger head. Depends of how aggressively you pour. Either way, the head eventually rested on a moderated blanket of foam around the glass. This foam on top of the ale stayed for whole life of the ale.

The aroma a mild citrus and soft bread malt. Very clean.

The taste hits the palate at first with a light citrus flavor from the hop, but quickly balances it's self out with the bread flavor from the malt. The finish is clean with a sweet and bitter finish.

Medium bodied and mildly carbonated. Very easy to drink!!!

This pale ale is quite a thirst quencher. This pale ale is a perfect pick year around!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:20:07 | More by Luigi

EStreet20

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle, 20 ounce nonic.

Note: The Brooklyn Website labels this a model of an old fashioned "Light Dinner Ale", produced from the 1800's until the 1940's. The site describes the style as "refreshing and flavorful without being heavy. I'm attempting to review this brew to the standards I imagine would exist for that style.

A - Clear pale golden color. About a finger of snow white head.Lots of tiny bubbles in there rushing to the top. Some sporadic lacing rings.

S - Some light grassy/floral hop.

T - Very clean tasting. A tiny bit of sweetness along with a tart bite followed by a faint tea-like taste. Finish/aftertaste give you a tiny hop impression.

M - Light bodied, good carbonation.

D - This one goes down nice and easy.

I think Brooklyn nailed what they are going for here. I'm not a fan of blonde ale type brews, but I think this is a nice easy drinker for the summer months. Could be a good call as a session brew or a change of pace from the Wits/American Pale Wheat Ales we see in the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 02:50:24 | More by EStreet20

DannyS

New York

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my trusty Duvel tulip.

A - crystal clear orange amber with a very thin head that goes away very quickly. Decent lacing.

S - Faint piney hops accentuate the mild, bready aroma. Not a lot going on smell-wise.

T - Crisp, clean bright taste. Citrus, mild hops, and bready flavors converge into this very light but very satisfying taste. Finishes dry and clean.
I also detect a very faint candied presence reminiscent of smarties or marshmallow, but one has to really stretch to find it.

M - Slightly weighty but with nicely active carbonation.

D - A perfect session brew. ABV is modest and it's oh so easy drinking.

overall - It's not an especially complex beer, but it fits the bill of a 'summer ale' very well. Maybe I'm just biased, but I can't find a Brooklyn brewery beer I don't like.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2009 00:29:33 | More by DannyS

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance:
I poured this into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. This brew has a very classic look. It's color is an old-fashioned gold with a foamy white head that dissipates after the first sip to a light film. Nice webbed lacing. There's also good bubbling activity.

Smell:
Hops, lemon, and an overall grassy/summer aroma all come through.

Taste:
Brisk hops are there with a little lemon and grain. I also taste a slightly sweet malt.

Mouthfeel:
Great. It's crisp, sharp, yet finishes smooth and short. Perfect carbonation. A great thirst quencher.

Drinkability:
Fantastic.

In New England most people only know the Sam Adams summer ale, which is decent. But I think this summer ale offering from Brooklyn is better.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 01:54:44 | More by jbertsch

NODAK

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma is somewhat citrusy, and some malt showing through. Pretty nice and inviting.

Somewhat crisp upfront....with citrus notes showing through and a little hoppiness. From there, I get a bit of caramel malts and a little sweetness. Just a slight bit of hops show on the finish but very faint, you almost have to really look for it to notice them. Aftertase is pretty clean, a little stickiness remains briefly. A very clean beer. It just feels nice and crisp...a great summer beer.

Drinkability here is high for sure. It wouldn't be hard to put quite a few of these down. Its style is listed as an EPA, but has some characteristics of a wheat beer as well (the citrus).

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 02:51:10 | More by NODAK

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A-Pours a translucent golden color with a fizzy white head that dissipates quickly.

S-Some biscuity malts, a hint of hops, and a hint of lemon zest. Not much on the nose.

T-Perfect balance between the malts and hops, as neither dominates the flavor profile. There is some light hoppiness and some biscuity malt. There is also a hint of lemon in the flavor. According to the Brooklyn Brewery website there are four hops used, but it is not hoppy at all. It has a very crisp and clean finish.

