July Craft Beer Review
Summer beers are out in full force with hefeweizens and witbiers, IPAs, and now I find new sour beers everywhere. My July Craft Beer Review is shorter than my usual beer reviews. I wrote a huge review of 12 beers in the June Craft Beer Review, so I thought I would give you a little reading break! So with that being said, here is my July Craft Beer Review; a review of four very different beers. All can be enjoyed during any of the summer weather you get, even if it is a rainy day or a steaming hot one.
July Craft Beer Review
Freestone Summer Ale, Bowen Island Brewing, Alberta
5% alc./vol. This beer is part of a craft beer mix pack from Alberta’s Bowen Island Brewery.
A – the pour is a hazy, copper yellow colour with a lot of foamy head hat dissipates into a thin bubbly line
S – definite smells of peaches and apricots as well as wheaty and bready notes
T – taste a lot like the smell with stone fruits, peach and apricot; yeasty and bready
M – good carbonation, a little on the heavier side, strong peach aftertaste
O – very fruity and refreshing; a good wheat beer with the stone fruits dominating most of the flavour
Bombardier Glorious English, Charles Wells Brewing, UK
4.7% alc./vol. An English creation that is meant to be savoured.
A – dark clear caramel pour, foamy head that turns into a thin lacy line
S – caramels, chocolate, herbal/grassy hops, some citrus
T – malty caramel sweetness with light bitter herbal hops and some breadiness
M – medium bodied with medium carbonation, smooth, creamy and sweet
O – a really nice dark beer that has lots of sweet maltiness; the type of beer perfect on a summer rainy day
Charles Henri Blanche Belge, Brassiere Les 2 Freres, Quebec
5.1% alc./vol. A wheat beer brewed from Quebec that just won bronze for Best of Canada at the Canadian International Beer Awards!
A – a hazy, straw colour pour with fluffy foamy head that sticks around for a while
S – grainy and malty notes, with coriander, some other spices and stone fruits
T – lemon and orange peels, more coriander, floral hops
M – good carbonation, medium bodied and refreshing
O – a really good choice on a hot summer day; refreshing and fresh tasting with lots of nice citrus and coriander
Cowbell Kettle Sour, Wild Rose Brewing, Alberta
4.5% alc./vol. Sour beers are hitting the shelves and this one is one that I could see myself having more than one without developing a canker sore!
A – a hazy, golden yellow pour, not much head to speak of
S – citrus, floral and herbal hops, a salty smell
T – lime rind, saltiness, mild herbal hops
M – low carbonation (nearly flat), sour and tart, medium bodied
O – ice cold on a really hot summer day, this beer will go down fast and in high quantities. What we need is more cowbell! I’ve had other sour beers that I could barely finish without puckering right up, but this one is balanced quite nicely. If you are experimenting with the sour beers, give this one a try!
There you have four very different beers to try out this summer! If you are looking for more beer reviews, check out the previous reviews I’ve done this year:
June
What’s your favourite beer to drink on a rainy day or sweltering hot day?!
