Almost a perfect yellow in color, the smell on this brew was amazing. Certainly apricot right up front, you could smell a bit of hops and... well, just great sweetness. Ithica describes the beer as:
Our easy-drinking wheat beer is light in color and body... perfect for those looking for a lighter taste. The combination of wheat and barley gives Apricot What a different malt character than our other ales. The hint of apricot gives this beer a pleasant nose and fruity finish.
The taste on this bad boy was exactly like the smell, extremely sweet with a bit of hops on the back. The apricot was very flavorful, right up front instead of on the tail end like a Magic Hat #9. At 4.9% ABV, this is one beer anyone can enjoy.Ithica is responsible for a few really great brews, Nut Brown, Pale Ale and Ground Break among the best. I first encountered the Ground Break at a local beer store. I bought a growler of it and it was empty in a few short hours- that good. It's usually a spring seasonal, hoppy and extremely sweet and crisp.
Next on the list, I grabbed a cheapy bottle of the Anchor Summer Ale (with the arrival of the fall season, bars are dropping their summer beer for real cheap... and I'm there to pick it all up!). The Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco was given us a great line of beers, from the constantly changing Christmas Ale to the Liberty Ale (6% ABV American Pale Ale that is crisp and hoppy).
The 4.6% ABV Summer Ale was pretty tasty, if not a bit on the hoppy side. It had a unique maltyness to it- clearly a light beer but the texture and taste were heavy and deep. It has an almost sour note on the end, maybe something with the wheat- I enjoyed it though, very different. It has a nice hoppy aroma with a bit of lemon to it, which transferred nicely over to the taste. Brewed as an American Pale Wheat Ale, it's truly a beer worthy of a "summer" title- thirst quenching and crisp in taste, I could drink these all day long.Anchor has kind of a cult following, like hipsters have with Pabst Blue Ribbon, and I can see why. Some people drink this beer not because they like it, but because of the cost and the status factor. That shit is just dumb. Drink beer because it's good, not because you'll look trendy doing it...
Marking the first day of fall on Wednesday, I just had to drink a fall style brew... and what better beer to drink than a Pumking Pumpkin Ale from our friends at the Southern Tier Brewing Company. At a hefty 9% ABV, this is a serious autumn pumpkin ale.I've only seen this particular beer three ways: on tap at a local pub, in 22oz bottles, or straight from the brewery in a half gallon growler. Light orange in color, this looks like one delicious beer. The smell is pretty much all pumpkin and spice (nutmeg and a bit of sweet cinnamon) with slight notes of hops. The taste is exactly like the smell, hoppy and spicy with sweet pumpkin and cinnamon. Not overly sweet or hoppy, my main problem with it is the strong boozy taste at the end... it is 9% but still.
The way I first had this brew was on tap at a random bar a few years back. It was served in a regular pint glass, but the bartender coated the rim with ground cinnamon and sugar. It was a very neat concept and the same way I drank it last night. The cinnamon rim adds to the sweetness and, in my opinion, makes the beer that much more special (and fun to drink).Quite a range of beers for a night out, I definitely enjoyed everything that I drank... maybe a little too much. I'm off to nurse this hangover. So long and keep up the good drinking.
Ithica Apricot Wheat 8/10
Anchor Summer Ale 7/10
ST Pumking 8.5/10
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