Beer of the Week

The beer: Summer Love

The brewery: Victory Brewing Company, Downington, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "You never forget your first love. And we bet you'll never forget the years of celebrating all that's great about summer with Summer Love by your side. Baseball. Beach Days. BBQs. This Golden Ale delivers big flavor and big nostalgia through a fine balance of clean pilsner malts and citrusy, earthy Simcoe and Tettnang hops.​"

Would I buy it again? So, this beer was a bit hoppier than I was expecting, but it also had a nice juiciness to it as well. I actually didn't know what this was (other than a beer from Victory) and I thought it was a pale ale, not a golden ale. It's quite good though, very pleasant to drink, and I would buy it again. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: General's Golden Ale

Brewed by: Antietam Brewery, Hagerstown, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Refreshing golden ale brewed with wheat & a blend of American & New Zealand hops. Classic light ale, broad appeal. So drink up!!!"

Would I buy it again?: I didn't know that this beer had wheat in it, which gives it a much stronger and juicier flavor than I was expecting. I'm glad for it too, because it makes it more interesting, and so I would get this one again. It distinguishes itself from the herd of summer beers.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Golden Ale

Brewed by: Uinta Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, Utah

Description (from the website): "A year-round refresher, this golden ale is light bodied and crisp with a subtle sweetness."

Would I buy it again?: Probably not. It didn't taste bad, far from it, but it tasted exactly the same as pretty much every other easy-to-drink ale out there. And if I want one of those, I can go through a lot less effort to get one.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Jefferson's Golden Ale

Brewed by: Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "This complex golden ale pays homage to our Founding Father and fellow brewer, Thomas Jefferson. We recreated his recipe, employing honey, rye and wheat, just like the beer brewed at Monticello during Jefferson’s time."

Would I buy it again?: Not so long ago I wrote about people brewing ancient beer. The late 1700s/early 1800s weren't exactly ancient times, but it's not exactly yesterday either. So, how did Jefferson do? Pretty well, I'd say. It's definitely a pretty strong beer, and plenty drinkable too. I'd definitely consider buying more.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Apollyon Golden Ale

Brewed by: Arcadia Brewing Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Description (from the website): "Tremble before Apollyon, The Destroyer, for herein is a beer that requires careful handling. Produced using a technique that amplifies the intense apple/pear fruitiness of Arcadia’s house English-style yeast, the result is a straw-colored golden strong ale that hides its strength carefully. Obscured by intense honey notes, hints of cotton candy, fresh-baked bread, and a wickedly dry, crisp body, we took to calling it Apollyon in homage to the Belgian tradition of naming beers after 'devilish' figures. Unlike the king of locusts, the only truly dangerous part of Apollyon is how enjoyable and refreshing it is."

Would I buy it again?: You know, I was really expecting a lot more kick from this beer when I first tasted it. I figured something called a strong golden ale and with such high alcohol content would be more intense. But it's very drinkable. Unfortunately, I think that works against this beer in a way. It wasn't cheap, which is not so good, and it's supposed to be a winter beer, but it really strikes me as more of a warm weather beer. It was fine, but it definitely isn't something I'll be rushing to get again.