Newcastle Summer Ale

Newcastle’s summer seasonal isn’t quite the same as many American craft breweries’ seasonals. As an English bitter beer, it’s less fruity and “summery”, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good summer seasonal. The color is a dark golden yellow, darker than the bright yellow star on the label. The aroma is malty, with a very subtle hint of citrus. There is almost no hop aroma at all on this one.

The taste is what you would expect from an English style beer, a slight bitterness up front, nuttiness coming through in the middle, and a tiny bit of hops at the end to keep it alive. The main thing that separates Newcastle Summer Ale as a seasonal is that along with the nuttiness there is a bit of lemon and other citrus flavors that makes it a pleasant experience during the warmest months. Overall, it is pretty similar to the classic Newcastle Brown Ale, but is lighter and has a great citrus flavor added. The only thing I can say is disappointing about this beer is discovering that it is not brewed in Newcastle anymore, but instead at the Heineken owned Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Style: English Bitter

Overall: 86