M-About perfect I think, even though its a little watery, its meant to be an easy drinking beer.

D-Through the roof. Definitely sessionable as it is only 5% alcohol and very, very easy to drink. Its also very tasty and enjoyable. I highly recommend this for Summer consumption.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 21:52:51 | More by thegodfather2701

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep yellow with excellent clarity and a white fizzy head that dissipates quickly. No lacings. Malty, bready aroma with a hint of orange citrus. Biscuity flavor with a light lemony hoppy taste and a very clean finish. The English malt flavor very nicely subdues the hop bitterness. Very refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 02:01:06 | More by IronLover

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Best before Oct 2011. 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Transcribed from notes taken a couple days ago.

Appearance - Thick white head with medium retention. Low/no lace. Clear straw body with some bubbling.

Smell - Sweet and balanced. Grainy with light berries.

Taste - Light with very mild hop. Dry. Corn.

Mouthfeel - Mild effervescence. Crisp, but no bite. Very light body. Refreshing.

Overall Drinkability - No off flavors. Light and refreshing. Does a pilsners job well. [ED - it's actually an English Pale Ale]

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 05:23:22 | More by ZenAgnostic

alexgash

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle.

Clear golden body with yellow edges. Thick frothy finger of beige-white head. Good lacing. Fresh, perfume-y hop nose. Marmalade, zesty orange, flowers, and chamomile. Biscuity malt background with a shortbread sweetness.

Taste follows the nose. Biscuit malt base plays second fiddle to a very citrusy and tangy hop flavor. Marmalade and lemon zest. Thirst quenchingly citrusy with some acidity and a dry finish. Moderate body with a bubbly feel (would prefer a smoother feel). Lingering toffee/biscuit malt late in the finish. A good hot weather ale that should drink very nicely out on the porch.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 00:02:55 | More by alexgash

dasenebler

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz. bottle. Pours a pale gold with a small fizzy head. Looks like an average pilsner, really, though it's an English ale.

Aroma is of lightly earthy hops and sweet, biscuity malts.

Flavor is nicely biscuity and bready, with a mild bitterness. As the beer opens up, some lightly fruity "ale" flavors are evident. The hops are faint: earthy, woody and perhaps citrusy. Really, there's not a whole lot to this beer, but that's what makes it so drinkable. It's easy to drink several bottles, or have a couple with dinner, as the restrained flavor will not overwhelm most foods. The mouthfeel has medium carbonation, yet is surprisingly creamy and satisfying for such a light ale.

This beer really shouldn't be in the Pale Ale category. According to Garrett Oliver it's an English "Light Dinner Ale", and therefore is lighter and less intense than a true Pale Ale. If reviewers realized that this beer is actually a mild (I do think it should be put in the English Mild category) then I think attitudes might change. This is an eminently sessionable, refreshing and drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 21:52:48 | More by dasenebler

tammyshawdixon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Summer Ale...I love the light, refreshing taste of this beer! Perfect for a hot summer day! Golden color, light on hops, light on malt...light body and bready taste. Light crisp bitterness and a citrusy/floral aroama! 5% ABV is perfect for drinking a few of them!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 20:10:19 | More by tammyshawdixon

sleazo

New York

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I don't think I have tried this befor-e so I picked one up at the Greenpoint Deli on Manhattan.
Best before 12/07
A-Pours a bright copper with a steady stream of tiny bubbles to replenish the head. The head is slightly small but there is good lacing. The small soaplike head prevents this from scoring higher.

S-The malt is the predominant smell here with a very bready quality. The hops do make their presence noted with a soapy/grassy aroma. This is a very clean smelling brew.

T-A very mild pleasing sweetness hits up front followed by that light grassy hop flavour. The hops are not too strong but I do not think that is what they were going for. The malt is the main player here and it is very crisp. The taste is very Englishand better than alot of the originals.

M-creamy yet efferevescent. Perfect for a hot summer day.

D-This is a great session summer beer and different than traditional summer offerings. Refreshing would definitely be my word for it. If you are expecting an American Pale you will be dissapointed but if you aren't expecting that you will be pleased. I will be picking up a sixer of this.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2007 02:23:43 | More by sleazo