Baxter Brewing Celsius Summer Ale [Beer Review]
Baxter Brewing Co. burst on to the scene in 2011 and quickly impressed many with a tight, but well executed, line up of two beers: and IPA and an Extra Pale Ale. They’ve since added and third, an Amber, and finally have put out their first seasonal, Celsius Summer Ale brewed with spices. With June half past us already, I thought that I should check out this brand new summer offering. After all, I need some good canned beer to bring with me camping this summer!
Pouring a hazy, light golden that darkens as you get the yeast at the end of the can with a big, cloudy white head on top this beer just looks like summer! Combine that with the bright yellow on the can and I’d say that this is one for outdoor activity on a hot, sunny day.
Wow, this really has some great citrus aroma to it! The can says lemon and lime peel, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass and it’s all there! What’s great, though, is the subtley of these aromas. Nothing is in your face or too much, it’s just a great, clean, crisp and slightly acidic aroma. If I didn’t know this beer had spices in it, I’d never guess that the smell wasn’t from hops. This is superbly balanced in the nose! You can even smell some light, grainy malt in it. It gives a nice lightly toasted bread smell to the finish.
Of course, while look and smell are great, what really matters is how does Baxter’s newest offering taste. And you want to know? Really good! It’s a bit different than I expected, but quite scrumptious. At 4.7% abv it’s light on the tongue and very dry, with a slightly minerally finish that leaves you craving another sip. There’s a grainy malt that stays throughout which is the vehicle that everything else rides on. Up front and on the mid tongue the citrus plays the most dominant role, it’s not sweet at all but it’s definitely fruit-influenced. As you swallow, though, a slightly resinous hoppiness sticks to the back of your tongue, battling that minerally dryness I mentioned before.
This one does a great job of being light and drinkable while keeping it interesting on a hot day. The fact that it’s in a can is great because, as the can says, you can take it to the camp, lake, bbq, mountain, hike, picnic, beach, cooler, backpack, fridge or golf course...it’s diverse! I definitely see this one being drank more this summer.
