Smuttynose Brewing Company does so many things right, that when I see something new on the shelves from this outstanding brewery, I just have to buy it and give it a try. The Smuttynose Summer Weizen is only available between May and August, and here is what they have to say about this beer:

“Light, tasty & full of character, our summer wheat ale is brewed with a combination of domestic and continental wheat and barley malts, lightly hopped & fermented with a Belgian wit yeast, resulting in a delightfully tangy & refreshing flavor.This beer is brewed for warm weather enjoyment. Bring some to your next picnic, barbeque or Frisbee game.”

Here’s my take on it…

The Smuttynose Summer Weizen pours a golden yellow color, with a creamy one inch head that lingers for quite awhile, and leaves some moderate lacing on the glass as it dissipates. Although lemon dominates the nose, I detected a slight hint of chamomile in the background (the label says that this beer is brewed with chamomile flowers). As far as how it tastes, this beer is light, refreshing, and very well carbonated. The citrus carries through to the palate and leads you to a mild, bitter finish.

This was my first beer of the night this past Wednesday, and since it was from Smuttynose, perhaps my expectations were a bit too high. I was hoping that it would be as good as the Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (talk about a thirst quenching beer!) or the Ayinger Hefe Weizen, but sadly, it’s not. It’s a good beer, and I think it lives up to Smuttynoses’s decription, but it’s not a beer that I would go out of my way for to try again.